What Makes Good UX Design?

Good website UX design is…

1. User Tested — built around an understanding of the user’s and their use cases. 80% of users use 20% of design. Find out what that 20% is and don’t assume the user will understand how the interface works especially if has not been done before. Don’t let feature creep bloat your website. Let user testing determine what the website needs. Do not decide for them.
2. Simple — Hicks law says the number of choices increases the time it takes to make a decision. Minimize choices, break complex tasks into smaller ones, highlight important options, and use progressive disclosure. Don’t require the user to reenter the same information in several places or perform more clicks than needed.
3. Familiar — Jakobs law says Do not reinvent the wheel. Users prefer your site to work the same way as other sites they know. Always refer back to commonly used websites to decide what it should look like.
4. Grouped — Utilizes proximity, alignment, repetition, and contrast to connect related elements. The navigation hierarchy should be clear.
5. Mobile Friendly — Fitt’s law says touch targets should be large, have plenty of space, and be easy to reach. Inputs should be stacked vertically in the expected order.
6. Protected — The user should not be restricted without reason. For example, you should provide delete and edit functions on their data unless there is a legal issue or it would be detrimental to the users experience. They should have access to their own data and know how it is being used. The user should also be warned of dangerous actions.
7. Correct text — The text should sound professional and provide just enough information for the user to understand the context. Be specific to avoid user worry about side effects of actions.

You can also utilize other design and art principles to guide your UX decisions. For example, content barely touching the edges tends to make users uncomfortable. Limiting your color palette using a color scheme also comes from art concepts. Typography and other design concepts still apply.

References:

“16 Important UX Design Principles for Newcomers.” Medium, medium.com/r/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.springboard.com%2Fblog%2Fdesign%2Fux-design-principles%2F. Accessed 14 Aug. 2023.

99designs team. “Redirecting You.” Medium, medium.com/r/?url=https%3A%2F%2F99designs.com%2Fblog%2Fweb-digital%2Fux-design-principles%2F. Accessed 14 Aug. 2023.

Showalter, Jesse. “The 4 Most Important Laws of UX Design.” YouTube, 13 Dec. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQGjV6_8t7I.

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