What Does a UX Designer Do in the Product Development Process

In the digital area, there is a trend towards simplicity. The desire to simplify “build” processes stems from the ever-growing demand for multi-page e-commerce websites, landing pages, and products that can be downloaded onto modern gadgets. As a result, tools for developing the visual design of sites and applications are becoming easier. Yes, there are many templates for creating websites or landing pages yourself. However, at least once, has someone managed to create a fully functional and well-known website using builders? Of course not. But to get not just a virtual frame with arrays of text and buttons but a helpful resource, you need a competent UX design with an awareness of users’ psychology and reactions to the product. In this article, we want to tell you about what does a UX designer do in creating a product and why their value in the team is so significant.

Specialists in this area create interfaces that greatly facilitate the interaction of people with any computer system. They keep the target audience in the application or on the pages of the virtual portal and promote attachment to the product. For example, a user’s interest quickly disappears if the user:

• Nervous because of the inconvenient search for settings on the smartphone;
• Waste a lot of time on useless clicks in the online store to make a purchase;
• Iterate over all the navigation features in the app for a simple action.

Simplicity, conciseness, and instant solution of tasks are what the modern public on the Internet and owners of mobile devices require. The main goal of a comprehensive design study for one or a team of specialists in UX/UI design is to bring the web or app resource visitors to a specific logical point along the shortest path. Actions should be performed in the most understandable interface for them. The aesthetic design of the shell and the functionality hidden behind it should make it easier for the user to achieve his goals and, at the same time, lead to the purchase or order of service.

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The concept of User Experience implies the study of impressions from using the interface and the development of mechanisms for user interaction with the product. Therefore, before choosing the structure and appearance of the “shell,” you need to understand the target audience and research human needs and habits of interaction with applications and pages.

The structure should simplify as much as possible the implementation of targeted actions. What the user does (downloading files, making a purchase, answering a poll, going to another page, opening a bookmark) should also overlap with the product’s business goals. Based on the analysis of the target audience’s actual or anticipated responses, a UX concept is created at the early stages of development. At the same time, the entire path and sequence of actions of the target client are investigated:

• Product search;
• Algorithms for clicks and transitions while using the interface;
• Feelings, thoughts, and opinions arising in the process of clicks, changes, submitting forms, scrolling, and other actions on the interface;
• Impressions of the experience of using the interface at the end of the process.

In UX, the concept of “designer” should not be understood in its usual broad sense, but rather as “architect,” “engineer.” The main components of UX design: the architecture of information content, design of all stages of interaction, graphic reconstruction, and filling with content. UX design and UX testing create models and the first beta versions (prototypes) of a future product. Projects are based on analyzing the audience’s interaction with existing analogs. Reviews, wishes, behavioral factors, and features of products (services) that are not identical to competitors are also considered.

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UX design develops the mechanics of interaction with the site (mobile app design services, software shell, online cabinet) and the visual embodiment of these mechanisms. Without a deep understanding of how to lead the client to the target action, it makes no sense to start graphically drawing and arranging interface elements.

• UI design is the embodiment of the concept of user experience
• User Interface is the external presentation of a software product and its physical properties. UI design is a graphical and functional implementation of the concept, ideas, and solutions approved at the UX analysis stage.

Answering the question of UX and UI, you can consider them as two stages of one process. The stage of UI design cannot be called just visualization and drawing. For the successful implementation of the user interface, the following rules must be followed:

• all elements of the system are structured and interconnected;
• the architecture is respected, logically related elements are grouped (for example, the horizontal main menu of the website design contains buttons for navigating to different sections, which, in turn, offer their menus with tabs);
• one general style is maintained;
• focusing on certain blocks or buttons (do not overload the appearance with content, distracting illustrations, and buttons, there should be free space);
• alignment of the components of the interface.

The task of the UI designer is not only creatively but also intelligently to work out the look of each page or screen. He picks up checkboxes, buttons, fonts, and other visual elements. At the same time, the button should be convenient and attractive; the text should be well readable; the forms should be laconic; any error messages should not cause irritation and unwillingness for new actions. A “pumped-up” UI designer has confident system design, prototyping, and VD skills.

Many newcomers to IT not only ask themselves the question: what is UI UX design? They have some misconceptions about the primary importance of UI the appearance of interfaces. As the experience of analyzing many well-known online sites shows, a well-designed user interface does not guarantee a positive user experience. There are situations in reverse: a “flat,” old-fashioned site with a complex architecture and poorly indexed elements perfectly and quickly copes with the goals of a guest visit. This combination of lousy UI and good UX is common in banks’ web interfaces.

Read also to be more educated on this topic: What is The Difference Between UI and UX Design?

A User Experience designer usually possesses several related or non-professional skills: graphic design, software development, social research. Therefore, he can combine the duties of a UX- and UI- (User Interface) designer in his work. At the same time, UX design is more related to the structure of the product and the comfort of its use, while UI is connected with the appearance of the product and the convenience of its use (for example, eye-catching color combinations, rational and logical arrangement of interface elements, acceptable size of buttons, etc.).

The main responsibilities of a UX designer usually include:

• Analysis of user scenarios (study how users behave when using the product).
• Creating a portrait of the target audience.
• Conducting user surveys.
• Thinking over the logic of using the product.
• Development of a clickable product prototype.
• Testing the prototype on users, making changes based on its results.
• Repeat prototype-test-change iterations until you achieve the optimal user experience with the product.

With the responsibilities of a UX designer decided, what about the basic skills that professionals in UX design should have? Let’s find out soon!

The responsibilities of a UX designer depend on the specifics of the company’s activities, but usually, they are:

• Studying the behavior of the target audience and developing user scenarios;
• Conducting surveys among users and analyzing the results;
• Development of interface concepts, design implementation;
• Drawing graphical interface elements, creating layouts;
• Interface design for Web, iOS, Android;
• Development of interactive prototypes and layouts in Figma;
• Usability testing of prototypes on users;
• Testing interfaces, their optimization, and refinement.

Sometimes the tasks of a UX designer include:

• Interaction with web developers and business analysts;
• Control over the implementation of interfaces by developers;
• UI kit development, writing scripts and widgets;
• Development of accompanying documentation;
• Creation and support of the library of components.

A beautiful, modern website can attract an audience and create an excellent first impression. But guests will quickly leave if they do not immediately understand the purpose of staying on the resource and do not understand the navigation. UX design is a symbiosis of visual design, engineering skills, and a subtle understanding of psychology. Its whole essence can be briefly expressed in three theses:

• simple navigation through the content;
• the value of the offer emphasized for the user;
• clear conversion goal.

Often, UX and UI are handled by the same designer. He thinks about both the steps in terms of a successful user experience and their implementation in the interface. Still, it’s not worth erasing the lines between the two concepts. For example, you can have a good knowledge of iconography, typography, visual design, but at the same time do not conduct research on the behavior of the target audience and do not build the architecture of the resource, taking into account this analysis. In this case, a beautiful and laconic product will not be complete and will not guarantee a positive user experience.

Likewise, with the importance of UX knowledge, the universal designer must understand brand building mechanisms and the audience’s emotional connection with the product. This is one of the tasks of the UI. In small details, such as changing the appearance of the pressed button, the interaction of the shell with the person appears. Simply put, the user understands that the button has been pressed, and the interface’s response is visually confirmed.

The role of a UX designer in the product creation process can hardly be overestimated. Nice shell and convenient functions should work for a natural person simplify her experience of interconnection with the interface. Due to the constantly growing demand in the market, more and more professionals are required in this field who can analyze the target audience’s behavior and offer high-quality solutions to enhance usability.

Having many years of experience in design, we can say with precision that we understand users’ pain points and know how to make a product with high quality so that looking at your project, visitors would say, “Wow, how cool”. Do you have an idea for creating a design, or your the site is out of date, and do you want to give it a new life? Then contact us. We are looking forward to new projects and interesting ideas for implementation!