Why UX Design Services Will Accelerate Business Growth

UX Design Fundamentals

Proper UX designers do not pigeonhole themselves to one discipline or mindset. In fact, UX designers are defined within so many different definitions. When many people think of UX designers as web developers but this is so much more. It extends to the experiences we have in stores, on web applications, mobile app, and of course on websites. Because of this broad definition of UX design, typically designers will classify themselves within various specialties or groups of specialties. Below is a brief description of the types of UX designers you may encounter.

General UX Designers

These designers are skilled in many if not most aspects of UX design. Rarely are they experts in any one field but where they excel in understanding the process of design and more importantly design intent. These designers only focus on the user experience and how the many parts of UX design will come together to formulate a product that always achieves that goal. General UX designers generally schedule collaborations with other designers, design wireframes, and advise/assist other aspects of the design team. Similarly, these types of designers are most likely to include the most amount of freelancers.

UX Researcher

This part of the UX design process is critical for obvious reasons. A UX researcher is essential to a design so the clear needs of the user are understood. UX designers all focus on the user experience and this is most understood through the UX researcher role. This individual decides how best the user’s needs are met and what problems they may be facing so others may develop a solution. Testing, surveys, and interviewing are common practices for this type of UX designer.

Graphic UX Designer

This one should be obvious right?! I won’t overcomplicate this one, but graphic UX designers always focus on how their designs serve the process of the user. They ask questions such as, “Does this image or video serve the user experience?” These types of designers focus on continuity and design elements that make the user feel at home. These designers balance appealing elements, brand voice, and user experience.

Product Designer

These designers focus on how users will utilize their product in a practical sense. They ensure a product is functional, serves a purpose, and solves a problem. These can vary from engineers and web developers that are focused on the end product or user interface. Product designers have specialties in product design but what makes them a part of UX design is their commitment to the user experience.

UX Developer/Engineer

Probably what many of us think of when we consider UX design. These are the front-end developers and coders of websites and apps. These developers are particularly skilled in understanding the types of online experiences users are focused on. Developers tend to evaluate the web pages users spend time on and which layouts and elements the user interact with. They are focused on the user interface, and menus that allow the users to quickly navigate a website or app. Unlike some of the other UX Designers, this position generally requires more hard skills such as the ability to write code.

UX Design Service Process

When working with a UX design team it’s important to understand the process with which they will take on your project. Typical UX designers follow the following 5 step process when completing a project.

Empathize – This is where the UX designers spend time understanding your problem and more importantly the problem of your target audience.

Define- After taking time to understand the user this is where UX designers define the problem or discover potential problems for the core user. Commonly utilizing UX researchers.

Ideate – This is where the magic happens! UX designers brainstorm and meet to discuss potential solutions for your problem discussing products, design, and services.

Prototype- The process of producing, creating, or developing the solution. This may be where the website comes under construction or the product completes development.

Test- Finally the solution is tested with the client and the target audience. This is where company decision-makers give the final okay for project success.

UX Designers will assist in many aspects of launching your product and many times can fit into the parts of this process you may not have figured out yet.

Importance of Continuity in UI/UX Design

Continuity is a term referred to often in technology as it has been a pillar business model for many of the leading technology companies today. Apple and Google often come to mind when this term is used. Continuity is a design process of making products and services across a wide array of platforms or mediums feel familiar or linked together. Think about how Apple and Google phones share text messages, images, video, and data across all platforms. When you get a new phone, all of your important precious data is just somehow there through the cloud. This is one of the best examples in the industry of continuity.

UX designers utilize this design element as a means to keep the user familiar with the platform. Users should feel familiar and understand how to use a platform with simplicity. Think about how this affects our daily lives in other areas. When we think about these aspects for our clients it varies on the industry and the target audience. For example, if you were a restaurant owner not using DoorDash or UberEats 5 years ago it may not affect your business much today! But fast forward to today and not utilizing this service or building it within your platform could cripple your business.

This is a form of continuity across the industry and even more so an example that shows needs change and UX designers are at the forefront of assisting today’s businesses with tomorrow’s challenges.

So… What should I look for as a Business Owner?

As a business owner, this is all relevant because you likely have already faced these challenges you may have already employed some of these aspects of UI/UX design within your business. Regardless, understanding this process and the players behind the scenes can be a strong tool in identifying and hiring for your next project. A UX Designer can be a marketer, a web developer, or even a project manager but they all share one common focus. Your target customer.

The user experience is everything, providing something people want and a focus on that one thing. It employes the age-old saying, “If you build it, they will come.” We all care about the profit, the revenue, but without the product fulfilling the user this will go stale. Focus on quality content and user experience that drives engagement and the rest will follow.

If you or someone you know is looking to speak with our UX design team, reach us at cameron@lanedigitalmarketing.com.