Web Team blogWhat is User Experience (UX)?
In this blog, we'll look at the fundamentals of User Experience and why it's an important process for anyone involved in the creation of digital content.
We'll also explore the value of UX from a human perspective and how it affects how we experience the world around us.
UX is User Experience
UX describes how a user feels when they use a product or service and UX Design is the planning of how that product or service works to make it an easy and enjoyable experience.
Elaine Shaw, Digital Content Officer.
Hello, I'm Elaine 👋
I have over 10 years of experience in Digital Marketing/Content Management and recently completed a Professional Diploma in UX Design and Research.
I enjoy reading, gardening, embroidery, sunny walks and a good podcast!
Why is UX important?
UX is important because it impacts how users perceive and interact with a product or service. Bad UX can lead to frustration, while good UX can enhance productivity and enjoyment. It's important to create positive user experiences by keeping our users in mind, making content easy to use and navigate, and allowing for user control and freedom.
We’ve all encountered badly designed websites and experienced the frustration of not being able to complete seemingly simple tasks due to broken links, poorly formatted forms or confusing navigation. Even in the offline world, good user experiences help us to get on with our day. Have you ever encountered a door with a handle that's confusing to use? Maybe you push when you're supposed to pull, or vice versa. This is a classic example of bad UX in the real world. Or have you tried to use a coffee machine with a confusing interface? Maybe it has too many buttons, or the buttons aren't labelled clearly. This is another example of bad UX that can leave you feeling frustrated (and caffeine deprived.)
How does bad UX affect our users?
As users, we remember these bad experiences. Research has even shown a strong link between university website experience and expected student and teaching experience.
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, users have high expectations when it comes to website functionality. With numerous services and apps vying for their attention, they have shorter attention spans and will quickly abandon any website that doesn't provide a positive experience. As such, it's crucial to prioritise the user experience when designing and developing content for our website.
Good design, when it's done well, becomes invisible. It's only when it's done poorly that we notice it.
- Jared Spool (usability expert)
Creating positive user experiences
When creating content, we want users to easily access the information they are looking for on our website. This is where the UX process comes in.
At its core, UX is a problem-solving discipline and there are three key questions to ask when producing content for the web.
Does it meet the user’s needs?
It’s important to remember that you are not your target audience. When creating content or designing a page for the website you should always keep your users in mind and try to design to their preferences. Who is your audience? Is the content useful to them? There is a range of simple exercises you can carry out to better understand your users, including empathy maps and user journey mapping.
Is it easy to use?
This is the Yahoo search engine from 2005 and it’s fair to say that there’s a lot of unnecessary content on the page. Contrast this with the Google search engine from the same period and you can see why Google has become the go-to search engine over time. It’s simple, easy to use and solves a problem for the user.
Does it give the user control & freedom?
No one likes to be met with a wall of text on a webpage with no headings, forms that are poorly formatted, or buttons that take you around in circles. Your content should guide your user through the site and allow them to efficiently navigate to where they need to go.
Once you have considered these key questions, where do you start?
Research your users
Study the University values, and think about who you are trying to reach and what information they need. Creating personas is also a valuable method to explore your user’s journey on the site. It's also worth observing real users as they navigate the site and asking them for feedback on how their journey could be improved.
Less is more
A cluttered webpage is difficult for users to navigate. Minimise cognitive load and maximise usability by cutting down on text, unnecessary links, and irrelevant images.
In research carried out by the Neilson Norman Group, they found that 79% of test users always scanned any new page they came across, with only 16% reading word-by-word, so it’s important to employ scannable text on our web pages:
- use meaningful subheadings
- allow for one idea per paragraph
- use bulleted lists
- get regular feedback from your users
Continuous improvement
Once your new content has gone live, it’s important to track any feedback from your users to see where further improvements can be made. Testing and optimising should be a regular part of maintaining your page(s) to ensure all content is up to date and continues to meet your user’s needs.
How can we help?
If you're interested in learning more about the UX process or carrying out your own usability testing sessions, please get in touch with us at webcontent@strath.ac.uk.