How do you recognize good UI design?
9 Rules to Follow
We’ve created an informative article aimed at marketing professionals who are tasked with evaluating a high-quality UI design or the portfolio of a potential provider of such services. In this way, we aim to shed some light on this area of UI design, where there are no strict rules, but rather guidelines that can be followed and adapted to each individual design and style.
About UI Design
A standard definition of UI design is strictly tied to the visual appearance of an application, whether web-based or mobile (spacing, fonts, colors, layout, etc.), but the user interface is much more than that. UI design means more than just creating elements or making the product look good visually. It actually represents the interaction between the user and the application.
We could say that UI design is, rather, about anticipating the user’s needs and creating elements that are easy to access, understand, and use. As a rule, the interface is the first element the user will encounter when experiencing the brand, through which the user makes their first contact with the brand; therefore, it is extremely important that it upholds the brand’s values, creates an emotional connection with the user, and, above all, supports the user experience with powerful elements.
Today, websites and apps are interactive and dynamic. A good user interface helps increase conversion rates and maintain competitiveness in the market. But what makes a UI design good?
UI Design Guide
Here are 9 rules you need to follow to build a successful UI:
1. Get to know the user
“You can’t understand good design unless you understand people; design is made for people”— Dieter Rams, Hands-On UX Design for Developers
One of the most important rules of design is that when you build an interface, you must keep people—the users—in mind first and foremost. Good UI design goes beyond what users want and anticipates their needs.
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, said that it’s always a good idea to “start with the customers and work backward.” It’s a good idea to take the time to get to know the user—to see what they like, how they interact with other apps, how they behave, and, most importantly, what their expectations are and how you can meet them. And, above all, speak their language. Good UI design uses terms the user is familiar with.
2. Clarity and Simplicity
“Good design is, in fact, much harder to notice than poor design, because good design fits our needs so well that it becomes invisible”— Don Norman, *The Design of Everyday Things*
Clarity is another aspect you need to focus on when creating a UI design. If the elements aren’t intuitive, clear, and simple, the user will feel frustrated by their inability to navigate the interface and will stop interacting with it.
It is said that good design is invisible; it contains no unnecessary or distracting elements. Good UI design is cohesive, simple, and concise. When you want to incorporate an element into your design, it’s a good idea to constantly ask yourself, “Does the user need this?”
3. Consistency
“The more the user’s expectations are met, the more in control they will feel of the system, and the more they will like it”—Jakob Nielsen, *The Fundamentals of Interactive Design*
It is very important to maintain an overall design, style, and layout that communicate the brand’s values and with which the user can become familiar. An interface based on consistency allows the user to better understand how it works, thereby improving its efficiency.
If the consistency criterion is met, we can move on to coherence—this approach allows for much greater freedom, but it is riskier. Insufficient understanding of the audience can lead to user disappointment, confusion, and negative reactions. This step can yield significant benefits, but it is very important that it be carried out professionally.
4. Familiarity
UI design isn’t about reinventing the wheel. An intuitive design is a simple one that appeals to the user. People already have a general idea of what an app should look like, so when evaluating a UI design, you should look for common elements, familiar icons, easily recognizable terms, and ways to minimize the time users spend completing tasks within the interface.
5. Visual Hierarchy
The visual hierarchy of elements contributes to the effectiveness of the design. Elements on the page must “flow” and have a clear hierarchy for both utility and functionality. Visual hierarchy helps the user navigate the page organically, presenting more than just services—it tells a story. The design should flow from left to right and from top to bottom to create a positive user experience. Thus, the visual hierarchy—achieved through the use of headings, colors, and blocks of various sizes—is directly related to the layout of the design on the page.
6. Aesthetics
Although I said that good design is invisible to the user, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be aesthetically appealing. These days, the market is increasingly flooded with more and more products. For the user, it’s important that a product be both good and attractive. Good UI design brings together a range of elements to achieve a result that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
7. The user is in control
As the user navigates the interface, it is essential that they feel they are in control, that they are the ones making things happen, that they fully understand how the interface works, and that they no longer need help. Experienced users feel that the interface responds to their actions. They do not react well to change or to the need to enter data repeatedly, and even less so to the difficulty of obtaining information (for example, having to click too many times to access a piece of information).
8. Prevents errors
People are prone to making mistakes, which is why it is very important for a user to be able to correct any mistakes they make while navigating an interface. It is important for the interface to allow the user to go back and correct the mistake without having to start over, by providing clear instructions.
9. Provide prompt feedback
Normally, in everyday life, we constantly receive feedback. Feedback is usually associated with action. Users expect every action they take in an app to elicit a clear—and, above all, quick—response. A system that provides quick and clear feedback helps users achieve their goals more quickly as they navigate the app. Simple elements, such as changing the color of a button upon interaction or displaying a short message in response to an action, make navigating an interface simple and intuitive.
These rules should be adapted to each individual project and used to create a good UI design that helps users find the information and products they need. Whenever you evaluate a UI design, keep in mind that it is created for people, and always keep the user and their needs in mind.
Sources:
- usability.gov
- medium.com
- xd.adobe.com
- uxdesign.cc
- usabilitypost.com
- elegantthemes.com
- cs.umd.edu
- nngroup.com
- Donald A. Norman, *The Design of Everyday Things*
- Dieter Rams, Hands-on UX Design for Developers
- Jakob Nielsen, *The Fundamentals of Interactive Design*
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