UX/UI

By Robert amiteye
 WHAT IS UX/UI

• UI/UX refers to user interface and user experience respectively. It is a twin

principle that ensures a near perfect product in print, web publishing or software
development.
• UI/UX design makes for quality end product as every detail is scrutinized,
assessed and put through various levels and disciplines of design and
experience. UI/UX Design is a dynamic and creative field. Despite these constant
changes, there are certain fundamental principles that every designer should be
aware of and comprehend. These are ideas that guide the development of
software products. To create designs that are aesthetically pleasing,
understandable, and usable, you must align your work with these principles.
 PRINCIPLES OF UI/UX

1. Meet the User’s Need

UI/UX Because design is user-centered, you must first ensure that the design
meets the needs of the user. Your design should make it easy for users to achieve
their goals.
2. Hierarchy
This refers to how the design's content or information is organized. Which screen
is displayed first? Which elements or pieces of information require more attention
than others? The order in which information is consumed and processed is
governed by hierarchy. A design with a clear hierarchy allows users to quickly
scan for the information they require and complete their tasks.
 PRINCIPLES OF UI/UX CONT..

3. Visibility of System Status

Users must be able to receive feedback on their actions. Your design should inform them
about what is going on and show users the status of their system. Instead of leaving the user
in the dark while downloading a file, a good design should show some sort of progress bar to
show how much time is left for the download to complete.
4. Match between System and the Real World
Your design should speak the language of the user and use the same concept that people are
already familiar with in the real world. Avoid the use of jargon or technical terms, simple
language makes your design easier to understand. Likewise, elements used in a design should
be similar to what they represent in the real world, for example, the trashcan icon in Gmail
tells the user where to find deleted emails.
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5. User Control and Freedom

The design should give users control over the process, allowing them to redo, undo, or
cancel previous actions. Google Docs is a product that takes this principle into
account. You can undo changes to a document and redo any changes that you
reversed.
6. Accessibility
Your design should be usable by the greatest number of people possible. People with
disabilities, such as visual impairments, should be able to use it. Texts should stand
out from the background, and colors that aren't visible to everyone should be
avoided.
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7. Consistency and Standards

Your design should adhere to standards and employ consistent concepts throughout the
entire product. This allows users to become acquainted with new products and know what
actions to take without having to learn anything new. Take a look at Microsoft Office
products; they all have a similar look and feel. So, if you know how to use Microsoft Word,
using Microsoft PowerPoint or Spreadsheet will be easier and faster.
8. Recognition Rather than Recall
Things are easier to recognize than to recall. To reduce the load on the users' memory,
your design should keep options, actions, and so on visible. Users should not be required to
remember information from one display to the next. It can be aggravating to use a website
that constantly requests your username and password. Try searching for a video on
YouTube and notice how the various options are displayed before you finish typing. Imagine
having to remember the title of a YouTube video before you can find it. Isn't it frustrating?
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9. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

A product's design should be such that it can be used by both novice and expert
users. It should be simple to learn for new users and have shortcuts for experts to
do things quickly. Let's take a look at Figma, a user interface design tool. New Figma
users may use the shapes tools to select a shape to use in their design, whereas an
expert would press R on the keyboard for a rectangle, O for an ellipse, and so on.
10. Aesthetics and Minimalist Design
Less is more in this case. Don't bombard users with irrelevant or unnecessary
information. A minimalist design allows users to concentrate on their objectives
without being distracted by the design. Information should not be competing for the
attention of users. Each screen should contain only components that are relevant to
the task at hand, as well as clear and visible means of navigating to other content.
 PRINCIPLES OF UI/UX CONT..

11. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose and Recover from Errors

Error messages should be simple, actionable, and written in simple
language. The design should inform users of what went wrong and
provide solutions. Have you ever tried to open a website only to be
greeted with the message "404 Not Found"? This error is not
understood by everyone. This is an example of a useless error
message. Now, try watching a YouTube video without an internet
connection. YouTube will not only inform you that you are offline, but
will also advise you to reconnect to the internet or go to your
downloads to watch a video. YouTube provides an easy-to-understand
error message as well as solutions.
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12. Help and Documentation

2. Most users prefer to navigate a product without relying on
documentation, but documentation is sometimes required. This
documentation should be simple to find and focused on the user's
current task. Your design should assist users where they need it
and when they need it.