The meaning of design is not limited to visuals or graphic design. Furthermore, it comes with a broad stream of subjects existing in a wide range of fields. With the relatively recent influx of web development agencies focused on designing digital products, numerous new design related roles and fields of responsibility have emerged. From this perspective, the terms UI design and UX design are unfamiliar even to many web design specialists who come from other industries. So when your friend says “I am a designer,” it is not quite clear what he or she actually does day-to-day. Partially, the confusion here lies in the name: UX (User Experience) design. Typically, the term “design” is associated with graphics, colors, and creativity. That is why the job of UX designer seems confusing and mysterious. “Wait, why is your designer interviewing people?” “Why doesn’t he/she draw anything?” “What does he/she do after all?” In this article, we decided to explain what is UX design and what is UX designer’s job in reality.
What is UX Design?
What is UX Design?
Well, there is no commonly accepted definition as UX design comes with too many dimensions from a bunch of different disciplines. They are usability, visual design, interaction design, information architecture, etc. UX (User Experience) design is the process of designing web/mobile products to make them delightful to interact with, easy to use, useful, and able to deliver personally relevant and meaningful experience. Presently, UX Design is a cognitive and non-digital practice used predominantly by digital world to improve/develop quality interactions between products and users. It aims to determine what the experience will be like when people interact with a product. This involves the pleasure customers derive from using the product, its usability, function, and branding. The process by which customers form experiences is crucial in UX design. It is all about enhancing the experience that they get while interacting with a product, and ensuring they find value in it. In other words, the goal of User Experience design is to improve client loyalty/satisfaction through the pleasure, ease of use, and utility provided when interacting with a product. For example, when first using a mobile application, a person gets an impression, which evolves over time. User Experience is the process when the person’s cognition, motivation, action, and perception work together to form a coherent and memorable emotional response, determining whether the experience is positive or negative. In other words, UX design is about how people feel when they use a product. To understand it more deeply, you might want to look at its brother-in-arms: UI Design. Related readings on Loonar Studios
Who Are UX Designers?
The main priorities of User Experience designers are user adaptability, usability, and functionality. They are responsible for knowing who is the target audience, and how to make their experience with the product as delightful as possible. In general, UX designers are focused on creation of digital products. At the same time, their job can involve anything. The UX role is multifaceted and challenging. Part project managers, part designers, part marketing specialists. Their main aim is to connect customer’s needs to business goals. The end result should satisfy both sides. That is why many businesses realize that they need User Experience experts to succeed in retaining/attracting clients.
User Experience Designer’s responsibilities include:
Analytics and Execution:
- Iteration and analysis
- Integration and tracking goals
- Coordination with devs and/or UI designers
Prototyping and Wireframing:
- Planning
- Iteration and testing
- Creating prototypes and wireframes
Content/Strategy:
- Content Development
- Product Strategy/structure
- Competitor and customer analysis
Designers who are aware of experience creation, or UX designers, seek to create/shape the factors that impact this process positively. In order to do this, they consider the How, What, and Why of product use. The How is related to the design of a product which should be aesthetically pleasant. The What focuses on the product’s functionality – the things users can do with it. Finally, the Why addresses the people’s motivations for adopting a product. UX design aims to determine the following:
- What it is going to be
- What it tastes/smells/feels/sounds/looks like
- What it is going to do for users
- How they will use it
To sum up, UX design is an analytical and creative process of determining what a product is going to be. Whether it is intentional or not, User Experience design always happens as there is always a person who makes the decisions about how the product and the person will interact. Good User Experience design happens when these decisions are made in a way that fulfills/meets the needs of both businesses and users. At Loonar Studios, we know that UX design is the science and art of generating positive emotional responses through interactions as they determine the success of the relationships, products, and services. And we know how to build it. Contact us to get a free consultation or to get more information about UX design.