What Is UX Design?
UX design stands for User eXperience design. Designers learn what users feel and think about a product or service, and aim to design experiences that fit their needs. This can refer to any kind of experience, from turning a handle on a device to sending a payment in an app.
A UX designer focuses on single elements of a product or service, as well as the complete flow of the experience. They utilize design criteria such as:
- Usability: Making it simpler and more efficient to accomplish the intended use
- Function: Ensuring it fulfills the intended function and promise
- Value: Conveying high value to the core audience
- Impression: Making it a pleasure to interact with and look at
In other words, UX design is about looking at a product or service from every possible angle that can affect the end user. This can include the functional and practical, along with the aesthetic.
What Are The Applications of UX Design?
UX designers apply a rigorous mixture of analytical and creative thinking to every project, moving from inspiring ideation to disciplined conceptualizing, as well as prototyping and testing their work. The wider UX design process can be used in many areas, including:
- Software, Websites, and Apps: In this role, UX designers create seamless and simple experiences for website visitors and software users. As software becomes increasingly important and lucrative, success depends on making it easy, efficient, and pleasant to use.
- Services: UX (or service) designers can also plan the interaction of physical resources, employees, and infrastructure in delivering a service, such as staying in a hotel or using public transportation.
- Voice Command Technology: An increasing number of online searches and commands given to devices are made using the human voice. These technologies will only be successful if the user experience is very positive; otherwise, users could avoid them.
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Technology: VR is a fictional, entirely virtual reality (think: an Oculus headset); while AR meshes both the real world and a virtual one (think: PokemonGo). These technologies have great potential but must be made accessible to many types of users, which is where UX designers come in.
There are many other products and services—along with interactions with whole organizations—that need the attention of UX designers. UX design may therefore be the foundation for the success of a product, service, or organization. As consumers have access to more brand choices, UX design is a big part of what differentiates the most successful companies and keeps customers coming back, hence the growth that we see in the industry today.
