UX design: design for the user

What is UX design? Also known as experience design, UX design is an approach aimed at creating an optimal user experience.

This approach is based on a holistic vision of the user experience, encompassing subjects such as ergonomics, psychology and cognitive science. It studies all the aspects that influence user interaction with the product/service.

It is sometimes confused with UI design, but UX design and UI design are two distinct, albeit complementary, concepts.

What is the difference between UX and UI design? When should UX design be incorporated, and what are the benefits? How do you design a good UX?

We answer these questions by focusing our approach primarily on UX design applied to digital products and services, such as websites, mobile applications and software.

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What is UX design?

UX design: definition

What is UX design? A concept derived from User eXperience, UX design refers to all the methods and techniques used to provide users with a pleasant, fluid experience when they come into contact with a given product or service.

The aim? To bring together all the ingredients to create the best possible user experience , in other words a positive emotional impact when using the product or service.

For a website or mobile application, a " good UX " is based on :

• Usability : it must be easy and natural to use the tool, to navigate and to search for information intuitively, without asking questions;
• Usefulness: the functions available must be useful and serve a relevant function;
• The desire to use it : the application's appearance must be pleasing and support the meaning of the message;
• Accessibility: the system must be responsive and accessible on all browsers;
• the value offered : the information content must be of high quality, provide value to the user and answer their questions;
• Consistency: from one point to the next, the experience must be fluid and logical;
• Credibility: the tool must instil a sense of trust in the user, reassuring them that the information is legitimate and that the site is secure.

The UX philosophy: a user-centred approach

The approach is user-centric, meaning that it places the user at the heart of the process. In a way, the user is the first actor in the design process, the one who will give the product its final form.

👉 It aims to anticipate user needs, while aligning them with your business objectives.

The UX approach for a high-performance product

The approach is highly pragmatic and scientific: it is based on tests and research to design a journey that is perfectly tailored to the expectations of identified users.

💡 Targets generally correspond to marketing personae.

A well-designed UX will enable users to take precise action, whether it's to guide them through the purchasing process or to facilitate their search for information.

In the digital world, users' needs are translated into concrete, clear and easy-to-use functionalities.

Need ⇨ functionality

What are the differences between UX and UI design?

UX design and UI design are different disciplines. They are often compared, but fundamentally they do not have the same object of study:

• UX design (User eXperience design) = user experience design ;
• UI design (User Interface design) = user interface design.

Difference between UX and UI

© Joptimisemonsite.fr

• For the visual aspect and design of the ketchup bottle, we're talking about UI design;
• When it comes to functionality and user satisfaction, we're talking about UX design.

And in the digital field?

• UX design (user eXperience) focuses on the overall user experience, i.e. the relationship between man and machine.
• UI design complements UX and focuses on design elements in general, such as colours, typography, layout, shapes, symbols, images, etc.

UX design: an example applied to a website

For websites or mobile applications, UX design is concerned with the interaction between the user and the components of an interface: what the user will observe and feel, how they will behave, the actions they will take, etc. This raises questions such as: how will the user interact with the interface?

This raises questions such as

• How can we direct users to the right information?
• How do we get them to click where we want them to?
• How can we facilitate the purchasing process through to payment?
• How do you get them to subscribe to your newsletter? etc.

Modelling a user journey on a mobile phone

© tild.fr

👉 Let's take the example of UX design applied to an informational content site, such as a blog or web magazine. The design of the site must :

• Help users find the information they are looking for,
• help them navigate between pages
• encourage them to make a purchase by means of advertising, where appropriate.

To achieve this, a number of elements need to be considered:

• the site's tree structure
• navigation and breadcrumb trail,
• internal linking
• the display of graphic elements (images, banners, titles, etc.),
• the content itself and its information quality,
• the relevance of the content to the target audience of your site and/or page,
• the presence of buttons encouraging users to read other content, etc.

The user experience created around an article therefore depends not only on the content itself, but on everything that makes it easier for the user to obtain the information they are looking for.

Why is UX design essential? 4 benefits

To improve the customer experience

The user experience, particularly on the web, is essential and must accompany the product or service offered. UX is part of its very value .

As digital products and services fill our daily lives, the user is not only ultra-connected, but also zapped, in a hurry and very much in demand.

Capturing their attention becomes essential, so that they understand your brand and your value proposition simply and quickly.

A well-designed UX :

• Provides the information the user wants,
• gives them a positive experience
• encourages the user to repeat the experience.

By striving for the best possible user experience, you develop a positive brand image and make a major contribution to customer satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately to their recommendation of your brand.

To optimise your website's SEO

When it comes to SEO, the UX of a website is a key criterion for search engines, especially Google.

To position your website on the results pages and give it the visibility it deserves, pay attention to these criteria:

• Few display errors and bugs,
• fast loading of images and pages,
• well-designed ergonomics
• easy navigation (internal linking to visit more pages),
• adaptability to different browsing devices (computers, tablets, mobile phones), etc.

Everything that contributes to providing a quality browsing experience for web users.

To achieve your marketing objectives

When it comes to using a website, a well thought-out UX will improve visitor retention .

Let's imagine that your SEO efforts bring a large number of visitors to your site, but that they leave within a short space of time. You've lost the opportunity to let them discover your offer and convert them into customers !

UX design must ensure that the product is as user-friendly as possible and that users get what they want in the shortest possible time. The objectives will be :

• Give them the answer they want,
• capture their interest
• hold their attention for as long as possible
• and to encourage them to navigate to the pages you want.

This will have positive effects on your marketing objectives, such as increasing the number of visitors to your site, extending the time spent there and optimising the conversion rate.

For successful innovation

UX design comes with a benefit: innovation! To gain a competitive advantage, adopting an innovation strategy is inseparable from working on the UX.

Innovation cannot take place simply for the sake of novelty, without UX design, because its value will come from the support of its users.

How do you innovate? By focusing on the user:

• their expectations
• their habits
• their uses,

and adopting an improvement approach.

How do you do UX design?

1. Define the strategy: why create this product? Identify and define user expectations and your business objectives;
   
2. Imagine the functionalities of your product/service: how can you meet the needs of the users you have identified?
   
3. Organise the elements into a precise structure: which elements should you keep, and how should you prioritise them?
   
4. Draw up a skeleton: where should each functional element be placed? Draw up simple diagrams called "mock ups";
   
5. Adopt an iterative or continuous improvement approach: what can be done to improve the first drafts? Create a prototype that best satisfies user expectations;
   
6. Create the mock-up, adding the design and graphics: how can you make the interface visually attractive and clear? This is UI design.

To explore user needs, use :

• A/B testing: this technique allows you to test two variations of the same page by studying what works best (text layout, structure, functions, etc.);
• Surveys: interviews with your users, tailored to your target audience, help to identify sticking points and take action accordingly;
• user tests: based on a given scenario, the aim is to study how users behave when they come into contact with your interface.

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The role of the UX designer

What is a UX designer ?

The fundamental role of the UX designer is to understand your brand's value proposition , and what your product or service promises to deliver to its users. The UX designer will then take charge of the entire UX process.

During this process, the UX designer will design the experience of using your site. Key tasks include

• carrying out studies and research into your typical users
• designing prototypes
• organising workshops and exploiting user feedback,
• creating a value proposition as part of a continuous improvement process.

The optimisation of web and mobile sites is complex, so it makes sense for your company to call on the services of a UX designer.

This UX design specialist will be able to mobilise a whole range of skills, methodologies and tools to understand and model your users' expectations and come up with appropriate solutions.

How are you going to launch your next UX improvement or design project?