user Interface Design or user interface is designed to help organize the user's interaction with a device or program. This is what the user encounters when looking at a device or screen: the location of graphical interface elements, buttons, and navigation. How convenient the user interface is depends on the desire of a person to use the site or application. User loyalty largely depends on the convenience and attractiveness of the interface. A bright design attracts people and makes them go to the program or website. Therefore, it is important that the UI design is intuitive.
To understand what UX and UI design is, imagine a chair. We will conditionally call its framework UX design, since a person solves a user problem with the help of the chair itself. At the same time, the conditional UI design of a product is the number of its legs, the shape of the back or upholstery. Good UI design takes into account the practicality of the external design, for example, a chair, this means choosing not only a beautiful, but also durable material for the product.
Thus, UI design is aimed at creating the necessary emotional perception of the product. And UX design is based on user assistance to the user in working with the resource.
As a result of the interaction of UI and UX design, the user receives a single impression of the aesthetics of the visual design of the interface and ease of passage. to the desired action on the page.
You'll get
Quality work done
Attractive design
Emotional user engagement
Structured Interface
What determines the price of UI design
- Number of interface concepts. The more of them, the higher it is.
- The type of device for which the interface is being developed. It can be android application interface, interface IOS applications or a web application.
- Having formed UX rules. If we need to work out the rules, the price goes up.
- Need for illustrations. They can be graphic and animated. The price also depends on the quantity. The more illustrations required, the higher the cost of UI design.
Order a user interface design from a branding agency COLORO. We will find an approach to your project.
UI design development: stages
1.Formulation of the problem:
- setting goals for which the interface will be used;
- user needs analysis;
- choice of platform on which to implement the project.
2. Development of interface sketches.
3. Prototyping, to evaluate the convenience of the interface.
4. Data analysis and selection of the best options.
The UI interface includes the following elements:
- information architecture;
- interaction design;
- graphic design.
Creating UI Design: Rules
- The design of application elements should be as simple and understandable.
- User not must perform complex actions or long chains of transitions.
- It is advisable to use familiar elements controls and clear visuals.
- Logically related elements are required unite in menu and forms.
- Most important elements UI must go first.
- The interface must be framed in a single style.
When developing a UI design for a mobile or web application, it is necessary to take into account aesthetic-usability effect(aesthetic-usability effect). Being under its influence, it seems to a person that the interface of applications that looks better is more convenient. Therefore, the design of the user interface should be harmonious combine beauty And convenience.
Order interface design in a branding agency KOLORO. We know how to strike a balance.
Features of the development of the application interface
Depending on the purpose of the project and the purpose of the interface, the designer selects the color scheme and design. Should be considered color psychology and how it affects people. When designing a UI, color can be used to highlight the quality applications. Red is associated with strength and passion, green - with nature and prosperity, blue - with peace, purple - with creativity and wisdom.
It is necessary to carefully work out the details of the project at an early stage and follow the main principles of developing a mobile interface. Among the latest design trends is the development of applications that would work on both Android and iOS. However, UI design is best developed separately for each mobile application. In this way, errors and malfunctions can be avoided.
The UI faces the following tasks:
- Provide interaction user with the application.
- bring emotional satisfaction user during operation.
- Look attractive.
UI components
- visual design, or VD is important for the quality display of colors, fonts and other elements of the site, since this is what creates the aesthetics of the site. A good user interface can only exist in the combination of page content and functionality. Besides, visual design aims to attract the user and build his confidence in the product or service.
- Design system- designing the user interface through systems of individual interface elements. They are needed to develop reusable templates.
- Prototype is a working example of the designed user interface. Simulation of work gives an idea of the responses of interface elements before they are directly developed.
- Content. Gadgets have taught users to work in multitasking mode, so when designing a user interface, it is important to quickly and correctly demonstrate the main content and functionality of the application, and move everything secondary to the background or remove it.
- Feedback- this is the use of a different design or animation of the program's response to the user's action. This gives a person an understanding that everything is under control and functions correctly.
- Operation with one hand. good design interface must be adapted for one-handed operation. The easiest way to manage the program is when the necessary navigation elements are located in the lower left corner. Also, the convenient interface design provides for the presence of large buttons, indents and catchy design of important elements for easy interaction with them.
- Quick Entry. Forms to fill out should: require a minimum amount of information from the user; offer answers. For example, if you need to find out the user's age, it is better to use a drop-down list, but to find out the address through synchronization with geolocation. General recommendation- minimal manual input.
UI design development in KOLORO will bring you
- Aesthetically pleasing interface. Design elements and color schemes will be selected in accordance with the concept of the application.
- Simplicity and clarity of use. People will easily understand how to interact with the interface.
- Consistency. Elements that act in the same way need to be given consistency. This will make the application easier to use.
UI design is an important interface element. With its help, the program and the user are in contact. Contact a branding agency koloro, and we will develop the most convenient UI design!
About how to become a designer.
A friend of mine once admitted that she always wanted to be a designer, but missed the opportunity to become one. I quickly assured her that it was never too late to start, and I was the best proof of that. In fact, many designers have been able to learn UX design without any formal training.
Here's how it all happened for me, step by step:
1. Understand all areas of Design
There are visual designers, interaction designers, user experience (UX) designers, interface (UI) designers, product designers, graphic designers, and so on. There are generalists who know a little bit of everything. Start by finding out what specialization you are interested in.
2. Read articles on UX/UI design on the way to work
4. Take a break when you're in trouble.
sooner or later you will find yourself confused, defeated and overwhelmed - buy yourself a latte please! Reward yourself for the hard work you put into your passion. Stay positive.
I remember with a smile the day I embarrassedly admitted to a friend that I had no idea how to work with the pen tool (you'll be laughing in a few months). My friend and I got a job at the same company a year later and are still smiling as we remember the day we literally spent 8 hours drawing shapes in Photoshop.
5. Read good books.
6. Find a designer who knows how to do it and ask him sometimes
I'm not saying "get a mentor". I don't believe in mentors because I think people are too busy working on their own dreams. I never expected anyone else to put a lot of effort into my career, but I have found some excellent friends to whom I can quickly ask a question or offer coffee when I need advice.
7. Get inspired
Listen to Matias Duarte, Vice President of android design, and his material design stories.
Check out the work on Dribbble, The Best Designs and Awwwards. Make inspiration a priority. It will help you understand UX patterns, visual design and empower you.
8. Work on projects that don't exist
If your goal is an intern or entry-level position in UI/UX design, then you need to show something to the employer. This is the hardest step, it's like jumping off a cliff. You may not be ready to start working on a project, but do it anyway. Try to create a portfolio in Sketch or Illustrator, start with custom flows, wireframes, interactions, and finally a full mockup. After that, remake the site that just needs it. Create your own task list app. Create a delivery app. Keep creating what excites you.
A UX (user experience) designer is not really a designer, but rather a designer who develops a structure that is user-friendly. The finished product should attract with its convenience, simplicity and beauty, make you want to go to the application or the site again and again.
The UI designer (user interface) performs the terms of reference from the UX designer. Responsible for drawing pictures, buttons, selects suitable fonts and harmonious shades. He also selects the appropriate dimensions of a particular element. For example, if the buttons are conveniently located, but too small, then they will be difficult to hit. Taking into account such trifles is also part of the task of a UI specialist.
Both professions are so closely related to each other that most often all the work is done by one person.
A bit of history
The term UX was first used in 1993 by Donald Norman. This was his start to his career at Apple. Norman believed that a computer interface should not only be functional, but also evoke pleasant emotions in users.
Since the rise of the iPhone, the term has become widespread. Many competitors have realized how important the value of a UX designer is when creating a user interface.
From small to big
At the dawn of the Internet, the designer was given a simple task: “to draw a website”. The specialist, without much thought, drew beautiful pictures and handed over the project. The sites looked like twin brothers. The background color and content changed.
As development progressed, things got more complicated. You won’t surprise or attract anyone with an ordinary site; complex web services have become necessary, for which more specialists are needed. And in order not to confuse them, everyone comes up with their own position or profession.
Now UX design explores user behavior and creates the site architecture, and UI graphically brings it to life. How a programmer programs, and a layout designer arranges elements in the right order.
Profession UX / UI designer
The confusion in terms still remains. Some web designers present themselves as UX/UI specialists without fully understanding the essence. They only use the name because they think it's fashionable.
Ideally, a real specialist, who calls himself UX/UI, approaches each order individually, develops diagrams and sketches, analyzes, asks clarifying questions to the customer, finds out the goals of the project, and only then proceeds to create a full-fledged website.
Such a person is able to explain to the client why the buttons are located in this particular place, for what reason a certain element is placed at the bottom, and not in the middle of the page. It doesn't just draw something pretty, it arranges the blocks logically.
Separately, a UI designer will not be able to achieve the desired effect. In fact, he has knowledge only in graphics editor which is not enough in today's digital industry. He must work closely with a UX designer who is simultaneously a psychologist, analyst, artist, sociologist, screenwriter, and director.
The key responsibilities of a UX/UI designer are:
- collection and analysis of information about the project itself,
- collecting information about the potential audience of the site,
- interface design,
- selection of fonts, element sizes, colors, general style of the site,
- layout creation,
- drawing details.
The work is considered to be correctly performed if, when working with the site or application, the user was not annoyed or distracted by useless elements.
The difference between a web designer and a UX/UI specialist
Terminology:
- Design - designing, drawing up, creating something. Doesn't necessarily refer to a web resource, but is a broader concept that covers many physical or virtual things.
- UX - includes the user experience, his preferences, emotions, reactions, behavior, feelings before, during and after using the interface, site or object.
- UX design is a combination of the above two points, i.e. creating a design based on user experience.
What does a web designer do? Only by design. Draws what is considered beautiful in his understanding.
The UX/UI specialist is not limited to digital technologies. His activities may concern the development of a control panel for a coffee maker, a printer or a ship. Of course, each area has its own specifics and the site interface developer is good at his job. But at the same time, the essence remains the same: the control panel in a car, airplane or kitchen appliance should be convenient, understandable and not cause irritation.
Personal qualities
The work involves prolonged sitting at the computer, so if a specialist prefers a more active lifestyle, then this profession is not for him.
Important personal qualities:
- perseverance and perseverance
- striving for perfection
- creativity,
- desire to learn new things
- the ability to imagine yourself in the place of another person,
- ability to take criticism.
Experts are not born. Yes, some personal qualities cannot be learned, but everything else can be acquired: read recommended books and specialized articles, attend lectures and practice a lot.
Demand for specialists
There is a huge shortage of true UX/UI designers in the digital industry. It is impossible to predict how long this trend will last, but if the Internet does not disappear, then this industry will continue to develop.
More and more companies are moving to virtual trading. It's comfortable and modern. And, despite the huge number of free designers, many prefer their sites, because. they provide a lot more options.
It is not enough just to make a few pages with information about the company and write contacts, you need a UX / UI design, with the help of which the children's designer will turn into a real website.
Basic principles of building interfaces
Basic principles are not laws, ux design implies creativity and creative thinking.
- Simplicity. The user must achieve the desired result through the minimum number of actions.
- Hiding the "pillar" sign on the pillar. Extra inscriptions are confusing, make the user distracted. If the cart or emoticon can be displayed as an icon, then that is sufficient.
- Automatic actions. Complex actions scare away the user, he should automatically press the keys / buttons, without thinking why this is done. It is important that he get the expected result.
- Habit. It is difficult for a person to get used to the new. The user sees a drawn shopping cart and a purchase association appears. If you change the image to "grandma's shopping bag", it will be difficult to guess what's what.
- View diagonally. Nobody reads large texts. It is better to make brief notes on the site or headings and subheadings that reflect the essence of the issue.
- Miller's wallet. According to the principle of the American scientist, short-term memory is capable of covering 7 elements, plus or minus two pieces. Therefore, it is better to place information in blocks within these numbers.
- Intuitiveness. Many things users do according to their intuition and do not want to remember something.
- Necessary in sight. UI design involves focusing on those things that the user needs most.
- Grouping. All elements must be grouped according to some distinctive feature. For example, if the phone has a “messages” menu, then it is more rational to insert incoming and outgoing messages into it, writing new ones, as well as message settings.
- 3 click rule. Old, but not losing relevance. To get to the information you need, you need to make no more than three clicks. Large quantity causes dissatisfaction and entails leaving the site or refusing services.
- Same style. Reviews about a company or a particular product should not differ in functionality or external display.
- "Fool Protection" If the user wants to delete his photos or something else - you need to ask again. Perhaps he just accidentally pressed the button.
- Copywriting. There should be nothing superfluous in the interface. Every heading is important, every letter on the menu is carefully chosen.
- Whether in the trend. Creating a project is a long process, and fashion is changeable. To ensure that the project does not become obsolete before it is published, it is necessary to think through every detail.
- Little things don't happen. One small dash, by its presence or absence, will scare or attract people.
Summary
UX/UI design is important in any field of activity. Why is there a steering wheel in an airplane and a steering wheel in a car? It is convenient and correct. So on the site you need to select convenient elements, i.e. consider user experience.
Every project needs testing. Even when the site is already running, you should not abandon it. Analysis of user actions will help improve an already working resource and correct existing shortcomings. It may turn out that more than half of the visitors immediately close the site due to an unpleasant color scheme, or they cannot find the right button. Although during development everything seemed obvious.
Who to involve in work: UX or UI?
“Two in one” is always attractive, but not always effective. One person, theoretically, can handle and do all the work on their own. But will he miss some important detail that will discourage users from using the developed interface? Two separate specialists will cope much better with the task.
| 18.08.2015
Many designers (including not only beginners) use the phrase “UI / UX design” in their resumes. This combination of the terms UI and UX is not entirely correct. Why this is so, read below.
What is UI
Translated from English UI (user interface) is a user interface. With the help of such an interface, the user can interact, i.e., conduct a dialogue with devices, machines, programs. A good example of a user interface is mobile phone with display and keys for various functions, car dashboard with control buttons, etc.
UI is how the user sees and interacts with the screen. When designing a high-quality UI, attention is paid not only to the appearance of the interface, but also to its logical structure, so that the user can easily, quickly and easily interact with it and achieve the desired result. In the computer sphere, the UI developer is faced with the task of creating an interface that provides a simple, understandable and convenient user interaction with a product (program, website, etc.).
But in order to clearly understand how to create a high-quality user interface for a particular product, it is necessary to study the behavior, emotions and reactions of users when interacting with this product, conduct testing, and collect data. A person, interacting with any system, experiences sensations and reacts in a certain way in the process of using it. This is called user experience, or UX.
What is UX
Feelings and reactions that arise in the user when interacting with the product (in our case, this computer programs, websites, applications, etc.) are called experience of interaction (UX, user experience). UX is what the user feels and remembers as a result of using a program, application or website. UX is taken into account when developing UI, creating information architecture, usability testing. Having determined the target audience and the characteristics of the main user, you can make a list of requirements for the project.
At the first step, it turns out what expectations and desires potential users and the customer of the product (program, website, etc.) have. At the second step, we determine functionality available to users. The next step is to design the site (or other product), develop a structure and navigation that is intuitive to users, and also consider the layout of all user interface elements. Last step - appearance, product design, which will be convenient and pleasant to use.
conclusions
As you can see, UI is part of UX. The goal of both is to improve, simplify, make more convenient. But, although these terms are closely related, they are by no means synonymous. You can have great UI but terrible UX, and vice versa. Designers are mainly engaged in UI. The UX industry is studied by other specialists - designers, analysts, marketers. To achieve maximum results, the professional work of specialists in both areas is necessary.
The term "design" can seem deceptively simple. At the same time, it is very vague, and if you ask different people to explain to you this concept their answers will be very different.
For example, when someone says, "Oh, I'm a designer," most people may not understand what is meant. And all because behind such, it would seem, in simple words there are a lot of meanings.
Today, the market is seeing a growth in the tech enterprise sector, which tends to focus on producing a variety of screen interfaces, which in turn leads to new design features.
Such a profession as a UX designer may seem at first glance strange and even a little complicated, for those who have not encountered it before - moreover, some experienced developers do not understand what is meant by it and may wonder: Who are UX designers and what do they do it at all?
However, the UX industry is growing fast right now. You just need to look at how much the number of UX (or “User Experience”) specialists has grown.
Not all of them are new experts, if only because the job market in this field ranges from complete newbies to people who have always been UX specialists but never knew it.
The above circumstances can create certain problems, for example, not everyone who calls himself a UX designer is actually a UX specialist. Because this is a special kind of profession that cannot be clearly defined, as if we were talking about dentists or nurses, moreover, in UX it is quite difficult to distinguish a good specialist from a bad one.
Who is a UX designer?
The work of a UX designer is usually associated with the perception of a product or service, so the design problems in this case are not always obvious.
They are subjective, and may have more than one solution. In essence, it is the responsibility of the UX designer to make sure that each step of the product design process flows from the previous one.
This can be achieved through the use of face-to-face user testing in order to evaluate the actions taken. If users can complete both verbal and non-verbal tests, then the conditions for effective ux have been created. For example, creating a convenient adaptation for new users would be a good solution.
What does a UX designer do?
A good UX specialist can combine all aspects of a great user experience into one product.
This can only be done if you are convinced that these aspects work well together, and not separately. The professional we are considering is solely responsible for future results and in particular for ux itself.
But still, this is only the beginning of a career for a qualified UX specialist, because in the future they can be used various methods to do the job well.
To be a really good UX designer, you need great communication skills, passion, a love of innovation, a penchant for creativity, and the initiative to know when to experiment and when to stick to established boundaries. However, all UX professionals should start at the bottom of their careers if they want to be marketable in the future.
In order to become a successful UX designer, you must be able to not only describe, but also competently use communication mechanisms, task completion algorithms, and interface requirements.
You must be able to explain to investors the user experience from start to finish, as well as the characteristics and context involved. With the support of a strong team, a UX designer can transform the characteristics of any well-known platform, such as Facebook, into a valuable and accessible toolkit.
Wireframes and sketches are just a small part of the work
Wireframes and visual plans are the result of the careful preparation that goes into creating a product. It is really important to present the preparation process in a visual form, for example in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, for further use of such materials by designers and programmers.
It's easy enough to get data on product prototypes during usability tests, or even create screencasts. These tools can be just as important as wireframes.
UX designers can also be recognized by the way they focus on a carefully crafted plan to improve product design in order to make it more effective.
However, there is no proven method for selecting a good UX specialist because their responsibilities may vary. The latter have a very wide spread, and cover interaction with individuals, legal entities, as well as with new technical developments.
Conducting user testing
UX design is much more than just having to sit with customers at your online platform or app, periodically asking them for their opinion on a particular feature.
In fact, the evaluation process should include observing the client's ability to carry out the activities that have been designed for them. So they can provide you with their own unedited response about their own user experience.
For this type of evaluation, the number of customer evaluations, individual evaluations, and the selection of test participants, mainly depends on how much money you are willing to invest in conducting it in the early stages of product development.
Luckily, customer-centric testing is actually as reliable and easy as observing user interactions with your product online.
Definition and creation of "personas"
The term "persona" is used to refer to a fictional character that represents one of the categories of users for whom you are developing a product. This type of personality assessment can be the object of careful study, if it is of course appropriate.
While it might be tempting to create a character entirely, if your "persona" isn't based on statistics about your real users, it's unfortunately useless. Creating a character will also make no difference if it has nothing to do with your business.
The best way to create a character is to use various types of research, such as user tests, surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and other methods as well.
When You Can't Call Yourself a UX Designer
You can't become a truly skilled UX designer if you don't learn how to interact with the people who should be helping you shape your strategies.
The name of this profession includes the phrase "user experience", but if the user does not exist, then your activity has no value. If you're designing based on little more than an interesting idea, without taking into account the actual user needs, then you're definitely not a UX designer.
The same can be said for those UX professionals who cannot define their target audience. If you think your online platform is perfect for one and all, you are not only making your job impossible, you are also neglecting the true principles of web design - there should always be a target audience.
Another disadvantage is trying to fix the problem right away, instead of making sure that it really exists and then finding its cause.
If your boss asks you to design an online platform, and you don't even ask why you need to do it, then you are most likely a regular (and not necessarily talented) web designer, not a UX specialist.
Making decisions based only on personal experience is also a bad idea. If your boss asks, “Why did you choose to use fields for the label instead of another alternative feedback in your last poll?”, you should answer something better than “I chose them because I like them.” This definitely doesn't work in UX design.
If you want to become a successful and skilled UX designer, it is very important to use all design tools - from interviewing clients to usability tests, creating personas, contextual assessments, concept models, sitemaps, product prototypes, wirefreys, A/B evaluations and much more. .
For skilled UX designers, it is necessary not only to figure out the characteristics of their target audience, but also to have the ability to demonstrate this information to their team.
The product must always evolve
The first thing to take for granted is that your product will never really be finished. In addition, a product should not be considered only in terms of its intrinsic value, for the methods necessary for its development are also important.
For many UX professionals, it can be difficult to stick to a rigid box or follow a plan, but most companies stick to this path. However, the only thing that remains constant is change, and it will always be so.
If you are trying to design a product, you must strive to improve the methods required to produce it, as well as constantly improve the end result.
In fact, it can be helpful for UX designers to periodically look back at their past projects (successes and failures) to find out what they have learned and how it can be applied to their future work.
