Introduction to UI/UX Design
By: Oluchi Humphrey Amah
Tags: UX Research, Ui Ux Design, User Experience, Uiux Designer, Ux Strategy

Design is a broad stream of subject and therefore isn’t limited to just graphic design. there are numerous pillars of responsibility which together holds design upright. Job titles like UI/UX designers have emerged as the future front of design roles. UI/UX is of two different sections which are often mistaken to be one.

User Interface(UI) Design:

UI Design refers to the term User Interface Design which is the look, feel, presentation and the interactivity of a product. This is the means by which a user and a computer interact, in particular, the use of input devices and software. A UI Designer thinks about the icons and buttons, typography and color schemes, spacing, imagery and responsive design. UI design is responsible for the transference of a product’s development, research, content and layout into an attractive, guiding and responsive experience for users.

Responsibilities of a UI Designer

a. The look and feel of the product

b. Responsiveness and interactivity

2. User Eperience(UX) Design:

UX design refers to User Experience which is the process of enhancing user satisfaction with a product by improving usability, accessibility and pleasure provided by the interaction. The main purpose of a ux design is to create easy, efficient and relevant experiences for the user.

Responsibilities of a UX Designer

a. Strategy and content

b. Wireframing and prototyping

c. Execution and analytic

Difference between UI and UX designs

The UI design is all about how the product’s interface looks and functions while UX design is all about the overall feel of the experience.

UI/UX Design Tools

Some of the design tools for ui/ux include but not limited to; Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, Framer X, Marvel, Proto.io

Design Thinking

A profitable product needs to solve the right problem for the right audience thereby Design Thinking is all about problem solving. In design solving, there are 5 different phases, they include;

i. Emphasize: This is the phase where the problem users are facing is identified and this can be done by either interviewing or observing them to know what they want.

ii. Define: After the first stage, you’ll need to analyse all the data collected to identify the general problem.

iii. Ideate: This is where solutions to the problem are generated, filtered and the best option selected.

iv. Prototype: This can be done by either sketching on a piece of paper or on a software(there is no specific demand for the use of software here) and it should be kept simple.

v. Test: This is the last phase where the solutions provided is being tested.

With all these being said, the steps in carrying out a project includes; Design brief, research, user flow, information architecture, sketch, mood board, color guides, wireframe, style guide, high fidelity, responsiveness, prototyping and usability testing.

5 Key Principles of UI/UX

Hierarchy: This is a UX principle that ensures smooth navigation throughout a design. There are two types of hierarchy; the first type is associated with how content or information is organized through a design. The second type is Visual hierarchy; this helps users navigate more easily within a page.

2. Consistency: Users expect products to have some similarities with other products they are familiar with. This makes it easier for them to become familiar with the new product.

3. Confirmation: one of a designer’s key goals is preventing errors. A person may unintentionally place an order or delete a file, therefore a design should be able to correct this to avoid a poor user experience.

4. Accessibility: accessibility in product design means designing products so they’re usable for as many users as possible.

5. User Control: this comes into play in so many ways but in general, users have a better experience if they are given control over where they are within a product, enhancing user experience. It also helps users to backpedal and recover from errors.

Finally, you can check out the following websites for design inspirations; dribbble, behance, uilab etc.

Thanks for reading through.