DIGITAL DESIGN   |   POSTED ON 28.06.2016

While UX is an ever expanding discipline, the key concepts, the basics, remain largely the same. These are some of the important aspects that contribute to the user experience of your website and things you need to consider when planning and implementing a UX strategy.

Interaction Design

Interactions are any action (scroll, click, tap) that a user takes when on your website and they form an integral part of the UX. If a user can’t interact easily and successfully then they won’t have a positive experience; simple. Interaction design seeks to past simple functionality by creating enjoyment with every interaction and ultimately an engaging experience for your user.

User Interface

UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) are frequently misunderstood and incorrectly used interchangeably. To clarify, UI refers to what the user sees and interacts with directly, while UX encompasses all user-focused aspects and encompasses how the user feels when navigating and interacting with the website. Understanding this distinction is crucial during the process of rebranding to ensure both the visual design and user experience align effectively with your brand’s goals and audience expectations.

Visual Design

Visual design plays a pivotal role in website design and development, significantly influencing user experience (UX) by creating a positive aesthetic experience. While users may not consciously notice every detail of interaction design or information architecture, they will undoubtedly perceive and react to the visual elements and how these elements make them feel. Visual design encompasses everything visible on the page, including imagery, layout, typography, illustrations, and whitespace. Research shows that first impressions are 94% design-related, and 75% of judgments on website credibility are based on its overall aesthetics. Therefore, getting the visual design right is crucial for enhancing UX and ensuring a favorable impression of your website.

Typography

Selecting fonts and determining how text is displayed might not seem a vital aspect of UX but it is. If your websites users have even the slightest difficulty in deciphering the information on your site, it will cause a negative impression and impact their overall experience. Creating a consistent and accessible visual language will help the reader understand your content the way you want them to.

Usability

Usability is the bare minimum of UX; if your target audience can’t use your product then they certainly won’t want to use it. When it comes down to it, a website’s usability should be effortless. The less attention the user has to pay to figure out how to use the system, the easier it will be for them to accomplish the task at hand. Usability is essential; your website must be functional before it can ever become desirable.

Information Architecture

Social media platforms also benefit from effective information architecture (IA), which involves organizing content in a way that helps users navigate and understand where they are and what actions to take. Clear IA ensures users find the information they need quickly, enhancing their experience and increasing engagement. Without well-structured IA, users can become confused and frustrated, leading to a negative user experience (UX) and reduced likelihood of return visits. Thus, implementing robust IA principles is essential for optimizing usability and satisfaction on social media platforms.

Content

Having clear, concise and engaging content on your website is one of the best ways to deliver meaningful information to your users. Content can help to go beyond creating something that’s just informative to building a long-term relationship with your users. Content can be anything from product information, how to guides, blog posts, articles, website copy, downloadable white papers, podcasts, videos or social media posts. It’s a great tool for building thought leadership and showing your expertise. Content will also contribute to your users’ impression of your brand and in turn, the experience they have while interacting with it. Make sure you have a robust content strategy in place that will contribute positively to the experience your users are looking for.

Functionality

This basic of UX is a simple one: your brand, product, service, website must allow your users to complete their desired action. It has to work and it has to work well. If it doesn’t have the desired outcome for your users, they will abandon the process. 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience. Make sure you have processes in place to keep track of bugs, errors or broken functionality.

Learn more with the team Liquid Creativity the local branding specialist.