To understand what’s involved in UX (user experience) design, it’s important to know what a user experience consultant does. Here, clients can learn about the five most important parts of the digital transformation playbook.
Information Architecture
IA, or information architecture, is the practice of connecting viewers to content in an understandable, relatable way. Here, a content hierarchy is created on each page, and elements like navigation are used to improve structure. IA takes varying kinds of info into context and it organizes it an efficient, easy-to-use manner.
Interaction Design
This aspect deals with the ways users interact with their screens. Visual design is a way to communicate the corporate brand with fonts, images, icons, color, graphics, and more. In interaction design, prototyping is used to define components’ functions and behaviors. This step ensures the resulting product is as close as possible to the designer’s intentions.
Usability
In this context, usability involves the use of data to determine the effectiveness and legitimacy of design decisions. While engineering constraints and goals are typically addressed by different people within an organization, it’s the UX designer’s job to be the user’s advocate and to communicate any difficulties encountered during the product’s use. Data can be gathered from surveys, focus groups, interviews, A/B testing, and more.
Prototyping
A prototype is a rough model from which other forms are created. For a UX designer, a prototype offers a flexible, inexpensive way to test what works well, whether it’s for a physical product, website, or mobile app. Prototypes also offer a way to iterate a product based on user feedback.
Visual Design
A visual design involves using a product’s visual aspects to improve UX. While it’s not the only design component to consider, it’s a crucial part of a well-planned product. Visual design communicates much about the corporate brand and can largely determine a product’s usefulness and desirability. In short, visual design tells users how a product functions via visual hierarchy, color, and typography. It’s an integral part of the user experience.
These five components aren’t the only parts of a successful UX design, but they’re some of the most important. Consult a UX designer today for more guidance and information.