UX and UI: basic concepts of digital product design. UI, UX: Who does what? Designer's Guide to the IT Industry
What is the difference between UI ( user interface, user interface) and UX (user eXperience, user experience)?
If we had 30 seconds to explain, we would give such a quick description.
Actually basic level The user interface is a series of screens, pages, and visual elements such as buttons and icons designed to interact with a device.
User experience, on the other hand, is the internal experience a person has when interacting with every aspect of a company's product.
Bad UX: “I hate everyone! Including you! Great UX: “Love life! And you! And puppies!
However, this explanation is not comprehensive. Let's dig a little deeper into the realm of UI and UX to better understand the differences between them.
In the 1970s, if you needed help from a computer, you had to use a command line interface that looked like this:
You couldn't buy a computer with graphics, icons, buttons or a mouse - they simply weren't on sale yet. To make a computer do what you wanted, you had to talk to it in a programming language.
Then in 1981 a group of specialists in the field computer technology Xerox PARC developed and launched the Xerox Star, a personal computer with the very first graphical user interface (GUI). He used windows, icons, drop-down menus (Radio Buttons) and checkboxes (Checkboxes, flags for selecting functions). Users could now open, move and delete files:
Perhaps that prototype could not compare with the computers available today. But in the early stages of personal development computers the introduction of GUI was a revolution.
It meant that you no longer had to rely on knowing code to use computers, and it made them much more accessible to the masses.
The Apple Computer team continued its development and expansion based on the GUI idea. And in 1984, they released the Macintosh, which became the first commercially successful desktop computer. It had a multi-window interface and a point-and-click mouse.
The advent of the GUI created a need for a new type of designer—those who worked with the graphical interface of personal computers. And that’s when UI designers came onto the big stage.
This field has evolved over the past few decades and will continue to evolve in the future.
UI designers today work on websites, applications, so-called wearables and programs. Perhaps they are also responsible for the occurrence of such things as visual elements system pages or screens, as well as interface design of digital products.
What is user experience?
The term "user experience" was coined by cognitive scientist Don Norman in the early 1990s, when he was vice president of the emerging technologies group at Apple.
Here's Norman's definition: “User experience encompasses all aspects of interaction end user with the company, its services and its products."
Explaining the origin of the term, Norman wrote:
“I coined the term because concepts like human-computer interface and usability seemed too narrow to me. I wanted to cover all aspects of the user experience that come with interacting with the system, including industrial design, graphics, interface, physical interaction, and action guides. Since then, the term has acquired so many connotations that it has lost its original meaning."
According to Norman's definition, user experience covers a very wide range of disciplines, and understanding it can be challenging for some.
In later writings, Norman elaborated on what goes into the combination of ingredients needed to achieve a high-quality user experience:
“The first requirement of an exemplary user experience is to closely follow the client's needs, without unnecessary fuss or interference. Next comes the simplicity and elegance that accompanies products that bring joy to their owners - joy of use.
But truly good user experiences go far beyond that, giving customers what they want. To achieve a great UX, a company must offer a seamless fusion of services from multiple disciplines, including engineering, marketing, graphic design, industrial design, and interface design.”
UX is not limited to the visual interface of your product. It is a concept that has many aspects and covers the entire user journey, including:
- The process they go through when they search for your company's product.
- The sequence of actions they perform when interacting with the interface.
- The thoughts and feelings they have while performing their task.
- The impressions they receive from the interaction as a whole.
UX should be: useful, usable, desirable, valuable, findable, accessible, trustworthy(credible)
The responsibility of UX designers is to ensure that the products or services the company provides meet the client's needs and allow them to seamlessly achieve the desired result. To achieve this, designers can turn to research to obtain as much information as possible about the context of the user's interaction with the product, so that they can then use this information to model the Wireframes and Prototypes that allow the user to get from point A to point B .
What is the difference between UI and UX?
Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen summarized the difference between the two concepts succinctly and clearly:
“It's important to separate the user interface (UI) from the overall user experience, while keeping in mind that the user interface is, of course, an extremely important part of design.
As an example, consider a movie review website. Let's say the user interface is ideal for searching for movies. But if the site's main database only contains films from major studios, the site will have a poor UX for those users who need information about independent film releases.".
Another good example is Google. Its interface is very simple. It contains almost nothing - just a logo, a search bar and a few buttons:
But when you type something into the search field, in less than a second you have access to almost the entire database of human knowledge in digitized form:
Now imagine that every time you search for something on Google, you have to wait 15 seconds to get a result, meaning you can no longer get an answer to your question instantly. Even if the interface remains the same, your experience with Google will be significantly different.
Opinions
As often happens, professionals perceive the same things differently. Therefore, we will present the opinions of several smart and talented people working in the high-tech field. Here's what they say about the difference between UI and UX.
1. UX is focused on the user journey, looking for a solution its problem, while UI focuses on how the product looks and works on an external level.
Ken Norton, one of the partners at Google Ventures, former head of new product development at Google:
“Let's start with the problem we would like to solve. UX design is focused on the user journey, looking for ways solutions to this problem, he touches on the positive and negative aspects of this issue, on and off the computer screen. UI design focuses on how a product looks and works on the surface level. In other words, the UI is only part of the user journey. I like the restaurant analogy. The user interface is tables, chairs, plates, glasses and cutlery. UX is the quality of food served, service, parking features, lighting and music.”
2. A UX designer deals with the conceptual aspects of the design process, while a UI designer focuses on the more tangible elements.
Andy Budd, co-founder of Clearleft and founder of UX London:
“It would be logical to suggest that if you do UI design, and the client experiences the product through the user interface, then this also makes you a UX designer. However, following this logic, design own home makes you an architect and bathroom faucet repair makes you a professional plumber.
Often the words used to describe any field of knowledge turn out to be divorced from their original meaning. For example, the word “architect” translated from ancient Greek literally means “chief builder.” Such a definition these days no longer conveys the essence of the profession.
In a professional context, the term “user experience designer” has a specific meaning and implies a set of specific skills, the basis of which is based on more than 20 years of practice of specialists in the field. A UX designer's job deals with the conceptual aspects of the design process, while UI designers focus on more tangible elements.
Jason Mesut does an excellent job of describing the difference between UX and UI (and the overlap between them) in his Double Diamond Model. According to this model, a UX designer has deep knowledge of strategy, research practices, information architecture, and Interaction Design.
UI designer (or, as it is now commonly called in Silicon Valley, digital product designer) also has skills in interaction design. However, the focus of his work gravitates more towards areas such as Information Design, Motion Design and branding.
Although some people claim to be experts in all of these areas, this is quite rare. After all, if you're an expert in everything, you're probably an expert in nothing in particular."
3. There is no difference between UX and UI design, because these are two incomparable concepts.
Craig Morrison, Head of Product Development at RecordSetter and Founder of Usability Hour:
“I hear this question all the time, and I've answered it many times. In the end, I came to this conclusion.
There is no difference between UX and UI design as the two are not comparable to each other. This is the same as asking, for example, what is the difference between red paint and the chemicals that make up that paint?
There's no difference.
Red paint comes from a combination of different chemicals...
Likewise, the user experience consists of many different components, and design user interface is only one of its components.
Here are a few more questions in this series to illustrate my point.
What is the difference between MacBook and the shape of the keys?
What is the difference between tea and the type of material the tea bag is made from?
What is the difference between a car and the color it is painted in?
If we compare it to a delicious cake (and why not?), the UI will be the icing, the layers, the taste, the way it is served and the decoration. UX will be the primary reason why we decided to make a cake in the first place and why people would prefer it to, say, hamburgers.”
4. User interface is generally associated with visual and information design. UX covers the entire user experience, even beyond their computer screen.
Patrick Neeman, head of product design at Apptio, founder of Usability Counts:
“User experience design encompasses the entire user experience, even beyond their computer screen. User interface design is generally concerned with visual and information design, that is, with what happens on the screen. The modern definition of UX goes back to that of the Nielsen Norman Group: UX is any point of contact between a user or customer and a system, both digitally and otherwise.”
5. UI is product-oriented and represents a series of visual characteristics over a period of time. UX focuses on the user and their journey “through the product.”
Scott Jenson, Head of Strategic Product Development at Google:
“I don't go too deep into these differences since the concepts are often used interchangeably. However, if I am asked, my vision is this. The user interface is product-focused and presents a series of visual characteristics over a period of time.
UX focuses on the user and their journey “through the product.”
UI is more focused on specifics screen display: labels, visual style, basic design principles and structure.
UX is the path “through the product”. Going beyond the screen, it defines the user journey and provides an explanation for why certain aspects of the UI were used and, more importantly, why certain aspects were removed from it. UI deals with constraints and problems, UX solves them.”
6. UX represents the experience that the user has with the product as a whole, while UI is those specific things that the user will actually interact with.
Clayton Yan, UX designer at UserTesting:
“There is a lot of confusion around the concepts of “user interface” and “user experience” and what their main differences, if any, are. They are definitely different things, but they need to go hand in hand to create a beautiful and visceral experience.
I always explain this topic using the analogy of building a house. When you build a house, you think about the layout and arrangement of rooms.
How many bedrooms do you need, 2 or 3? Will each of these bedrooms have its own bathroom? Will the living room be located immediately at the entrance? Will the house be one-story or two floors?
To me, UX represents the overall experience and impression you get from your home (or product). Does everything make sense? How does your user feel when interacting with the product?
The next level of the user journey is the interface with which the user actually interacts. Continuing with the home example, the interface is equivalent to the overall direction of the decor. What type of wallpaper will you use? Will you place the same vases everywhere or choose different ones?
The user interface is, as its name suggests, the things that the user will see and interact with. This includes buttons, forms, pictures, etc.
UX without UI means your house has a foundation and walls, but no beauty uniform design. UI without UX is how to bring stunning colors and details throughout your entire home, but still design it in such a way that... main entrance leads to the bathroom. It's important to create an amazing experience from start to finish.
Typically, UX design comes before UI design because you first need to do all the research, prepare sketches, and fine-tune processes. Once you're done with the big picture, you start working on the user interface design, putting all the pieces together so that you end up with a beautiful, well-designed product."
What is your opinion?
Many people confuse the concepts of UX and UI and use them interchangeably. As Don Norman said, “They have simply entered the lexicon and no longer have any special meaning. People use them often without any idea of what the words mean, their origins, history, or the range of phenomena they cover."
What do you think? What is the difference between UI and UX? Can they be used interchangeably or do they mean different things?
| 18.08.2015
Many designers (including newbies) use the phrase “UI/UX design” in their resumes. This combination of the terms UI and UX is not entirely correct. Why this is so, read below.
What is UI
Translated from English, UI (user interface) is a user interface. Using such an interface, the user can interact, i.e., conduct a dialogue with devices, machines, and programs. A good example of a user interface is a mobile phone with a display and keys for various functions, a car dashboard with control buttons, etc.
UI is what the user sees and interacts with on the screen. When designing a high-quality UI, attention is paid not only to the appearance of the interface, but also to its logical structure so that the user can without extra effort, quickly and easily interact with it and achieve the desired result. In the computer field, a UI developer is faced with the task of creating an interface that provides simple, understandable and convenient user interaction with a product (program, website, etc.).
But in order to clearly understand how to create a high-quality user interface for a specific product, it is necessary to study the behavior, emotions and reactions of users when interacting with this product, conduct testing, and collect data. A person, interacting with any system, experiences sensations and reacts in a certain way in the process of using it. This is called user experience, or UX.
What is UX
The sensations and reactions that a user experiences when interacting with a product (in our case this is computer programs, sites, applications, etc.) are called interaction experience (UX, user experience). UX is what the user feels and remembers as a result of using a program, application or website. UX is taken into account when developing UI, creating information architecture, usability testing. Having determined the target audience and the characteristics of the main user, you can create a list of requirements for the project.
The first step is to find out what expectations and desires potential users and the customer of the product (program, website, etc.) have. In the second step, we determine functionality, available to users. The next step is designing a website (or other product), developing structure and navigation, intuitively understandable to users, as well as a thoughtful layout of all user interface elements. Last step - appearance, product design that is convenient and enjoyable to use.
conclusions
As you can see, UI is part of UX. The goal of both is to improve, simplify, make it more convenient. But, although these terms are closely related, they are by no means synonymous. You can have a great UI but terrible UX, and vice versa. Designers mainly deal with UI. The UX industry is studied by other specialists - designers, analysts, marketers. To achieve maximum results, you need professional work specialists from both fields.
What is the benefit of your website or app? Is it easy to collect information with its help? Or buy in one click and get the goods delivered tomorrow? Or is the main thing to quickly find answers to the necessary questions?
Think about the people who developed this site or application. What was their goal?
They tried to make a web resource that would have everything that people would love it for. An easy-to-use site that would quickly provide the information you are looking for and help you make informed decisions.
UX, or user experience, covers the perception and emotions that a software product or service evokes. UX is characterized by ease of use, accessibility, and convenience. UX is often talked about in context electronic devices, smartphones, computers, software or websites. But such a concept is not new; it is something that is rapidly changing due to technological advances, new types of interactions and consumer trends.
Users are looking for lightning-fast ways to solve problems, so UX is extremely important. Make sure the site is clear and easy for users to understand.
If customers don’t find the resource useful and easy to use, they will quickly unsubscribe. Most users decide within a minute whether to close a site.
In this article, we learn more about the emerging UX industry, what designers businesses are hiring, and why smart design benefits every business.
What is UX design?
UX design, or interaction experience design, is what determines how satisfied the user will be with a software product or service; this process involves improving functionality, usability and convenience. UX design - creation software products with a thoughtful and relevant user experience. The field of UX design covers a ton of subfields that are worth considering.
1. Interactive design
Interaction design, or IxD, is a subsection of UX design that defines the interaction between the user and the product; the goal of these interactions is a good user experience.
2. Visual design
Visual design uses illustration, photography, typography and color schemes– all this enhances the end user experience. In visual design, it is important to follow the principles of artistic direction. These include balance, space, contrast... Color, shape, size and other elements also influence the design.
3. User research
This is the last of the building blocks of UX design that companies use to clarify their customers' expectations. A successful web project serves a specific purpose and solves specific tasks, so an important step is to find out what the consumer needs. Without this, the design is based on guesswork and assumptions.
4. Information architecture
Designers use information architecture to structure and label content in specific ways to make it easier for users to find necessary information. Information architecture is used in web development, smartphone development, application development, and is also seen in many physical objects. Ease of use and accessibility are two main aspects of information architecture.
To illustrate, consider a map of the New York subway. By the way, this good example information architecture that helps people get from point “A” to point “B”. And, as the Institute for Information Architecture says, “If you do things for others, you are doing information architecture.”
Component Processes of UX Design
There are three stages of UX design:
1. search target audience
2. understanding the company’s goals - how such goals affect the user
3. thinking outside the box
Typically, UX design uses a user-centered approach to create the desired end product in three steps.
It’s simpler – you should take into account the needs of those for whom the design is being developed. A lot of solutions are used to eliminate all sorts of difficulties and roughness; prototypes are created and tested on users.
Based on the results of the work, the best of the developed options is selected. If you look at things from the user's point of view and design based on their preferences, the result will please everyone.
UX Design Principles
The UX design industry is changing rapidly, but the fundamental principles are still the same. Designers need to understand what they need in terms of visual balance. Brevity and clarity - important nuances; The principle applies here: the less, the better. Strive to ensure that the design is intuitive and, more importantly, consider the interests and needs of users.
The scope of UX tends to be limited to new technologies, but at the heart of it all are principles as old as time that help designers solve all sorts of problems through a consistent and focused methodology.
Consider the context: The user must know where he is at the current moment. There should not be a feeling of information overload or that one is lost. Your task is to prompt and point in the right direction.
Be humane: Nobody likes the feeling of interacting with a machine. You are more likely to be able to line up trusting relationship, if you show your company from the human side.
Availability: Nobody wants to waste their time. Successful UX design improves navigation.
Ease: Consistency and simplicity of design is always good. You build relationships with users through user-friendly UX.
Simplicity: No miscalculations or unnecessary descriptions. Get straight to the point.
UX result
When a UX project is completed, the designer and team show the client and their team a list of what has been done. It is necessary to show the work process, a list of implemented ideas.
This is an important part of the overall process. This makes it easier for UX designers to find what they are looking for, demonstrate their vision, and explain certain recommendations for improvement.
1. User research
User needs, trends, and motivations are all discovered through various user studies. This can be quantitative and qualitative data obtained during tests, for example, with the participation of focus groups; a detailed description of the registration process, onboarding and requests to customer service. The goal is to get detailed analysis what is on the site and what else can be improved - all ideas are tested on real users.
Researchers create consumer profiles based on actual data about people, which helps determine exactly who will interact with a website or app.
Through user research, designers find and define their user.
2. Assessing competitors
Assessment of strengths and weaknesses competitors - a way to expand your own UX strategy. The best way to proceed is through analytical reports that highlight competing developments. Essentially, this is a detailed analysis interactive design competitors, a list of weaknesses, miscalculations and omissions, in general, what can become a competitive advantage.
3. Interactive design
The description of user interactions can be in the form of a prototype - this makes it easier to understand how users will perform key tasks, find information, and, in general, use the product. The process of searching for information and how convenient the development is is described. The prototype should be as simplified as possible and close to the final version.
4. Information architecture
IA is the process of taking information and turning it into a digestible form, which is especially important for large sites. It is important to understand in what context people will use the design. The end result could be a site map with tooltips, or a user flow sample that shows how visitors move around the site.
What is User Interface Design?
When Apple introduced the Click Wheel navigation component for the iPod, the thing was intuitive and highly functional—not to mention visually stunning. This is a good example of a successful user interface, or UI. UI is a way of interacting with computers, machines, websites, applications, wearable devices, etc. UI design is what makes all these things as simplified and efficient as possible.
UI vs. UX
UX, user experience, refers to the user's movement through a website or application. UX designers work on the form and functionality of a product or technology. UI, or user interface, focuses on how the outer shell of a product looks and functions. The scope of work of UI designers is the tangible and visible components of this process.
Common UI Elements
UX and UI have a lot in common, but it is important to note the key differences between these two subjects. Again, UI is focused on the appearance of the product, while UX is more concerned with how people interact with a site or application. Here are the most common UI elements you need to know about to better understand the differences:
Information components: UI designers use information components to expand the so-called. reading experience - convey more information. Examples of information components include status indicators, notifications, and message boxes. All this is used as confirmation: the user has completed a certain task. Or to notify that a certain action is required on his part.
Breadcrumb navigation
This is a design tool that visually improves the usability of a website.
This is how people see their location on a web page, in its hierarchical structure. Any fancy design elements are not required; you just need to show which section of the site the user is in. Typically, such links are placed at the top of the web page of online stores, or on other resources.
Input controls: Users are given multiple options to answer the question they are asked. These can be checkboxes, drop-down lists and switches. The information should be short and concise to make it easier to find out the needs.
Experience Research
Without research, it is impossible to learn about people's needs and preferences. UX research is about finding what users need; The data obtained forms the basis of UX design. Companies and designers use research to make certain conclusions, about what works and what is better to change. There are several options for UX research.
Usability testing
The purpose of such research is to find out how successful the product is; Users participate in testing. This gives companies real information about how people use a product or system, or how that product or system works. There are two main ways to test.
Usability testing on random users- it's fast and cheap way for companies and researchers to get information from people who may not know about their product. Random people use the product and share their opinions.
Remote usability testing allows companies to conduct research while users are in their natural environment (for example, their home or office).
Usability Testing Tools
Such tools allow you to find out the opinions of users, analyze feedback, and make certain changes based on the data. If you're looking for a tool to help you figure out how easy your site or app is to use, you have two options:
Adobe Fireworks CS6 allows web designers to create graphics for web pages without having to delve into the intricacies program code or design. Adobe Fireworks has a number of advantages. The tool has impressive pixel precision and has image compression options (JPEG, GIF, etc.) that allows users to create functional websites and vector construction.
WITH using Adobe XD you can create website designs and mobile applications, as well as prototypes, wireframes and vector graphics. Interactive prototypes can be shared across multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS and Android - ideal for team collaboration.
Axure RP Pro is another good UX design tool and it's free. Axure provides several options, including: prototyping and documentation. You can even create user journey patterns and site maps. Axure is ideal for creating web and desktop applications, giving users the ability to quickly export to PDF or HTML.
This is a complex software with many specific functions, incl. non-destructive editing (this means that Sketch will not change the pixel density of the image you are working with). Code export, pixel precision, prototyping, vector editing- these are the main advantages of Sketch.
6. Software for storyboarding
You may wonder why a storyboard is needed in UX design. But this good way to visually predict how a user will interact with your product in a broad context. There are several storyboarding tools available, with different features and levels of difficulty.
Storyboarder is a free development with basic functionality that is suitable for all designers, regardless of their skill level. This software quickly creates sketches or stick figures to describe a plan or idea. Another tool is Toon Boom Storyboard Pro. It combines drawing, animation, camera control and other numerous options - for an annual or monthly fee. Wide functionality for sophisticated storytelling and detailed preparatory work. All this is suitable for designers who are looking for an opportunity to visually tell their story using an interface.
How to become a UX designer?
If you love design, research and working with people - listening to others talk about their experiences, then perhaps a career in UX design is worth considering. In this case, you will have to focus on the conceptual aspects of the design; create a high-quality interaction experience for other users.
There are a few important steps on the path to a career as a UX designer. Many universities around the world offer their courses, but to enroll in them, 4 years of education in the field of design is usually a prerequisite. There are more flexible programs such as Quinnipiac University Graduate Program in User Experience Design. There are also certification programs for professionals. Much depends on the duration of training and level of preparation.
If you're ready to realize your dream of becoming a UX designer, you'll need a resume and a strong portfolio. Resources like Dribbble or Behance will come in handy. You can demonstrate your work on your own website, created using builders such as SquareSpace.
Keep the following details in mind:
Visual appeal
Presentation is everything. The work should speak for itself...show, don't tell! Color choice, typography are all important.
Add an "about" page
Why should anyone hire you? What new thing can you bring to any organization? Show recruiters your unique vision, or what inspires you.
An employee of your dream company should not have any difficulties navigating the portfolio website. Add sections such as contacts, resume, portfolio, about me, etc. to the menu. to make navigation easier.
Explain how you create your UX
Your future employer wants to understand your way of thinking. Add information that tells the recruiter about your UX research, brainstorming, design process, or prototyping.
Create an additional portfolio
Use other tools to make your work available on the web where designers and those who want to hire them spend their time,
Bottom line
you can be graphic designer, blogger, developer or anyone else, but, in any case, UX design is something that can help you and your company grow. A happy user is the key to success, but without thoughtful UX design this will be impossible to achieve.
Technology is increasingly penetrating daily life, and successful UX design removes any barriers between the user and his device (or applications). UX design is more important now than ever – join this movement and benefit your business.
Any design, no matter how good it is, will be absolutely useless if it is not UX design. There are hundreds of thousands of resources that create mind-blowing interface designs and graphic design and use the services the best professionals with unrealistic talent, but cannot take their rightful place in the network. And that’s it, because the interaction between the site and users is growing exponentially, this means that in order to find feedback from the user, web designers need to care about user experience (UX - User Experience– “interaction experience”). It is at this stage that UX design tools will come to the rescue - excellent online services that give hints to designers regarding the design of user interfaces. We will talk about them in more detail in this article.
Since designers must consider not only the beauty and correctness of the organization of elements, but also more complex factors associated with the behavior of visitors on the site, they often resort to the help of UX design tools that can help them automate certain tasks or significantly simplify the process of completing them. Luckily, user interface design is no longer a new topic, and there are hundreds of UX design tools on the Internet. Of course, we will not list them all. To help you, we have selected only some of the most interesting and useful UX design tools with short descriptions to show their main characteristics and give you the opportunity to choose exactly the one that suits you. will suit best way.
UX design tools for modeling and designing mockups and prototypes
Prototyping has become a necessity for all designers who want to succeed on the front of UX design and improving user experience. Creating mockups, models and prototypes allows them to test any ideas in action before investing time, effort and money into the project. With these UX design tools, you can test your product throughout the production process and make improvements to create a robust user experience for your target audience.
Interface design tool Moqups
Moqups isana HTML5 application is designed for creating mockups, mockups and prototypes. Moqups provides a huge number of presets and templates that you can use to create the basis of your project. You can customize each component and set your own colors, text size, icons, etc.
Wireframe
This is another tool for creating block diagrams pages (wireframing) with a convenient minimalistic interface. The tool is easy to use and only includes minimum required functions, simplifying the process of use as much as possible. The benefit of creating diagrams using this tool is that users can easily share them with others. Each diagram or mockup you create gets its own unique URL, which you can send to the client or other team members.
Pencil
This is a tool for creating graphic prototypes. Since it is an open source tool, you can install it on your personal computer and start creating graphical prototypes even without internet access. Of course, you shouldn’t expect advanced features and complex functionality from it, but it copes with its main tasks quite well.
Balsamiq
Don't want to spend hours creating prototypes? In this case, you simply must try Balsamiq. It is simple but very effective when it comes to prototyping. With Balsamiq, users can create multiple layouts that they can test and choose the one that provides the best result.
PowerMockup
Are you a PowerPoint wizard? Then you will love this tool as it will turn PowerPoint program a powerful UX design tool for creating mockups. This means you won't have to learn anything new at all. software. PowerMockup allows people without specific technical skills to participate in the design and development process, which is certainly one of its main advantages.
Mockplus
Mockplus has everything you need for your next project: from beautifully rendered interactions, built-in 200 components and 3,000 icons, to collaborative editing and real-time testing on real devices. This UI design tool helps you transform your ideas into fully functional prototypes efficiently and effortlessly. In addition, the Mockplus design tool strikes a balance between ease of use and availability. complex functions to create any prototype elements.
UXPin
Looking for a tool that lets you create interactive prototypes and mockups? UXPin is an intuitive and easy to use tool. Using it, you can even get an idea of how the product will look on mobile devices just by switching the browser screen size.
Solidify
Gliffy
Gliffy is not just another UX design tool for creating prototypes; it's much more. Gliffy allows users to create network diagrams, complex technical drawings, flowcharts, UML diagrams and much more. Its intuitive interface allows you to create charts within minutes.
POP
A/B testing tools
The idea behind these tools is to create two versions of a page and then test them to see which version performs better. Conversion rates, average time spent on page, and other metrics are some of the factors you can use to evaluate a website's page performance.
Desinion
Not sure if you're creating a project that users actually want to see? With this A/B testing tool, you can ask any question you are interested in and get a real response from users. The tool has a very useful function - discussion. You can start a discussion on your site to involve users in the design process. Additionally, you can create private discussions and share them only with friends or colleagues.
Visual Website Optimizer
It's simple but extremely powerful tool, which allows you to conduct A/B testing on top level. With its help, you can also conduct multivariate testing and split testing. Segmented reporting and revenue analysis will also be available in Visual Website Optimizer.
Optimizely
It is a robust A/B testing tool that allows users to run a test without getting into technical details and without the need for special skills. No code and full visual editing makes it very popular among marketers.
Tools for usability testing
When it comes to creating good UX design, you may need usability testing tools to help you understand the issue of user experience and determine the needs of target users and their psychology. If you can determine what visitors really want and potential clients, and build an interface based on this knowledge, then the design will certainly impress and activate the audience. UX usability testing tools can be divided into remote usability testing tools and feedback tools. In this section we have collected both solutions so that you can choose which one suits you best.
Loop11
Loop11 is a simple usability testing tool that does not require knowledge of HTML code or programming languages. Within the tool, you can use ready-made templates or create a theme yourself. Additionally, there are several ways to invite participants to test your projects. You can create your own list of users based on social networks, create a pop-up window on the site to find interested people. All you have to do is create a list of questions, or enable different variants designs to choose from, and then send out an invitation to people asking them to respond. Based on the results, you can make the necessary changes to the design.
Crazy Egg
This tool will help you make your page more user-friendly and increase conversions by creating the right user experience. It works as follows. You submit your design, and usability and user experience professionals will analyze it and provide feedback that you can use to improve your site.
Usability Tools
It is one of the most widely used UX design tools and has gained immense popularity among designers and marketers due to its useful functions. This tool helps analyze website pages from the user's point of view. This is a huge benefit to the designer because it gives specific hints as to where and what changes the designer needs to make to increase conversions or what elements need to be moved to be able to nudge the user to take certain actions. This usability tool also allows you to adjust feedback and get feedback from people who actually use the product.
Appsee
This is "analytics software" that is used to track the activity of application users. This tool will help you gain valuable insights into how users interact with your app. The User Recording feature of this tool is the most impressive. It records user activity and thus gives you great insight into user behavior. This is a useful tool for improving overall performance your application and increase conversion.
Attensee
This is a user behavior tracking tool that helps you understand how your target audience views your website pages. Attensee gives you a visual indication of whether people are noticing important elements of your site. This is directly related to design, since if you find that a significant number of users are not actually focusing on important elements, such as banners, call-to-action buttons, special offers, Attensee will help you fix it.
UserVoice
This is another powerful tool that allows you to view and analyze various user actions while they are browsing your site. This tool allows you to receive direct feedback from real users and fix the problems they face.
MouseStats
As the name of this tool suggests, MouseStats helps you track users' mouse movements. As you probably know, mouse movements mimic users' eye movements. Tracking cursor movements and scrolling will give you important clues about how users interact with your design. The best thing about this tool is that it provides a visual representation of user activity and thus helps in making necessary changes.
UX design tools for prototyping and collaborative design
Teamwork is a must when it comes to delivering good UX design for your target audience. If you're used to working in a team, then you need to have access to the right tools that can help your team members collaborate and make their own suggestions effectively and effortlessly. Below are UX design tools for prototyping and co-design that you may find useful.
FileSquare
This is not just a tool for collaboration. It allows you to create an interactive prototype and at the same time collaborate with other team members. Make creative decisions and get feedback from people in real time.
Notism
Are you working on visual content and looking for a collaboration tool? Then you need Notism. To make communication with the team as convenient as possible, sketches and notes are used. Notifications come in real time, so you can receive feedback from colleagues and clients as soon as someone notes it.
Red Pen
RedPen makes collaborative design and prototyping quick and easy. This UX tool is designed for collaborative design modeling and prototyping. It is specifically designed to facilitate collaboration with graphic content. Sharing feedback is very simple: in order to highlight any element and leave a note, the user just needs to hover over it. After this, a small text field appears in which you can leave your feedback.
Memosort
With Memosort, distance will no longer be an obstacle. This amazing tool is one of the the best tools for collaborative design. It helps you connect with your team and collaborate in real time. All notes in Memosort are saved automatically, so you don't have to worry about losing a good idea or suggestion.
Trello
Forget about long and boring emails, Trello is here to simplify the collaboration process and improve team communication. The advantage of this tool is that it is free. Inside the Trello tool there is special cards denoting different projects. All you have to do to add people to a project is drag it onto the appropriate map. The tool also updates in real time.
Invision
It's an interesting combination of a collaboration and prototyping tool. With it you can create interactive prototypes and models. With Invision, real-time interaction is possible. All you have to do is send a link to the design to other team members and they can also work on it and make suggestions.
Let's sum it up
So, these are some UX design tools that help web designers create successful online projects independently and in a team, as well as collect information about user experience for the purpose of self-improvement. If you know any other useful tools, which we forgot to mention - be sure to write about it in the comments!
About how to become a designer.
A friend of mine once admitted that she always wanted to be a designer, but missed out on the opportunity to become one. I quickly assured her that it was never too late to start and I was the best proof of that. In fact, many designers have been able to learn UX design without any formal training.
Here's how it all happened for me, step by step:
1. Understand all areas of Design
There are visual designers, interaction designers, user experience (UX) designers, interface (UI) designers, product designers, graphic designers, and so on. There are also generalists who know a little bit of everything. Start by finding out what specialization interests you.
2. Read articles on UX/UI design on your way to work
4. Take a break when you encounter difficulties.
Sooner or later you will find yourself confused, overwhelmed and overwhelmed - buy yourself a latte please! Reward yourself for the hard work you put into your passion. Stay positive.
I remember with a smile the day I sheepishly admitted to a friend that I had no idea how to use the pen tool (you'll find it funny in a few months). My friend and I got jobs at the same company a year later and are still smiling about the day we literally spent 8 hours drawing shapes in Photoshop.
5. Read good books.
6. Find a designer who knows how to do it and ask him sometimes
I'm not saying "find a mentor." I don't believe in mentors because I think people are too busy working on their own dreams. I never expected anyone else to put much effort into my career, but I have made some excellent friends who I can quickly ask a question or buy coffee when I need advice.
7. Get inspired
Listen to Matias Duarte, VP of Android Design, and his stories about material design.
See work on Dribbble, The Best Designs and Awwwards. Make inspiration a priority. It will help you understand UX patterns, visual design and will give you strength.
8. Work on projects that don't exist
If your goal is an intern or position entry level in UI/UX design, then you need to show the employer something. This is the most difficult step, it's like jumping off a cliff. It's unlikely that you'll be ready to start working on the project, but do it anyway. Try creating a portfolio in Sketch or Illustrator, starting with user flows, wireframes, interactions and finally a full mockup. After that, redesign the site that simply needs it. Create your own task list app. Create a delivery app. Keep creating what excites you.
9. Subscribe to Sidebar
They send out 5 design links every day.
10. Write this quote on your desk.
Nobody ever talks about this to beginners. And I would like someone to tell me about this at one time: everyone, each of us, whose work requires creativity, has good taste. But we all instantly find ourselves on the edge of the abyss: during the first few years while we are creating, it is impossible not to notice that what we are doing is not as good as we would like. We clearly see that we haven’t done anything good. We would like it to be good, we strive for this, but every time we get something that is not what we wanted...
And only taste, that most cherished thing that initially attracted you to creativity, your taste is simply magnificent! He is so good that you yourself admit that what you are doing is a complete disorder. Many people cannot get past this stage. And many quit their job.
To all of you, I would like to say with an open heart that everyone I know, everyone whose work requires creativity, everyone has gone through this stage of many years when, for all their amazing taste, they saw that what they do is not so good , as we would like. They knew they were falling short. They saw that they could not reach the level at which they would like to create.
I want to tell you that everyone goes through this grueling stage. And if you are at this stage now, remember - this is completely normal. And the most important thing you can do now is to keep working, working hard.