Design, User Experience

UX Best Practices: How to Design for the User?

Designing with the user in mind, or User Experience (UX), is a key element in creating effective and user-friendly applications and websites. Good UX practices can significantly improve user satisfaction, increase conversions, and help build a positive brand reputation. Among the many principles and guidelines, one of the most well-known are Nielsen's heuristics. In addition to them, it is also worth learning the so-called UX laws, such as Jacob's Law, Fitts' Law, or the von Restorff Effect. Below I present good UX practices that will help you design with users in mind.

Best UX practices and Nielsen's heuristics

Jakob Nielsen, a Danish scientist and usability specialist, has developed ten heuristics that form the foundations of good design. Here are a few of them:

  • System status visibility – users should always be informed about the current system status through timely and appropriate feedback.
  • Match between system and reality – the system should speak the user’s language, using concepts, phrases and conventions that are familiar to them.
  • User Control and Freedom – Users often make mistaken choices and need to be able to easily opt out of them.
  • Consistency and standards – Users shouldn’t have to wonder if different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. It’s also worth sticking to standards that users are familiar with and have become natural to them, for example, the location of the shopping cart in a mobile app is usually in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • Error prevention – it is better to prevent errors than to correct them later. For example, clear communication, clear instructions or intelligent tips can help with this.
  • Recognition instead of recall – reduce the burden on the user's memory by suggesting information that may be useful at a given moment, e.g. the recently viewed products section on the page
  • Flexibility and efficiency of use – the system should strive to streamline processes and assist both new and regular users in performing actions, e.g. the ability to mark both all consents and individual ones.
  • Aesthetics and minimalism – interfaces should not contain irrelevant or rarely needed information. It is worth maintaining moderation and remembering about readability.
  • Helping to recognize, diagnose, and fix errors – error messages should be clear and constructive. The user should understand what happened and what can be done about it.
  • Help and documentation – all documentation that may be useful to users and help (e.g. technical) should be easily accessible.
 

UX best practices to keep in mind during the design process

During the design process, it is worth remembering other UX best practices, in addition to Nielsen's heuristics. Below I present a few of them that are worth keeping in mind when working on a new product.

Get to know your users

The foundation of any UX project is understanding who will be using your product. Conduct research, create personas, and analyze demographic and behavioral data. The better you understand the needs and expectations of your users, the easier it will be to create a product that meets their requirements.
 
Simplicity and intuitiveness
 
Users value simplicity and intuitiveness of the interface. Avoid unnecessary elements that can confuse the user. All functions and information should be easily accessible and understandable at first glance. Remember that less is usually more.
 
Consistency
 
Consistency is one of the most important topics when it comes to good UX practices. So what should you do? Make sure that all visual elements, such as buttons, icons, fonts, and colors, are consistent across the entire page or app. This will make it easier for the user to navigate and use your product – it will be more understandable for them.
 
Responsiveness
 
Today, users use a variety of devices, from desktops to smartphones. Make sure your product is responsive and adapts to different screen resolutions. Test your designs on different devices to make sure users have a positive experience no matter what device they use.
 
Loading speed
 
The speed at which a site or app loads has a huge impact on the user experience. Optimize your resources, minimize file sizes, and use techniques like lazy loading to speed up load times. Users will quickly abandon you if they have to wait a long time for content to load.
 
Readability and accessibility
 
Make sure your content is readable and accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Use appropriate color contrasts, readable fonts, and provide alternative descriptions for images. Accessibility is not only an ethical issue, but also a legal requirement in many countries.
 
Testing and iteration
 
Even the best designs require testing and iteration. Regularly conduct user testing, gather feedback, and analyze analytics to identify areas for improvement. UX design is an ongoing process—there’s always room for improvement.

 

Designing with the user in mind is not only a matter of aesthetics, but above all, functionality and usability. By applying the above UX best practices, you increase the chances of creating a product that will not only attract users, but also satisfy their needs and expectations. Remember that a satisfied user is the best showcase of your project.

Sources:

Marsh J., UX for Beginners. 100 Short Lessons, Helion, Gliwice 2019.

Nielsen J., https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ [accessed: 29/07/2024]

Yablonski J., UX Laws. How Psychology Helps Design Better Products and Services, Helion, Gliwice 2021.