When we design websites, we don’t just focus on how the site looks, we care about every detail and how these details will impact user experience (UX) from start to finish. Microsoft Research has found that the average Web page visit lasts less than one minute. We know every second counts, which is why we design websites with our clients’ users in mind.
1. Know Your User
A recent article from UX Magazine discussed how developing fictional personas can bring sanity to projects. Through envisioning an actual user from a client’s target audience, the article shared that the designer can make inferences about the needs and desires of the audience, communicate user characteristics in a compact and clear way, help keep stakeholders from changing the definition of the audience and put a face on who the site is being designed for.
2. KISS…Most of the time
A popular UX term is KISS — Keep It Simple Stupid. If there are too many fonts, colors, pictures or too much text jumping off the page, then your user will have information overload. If a site is simple and scannable, it is easier to navigate and stay connected. But don’t forget to know your user. Some small segments, such as engineers, may enjoy complex interfaces and the challenge that comes with them. Keep that in mind too, but most of the time just KISS.
3. Exceed Users’ Expectations
The UX article also discussed how if you exceed user’s goals, you will be memorable. Aaron Walter, the lead user-experience designer for Mail Chimp, discussed making a memorable product. “Hold on to that memory … that feeling is what we’re trying to craft through emotional design. We’ll create that feeling of excitement and we’ll bond with our audience.” It’s those little details, that you didn’t have to do, that usually make a huge, memorable impact on the user.
Everyday at Fahrenheit Marketing, we are designing websites with the user’s experience in mind. To learn more about our Web designs, contact Fahrenheit Marketing today.