Don't Make Me Think - UX & UI Design tips

We live in a society where technology coverage is growing every day and it is during these times of pandemic that many companies have had to move part of their operations to the electronic environment.

This is why I thought it would be interesting to share with you some tips on the application of User Experience and User Interface.

First of all, let's see what User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are.

The UI is the set of components that allow us to operate a device or machine to perform a specific task.

UX is about how the user interacts with a device or application, it includes the user's perception of usability, ease of use and efficiency.

Finally we will define Usability, this is the measurable component of the application of UX design in the UI and how the user interacts with the device or application while performing safely, effectively and efficiently while enjoying the experience.

In 2000, UX design specialist Steve Krug wrote the book Don't Make Me Think, in which he describes common mistakes when designing an application or website.

Using some passages from this book, I will illustrate some of these mistakes and how to avoid them.

"If something requires a large investment of time, or it looks like it will, it will be less used."

With this Steve Krug tells us, that any UI that is designed must be simple enough to the user so that the user can use it with little learning time.

A simple UI allows the user to learn how to use the application in a short time.

"Usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about the technology."

The author does not imply that the user should not be an expert on the technology involved with the application or product, but rather on how the user understands how the product works and is used.

An example of this is the evolution of space capsule control panels:

The images show the control panel of the Apollo Module and below the control screens of SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

"Making every page or screen obvious is like having good lighting in a store: it makes everything look better."

If the UI is obvious to the user, i.e. it contains the information that the user should have at that point, that the possible actions that the user can take are clearly specified, the user will be able to make the correct use of the application/page.

"As a user, you should never have to spend a millisecond thinking about whether things are clickable or not."

One of the things that frustrates any user the most is having to review the website or web application to identify which areas are "clickable" or not.

If something is a button, it should look like a button, if something has a link to another part, it should be indicated in the appropriate way.

The graphic dictionary of the UI of the web site/application should contain information on how buttons and links should be presented, that they are clear and do not share similarities with other sections of the application, such as shape or color.

Another aspect to avoid is the excessive use of buttons, unless the application requires it.

"A person with average (or even below average) skills and experience can figure out how to use the thing to accomplish something without making it more trouble than it's worth. Believe me: it's that simple."

During the UX design the most important factor is the user, for that a figure called Persona is used.

Personas are archetypal users whose goals and characteristics represent the needs of a larger group of users. Typically, a persona is presented in a one- to two-page document (such as the one you can see in the example below). These 1- to 2-page descriptions include behavior patterns, goals, skills, abilities, attitudes, and background information, as well as the environment in which a persona operates. Designers usually add some fictional personal details in a description to make the person a realistic character (e.g., quotes from real users), as well as context-specific details (e.g., for a banking application, it makes sense to include a person's financial sophistication and higher expenses).

Personas are important because a deep understanding of a target audience is critical to creating exceptional products. Personas help a product team find the answer to one of its most important questions: \"Who are we designing for?" By understanding the expectations, concerns and motivations of target users, it is possible to design a product that meets users' needs and, therefore, succeeds.

"If you want a great site, you have to try it. After you've worked on a site for even a few weeks, you can no longer see it recently. You know too much. The only way to know if it really works is to test it."

By testing with "typical users", the UX and UI design group can determine whether their initial approach is conducive to using the application/website in an intuitive way or not. It also serves to identify areas for improvement by obtaining direct feedback from the user.

These types of tests can be performed in several ways:

• Open Testing: The user who performs the test receives the product, application or website and a survey in which he/she expresses how he/she felt when using the product and what points he/she found difficult.
• Supervised testing: The typical user is invited to a site where the test will be performed, in the case of web sites or applications, the user sits in front of a computer with an eye-tracking system to determine the areas to which he/she is paying the most attention.

Another method is by videotaping their reactions to the use of the product or by direct observation of the evaluating group through the use of rooms with double-view mirrors.

With all this information, designers and developers can make the necessary changes so that the user can use the product, application or website effectively and pleasantly.

"Your goal should always be to eliminate instructions altogether by making everything self-explanatory or as close to self-explanatory as possible. When instructions are absolutely necessary, cut them to a minimum."

Steve Krug by this means that the more obvious the application or web site is for the user to use, the fewer instructions will be necessary for its use, only those that are strictly necessary should be shown.

To conclude we can say that by correctly applying these concepts we can design a UX that will then be transformed into a UI that is simple, but effective, so that users can enjoy our application or website.

It is important to remember that a correct UX/UI will allow us to have a product that is Functional, Reliable, Usable and most importantly, Pleasant to use and this will guarantee satisfied customers!

Dario

Software Developer