User experience design is a collaborative process involving several disciplines that creates design products users want to use to interact with your business, regardless of the platform they are delivered on. In lighter terms, that means user experience places focus on giving your company a unified message creating a brand users feel comfortable with and want to engage with.
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User experience design is a collaborative process
involving several disciplines that creates design
products users want to use to interact with your
business, regardless of the platform they are delivered
on. In lighter terms, that means user experience
places focus on giving your company a unified
message creating a brand users feel comfortable with
and want to engage with.
Explainer videos have been proven to increase
conversion rates; they explain what your business
does in a fun, yet informative way, and people share
them across their social media platforms, increasing
your brand awareness and exposure.
USERS COME FIRST
As the term “user experience” would suggest, the
user comes first in the design process. Whether the
product is web design, print design, video production,
photography or a combination of any or all of these,
the focus is on how the user will perceive them. Will
the user find them appealing? Will the user want to
become a regular visitor of your website? Will the
CREATINGSEAMLESS
USEREXPERIENCES
3. CREATINGSEAMLESSUSEREXPERIENCES 3
user want to buy the product or use the service your
company provides? User experience design aims
to have a resounding “yes” as the answer to those
questions.
With users coming from multiple platforms such as
desktops, mobile phones and tablets, it is more
important than ever to have a connected brand
that users will identify with regardless of how they
are approaching you. Your unified message should
translate just as easily to a brochure, for example, that
the user would hold in their hand.
DESIGNING WITH USERS IN MIND
“User experience” was first conceived by Dr. Donald
Norman, a cognitive science researcher. He was the
first to state that “design decisions should be based
on the needs and wants of users.” Since we market
our businesses to generate interest in our products
and services, it makes sense that we would create our
brand identity and unified message with the user in
mind.
User experience involves designing with users in mind
rather than simply creating a design based solely
on your business model. The point to any marketing
program is ultimately to attain the goals you have set
out for your business, but in today’s business world,
the focus has shifted to the user and what they want,
or what they think they want, when they see your
brand.
There are many ways user experience designers can
learn what will appeal to your customers, and often
several of these methods will be employed to gain
valuable insight. Focus groups, persona development
and user interviews are a few of the methods that
generate ideas for designing with users in mind. It may
seem a daunting and expensive process, but it is one
of the most important steps you will take in creating
connected brands your users will return to time and
again.
Actual design elements are created based on
information learned from the targeted users; this
where logo design and colors come into play as well
as font styles that will appeal to your users and bring
your business to mind. To point out the effectiveness
of this portion of the design for your unified message,
think of the colors red and yellow, and the letter ‘M.’
Users can identify the corporation being referenced
immediately.
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HOW USER EXPERIENCE
CONNECTS BRANDS AND USERS
User experience involves connecting brands with an
interface that is accessible and desirable to users.
Putting your company’s visual properties, design and
language in sync creates a connected brand which
gives you a unified message whether it is on your
website, in a video or in printed matter. The interface
portion is the flow your customer will experience
when completing the steps that are your end goal; a
sale, a sign-up, or service contract, for example.
As your connected brands roll out and users interact
with them, your brand identity will establish itself.
If the user experience is a smooth process and
provides them with something they need or want,
they will become connected to your brand through
a natural process and continue to associate your
brand with a good experience.
THE BENEFITS OF A
CUSTOM EXPERIENCE
The first question that comes to mind might be,
“What is a handcrafted experience?” Think of it in
terms of why you should trust an expert to develop
your user experience. An expert in user experience
design will work with you to develop a strategy for
your brand that will strive to reach the goals you
have set out for your business. From there, the right
expert will handcraft each element of the strategy
to create a distinct and unified message that will tell
your company’s story.
You may feel your company does not need the
services of user experience designer, but according
to Josh Porter of Bokardo Design, “The biggest
misconception is that [companies] have a choice
to invest in their users’ experience. To survive, they
don’t.”
USER EXERIENCES IN THE FUTURE:
RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN
“Day by day, the number of devices, platforms, and
browsers that need to work with your site grows.
Responsive web design represents a fundamental shift
in how we’ll build websites for the decade to come.”
As stated by Jeffrey Veen, Vice President of products
for Adobe. This refers to users accessing your Web
content via smartphones, tablets and other wireless
devices that create the need for content that will be
user-friendly across all of those platforms.
At one time, Web design meant creating pages that
were fast to load and looked good once they did.
Now, users are accustomed to content-rich, interactive
Web content that delivers the information they seek.
With a massive swing towards mobile web access, and
literally thousands of devices being used to access
the Web, responsive web design is the key to users
being able to view your content no matter what device
they are using.
In layman’s terms, responsive web design is able to
query the type of resolution being used to access
the Web content and adjusts the content accordingly.
A site that may have three columns on a desktop
PC with a widescreen may only have one column
on a smart phone screen. Responsive web design
eliminates the need to create multitudes of apps for
every type of platform being used to access your
content.
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DO remember that user experience
design encompasses several disciplines
and is a collaboration of media deliveries
such as Web design, print design, video
production and photography.
DO understand that while your business
objectives are the fundamental goal, focus
is placed on the user that will be using
your marketing tools.
DON’T confuse user experience with
usability; these are two distinct terms.
User experience refers to the emotional
response, whereas usability is the
interface’s ease of use.
DO know that user experience design is
not limited to technology; it encompasses
all visual elements of your business.
DON’T expect immediate measurable
results; it does take time for your unified
message to establish your brand identity.
DON’T dismiss the value of a user
experience designer; an expert will guide
you with connecting your brands in a way
that appeals best to your users.
DO realize the Web and content delivery
is an ever-changing animal that requires
responsive design, not static content.
DO work closely with your user
experience design team to create a brand
you can stand behind and be proud of!
DO’S AND DON’TS OF USER
EXPERIENCE DESIGN
THE CASE FOR USER EXPERIENCE
Thomas Mann stated, “People’s behavior makes sense
if you think about it in terms of their goals, needs, and
motives.” Although this quote is over a century old,
it certainly relates to user experience and the goals
behind user experience design. Connecting brands
and delivering them to your users in an efficient and
user-friendly manner will address their needs as
outlined in Thomas Mann’s quote.
User experience design is a process that creates a
user experience that evokes an emotional response,
which connects them to your brand. It is about
creating a great experience, regardless of the delivery
platform, which your users want and need to return
to because they actually enjoyed the experience and
have developed a sense of loyalty to your brand. It is
a process that is about connecting brands through the
use of colors and handcrafted elements that tell your
company’s story and creates a unified message your
users will come to rely on and immediately associate
with your brand.