While UX design always seems like a complex, mysterious process, the secret to incredible UX actually comes down to four things.
Obviously, the biggest key to better UX is to consider the user above all else. After all, they’ll be the one using the final product.
Still, when we’re looking for ways to boost UX or just getting started as UX designers, if we master the following four principles, we’re well on our way to creating incredible experiences for our users.
1. Research, Research And More Research
We don’t just magically pull the perfect experience out of a hat. It takes research and a lot of it. Yes, UX designers must become expert researchers in trends, human psychology, technology and more. While it might sound like a tall order, it’s actually the foundation for incredible UX.
The Nielson Norman Group says it best with the article UX Without User Research Is Not UX. It’s pride and ego that makes some of us think we’re able to completely understand the end user without a single bit of research. Or, we just have an insanely tight deadline. It’s only through research that we’re able to comprehend a user’s needs and desires to create the type of experience they want.
2. Think Human Over Machine
We would all like to think the world is perfect. No one ever makes mistakes. Basically, we’re trying to design for machines. For incredible UX, we have to think like humans. Remember, those seemingly perfect machines are designed by humans and have flaws too.
We have to consider how a human would use the final design. Does the experience make it easy to recover from mistakes? Is it easy to understand?
Another thing to consider is how we build UX in a digital world. We can’t design strictly for the features a mobile device or browser might have. Instead, we have to once again design for the user. Even if a smartphone has 20 great features we could incorporate, does the user really need all of that or would it just hinder the experience?
3. Less Thinking, More Doing
While this Interaction Design Foundation article is focused on web design, it makes a valid point – don’t make me think. An incredible UX means the user has to do very little thinking. They get down to doing something quickly without having to think about how to get there.
For instance, when we download apps, we expect to learn how to use them within a few minutes or less. If it takes longer, we get frustrated and may never find the real value underneath the poor experience. As the article points out, the experience shouldn’t feel like we’re trying to solve a puzzle. We should just be able to understand and experience it. Unless of course, we’re actually designing a puzzle.
4. Make A Connection
Finally, incredible UX requires some form of connection. The best experiences in life are emotional ones. We can all agree that having an incredible meal makes us feel something (other than full that is). We feel content and happy and maybe a little sad when the meal’s all gone.
Eliciting a positive emotion through UX means users want to come back. They connect the experience with something good, which means the product they’re using must be a good thing.
Think about cars for a moment. What makes a gas guzzler like the Hummer H2 so popular? It’s not an inexpensive vehicle. The gas mileage is terrible. Yet, we still seem plenty of them on the road. It’s the UX that makes the difference. The design, the marketing and the feeling a driver gets while inside all work together to give the user a positive experience. When you’re sitting in what feels like a mobile fortress, you feel tough, powerful and of course, cool.
UX design is just about usability. It’s about how we make the user feel. It’s that connection that makes certain products and sites stand out from the rest. Just think about the products, apps and sites you love most. It’s the overall experience, both emotional and ease of use, that makes you come back again and again.
See, creating incredible UX isn’t that complex. Incorporate four simple principles and you’re all set.
Images: Jason Blackeye, Alex Knight, Ashton Bingham