User experience design, commonly referred to as UX design, is the process of designing products, either digital or physical, that are useful, easy to use, and nice to interact with.
Good UX design enhances the experience people have while interacting with a product and, at its core, keeps the needs of its target audience – those who will be using the product, such as a website or an app – top of mind.
There are so many products that offer similar features or solve the same problem. Think about why you prefer a specific website or app over another. Is it because of how easy it is to use? How useful it is to you?
This is the role of UX design.
“UX designers help people enjoy the experiences that they have with products. Their aim is to generate positive emotions and (hopefully!) create delight.”
To get ahead of the competition, businesses try to create products that consumers fall in love with, and the only way to do so is to offer great UX design, says marketing specialist Selman Gokce, writing for userguide.com.
He goes on to list some of the best UX designs in products used daily. At the top of the list is Google.
“Perhaps the biggest reason behind this success is the great UX Google search engine offers. It is the most simple and fastest tool ever created. It doesn’t require a tutorial or a tooltip of any kind. Just type in what you want to search for and hit the Enter key, done.
“The product has always been like this, and it seems like it will only get easier, simpler, and faster in time.” (In case you don’t know, a “tooltip” is displayed as an informational text box when you hover over an item.)
Flow UX designer Cara Wares lists a number of trends in design, starting with artificial intelligence (AI). “AI will soon be the driving force behind many services and, currently, we already see it implemented in such areas as basic communications, product recommendations, content creation, email personalisation and e-commerce transactions,” Cara says.
Another big trend is adding meaningful value, she adds. “Social impact is gaining momentum and what the company represents while doing its job is as important as the quality of the product or service. Why you do something will be more important than what you do.”
Third on Cara’s list is virtual and augmented reality. She says, “Alongside design movements in ‘traditional’ brand elements such as logos, colour palettes and fonts, branding trends in 2020 challenge designers to start thinking in the realms of augmented and virtual realities.”
Finally, says Cara, “Micro-interactions and micro-animations are getting more sophisticated and they will become part of everyone’s interactivity. They are a way to signpost, feedback and ensure trust. Micro-interactions are a good way to show the personality and the vibe of a brand.”