UX is everywhere. Whenever someone interacts with a product or service, from a mobile app to wearing a pair of jeans, this is a UX. But what is UX? To extend on that, what is UX design?
This guide will answer those questions. We’ll also delve into what are UX designers, the tasks and responsibilities they deal with, how UX and UI are interlinked, and much more!
What Is UX design?
So, what is UX design, and what does UX mean? Actually, before even getting to that, what does UX stand for? Easy: UX stands for user experience. The term pertains to everything relating to how users experience whatever it is they’re ‘using’, with the overall goal being the best experience, of course.
Now you know what UX is, you should have a general idea about what user experience design entails. However, this is a vast field that’s far more fascinating than it may initially seem. Ultimately, UX design is the basis for the products and services you use daily. Not just that, UX design can potentially define a brand’s success – or failure.
As mentioned, UX design takes on many different forms. It ranges from the touch and feel of a physical product to the checkout process of an eCommerce store. Although, despite the countless examples, there’s one common goal with UX design: creating user experiences that are relevant, efficient, straightforward, and all-around great.
What Is a UX Designer?
You know what is UX design, so it shouldn’t take much to work out what is a UX designer.
What does a UX designer do? What are UX designers responsible for? Their role, in summary, is to make an end product or service that is accessible, enjoyable, and usable for the intended audience. While the exact process a UX designer uses will vary depending on the product, service and company, the design phases tend to remain the same – generally speaking.
As discussed in the ‘What is UX design?’ section above, the process covers every facet of design. Yet when it comes to references to UX design, the term is usually associated with the user-centric design of websites and apps. As a result, if you see job descriptions for a UX designer, they likely revolve around website and app design.
What Is UX Designer as a Job?
What is UX designer in terms of responsibilities? You know these professionals have to deliver a quality product that meets users’ satisfaction levels. However, various responsibilities and tasks need to be considered by designers before they get to the finish line.
- Know the customer: A solid understanding of the target customer base is necessary. With this knowledge, you understand the problem you are attempting to solve with your product.
- Perform customer research: Once you know your target customer, it’s time to learn more from them. Conduct focus groups, surveys, interviews, etc., so you know their goals, behaviours, requirements, and pain points.
- Map out a plan: With all of this information, you’ll then need to analyse this knowledge and build user personas. This step helps to spot the product or service’s most important elements, allowing you to map out a plan for the design stage.
- Design: Site maps, prototypes, and wireframes are the plan options used during the design phase. Along with ensuring your product/service hits all the necessary points your research identified, you also get a clear idea about the final product’s appearance.
- User testing: What is a UX plan without some user testing? You want to ensure your product/service meets your customer base’s needs – and this is achieved by getting feedback from real users.
What Is a UX Designer Software of Choice?
What is UX designer work without the right tools? Answer: it’s not. The job entails no lack of tool and application use, which beggars the question: what software do UX designers use? Again, this entirely depends on the end product being designed. Notably, the software used for website design will differ from those used for developing 3D product models.
With that said, Adobe Creative Cloud is usually viewed as the industry standard for most applications. Featuring Illustrator, Photoshop, Abode XD, and more, Adobe’s famous design tools are often the software solutions of choice – for both new and experienced UX designers.
What Is UX UI Design?
If you read an article about UX, you inevitably see a reference to UI. What is UX and UI? Well, UX is about the user experience, while UI stands for the user interface.
As you might expect, UX and UI typically go hand-in-hand, although there are differences between the two. As you will know from the above information, UX covers the entire user experience. UI, however, strictly focuses on the interface and graphic design of the product or service.
The Importance of UX Design
UX design is important. That much is clear. However, just how important is it for your business? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits gained from investing in UX design:
- Saves money in the long run: A focus on UX design may lead to an initial investment in money and resources. Yet, due to the other benefits it provides, it’ll lead to overall savings for your business in the long run.
- Improve conversion rates: What is a UX plan without considering the added conversions it brings to the table? A better user experience naturally leads to higher conversion numbers – be it sales, URL clicks, or email signups.
- Increase brand loyalty: If a customer has a memorable user experience, it’s only natural they will develop trust in your brand. This trust can lead to long-term customer loyalty, where they continue using your products or services into the future.
- Enhance SEO: Good UX website design helps improve your SEO efforts’ performance. A slick, user-friendly design will keep people on your site for longer, reduce the bounce rate, improve site speed, etc. – elements that Goole always judges favourably.
Conclusion
We’ve answered questions such as ‘What does UX stand for?’ and ‘What is UX?’ With this information, you have the necessary foundation for your business to start benefitting from UX design.
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