Functional + Ease of Use = good experience

Absrtact: I have seen a simple but intimate design, a 170-pixel smiley face. It was a very tiring day, and after work I wanted to clean out my email inbox and relax my mood. I used to use Apple to bring the mail application, but this time I opened just

I've seen a simple but intimate design, a 170-pixel smiley face. It was a very tiring day, and after work I wanted to clean out my email inbox and relax my mood. I used to use Apple's own mail, but this time I opened the Gmail app I just downloaded and filtered through my inbox. When the last message was archived, a smiley face and a line of text appeared on the screen: "You have finished all the work, please enjoy today's time!" "This page was unexpected and made me smile," he said.

The details are very simple, but it makes me realize that even the tiniest, even seemingly unnecessary, design can have a huge impact on users. This smiley face page, from the designer's understanding of the user, they know that handling a full inbox is not a pleasant thing, so in order to ease the mood, they designed this interesting interface as a reward for completing tasks (unpacking the Inbox) after the user has finished processing the message. They could have shown a blank interface or written "No Mail" (no emails), but they didn't, but added some extra little stuff, which made me very happy.

In slice of Lime, our slogan is "Create stunning user experiences" (Create amazing experiences). This slogan seems simple, but think about it, what is the factor that can make a product stunning? How to create an amazing experience?

Functional + Ease of Use = good experience

To design a "stunning" user experience, you must first understand what a "good" user experience is. As a UX designer, first of all, to make a good user experience to meet the user's most basic, the most immediate needs, this is critical to the success of the product. In the case of Gmail app, a good user experience is to ensure that users can easily complete a mail app's most basic tasks: reading, writing, sorting, sending, and so on.

Good user experience + considerate = Stunning user experience

There is a gap between good user experience and stunning user experience, and many people think that the difference is whether people feel comfortable and whether they can make people happy, but I think this is just a superficial phenomenon. Stunning user experience requires designers to do "considerate" (thoughtfulness), throughout the design process to maintain empathy, understanding the user's emotional state. Gmail's little smiley face is the "good" design based on the addition of intimate details.

It's not complicated, actually.

"Considerate" and requires a sense of humor, but also can be used in various other forms. The user's concern is usually very subtle, and you can see a lot of cases on Little Big detail's website. It is often said that good design is hidden in the unseen and does not hinder people's use. I think that stunning design is also hidden, but from time to time, make you smile.

Why it's so important to make stunning designs

Can a little smiley face bring lasting effects? Yes. I'm still using Gmail apps, and I'm looking forward to that smiley face every time I clean out my inbox. These subtle but intimate details play an important role in motivating the user and changing their behavior, and can make a painful experience enjoyable.

When users feel the stunning user experience, they will choose this product, and others will talk about this intimate function, and recommend to friends, and ultimately achieve product developers, designers and users of a variety of wins-win.

From a business perspective, strive to create a first-class user experience, to more deeply meet the product developers and designers. It sounds simple, but stunning design makes people happy and happy people make the world a better place to be.

How to design a stunning user experience?

OK, for a quick review, the stunning user experience is made up of functionality, ease of use, and concern for the user. As a user experience designer, it's easy to be functional and usability, but how do we make the product more intimate?

As a designer, our job is to focus on people and how they feel when they use the product. But this is not easy to do, before we open Photoshop, there is often not enough opportunity to fully understand the user. Sometimes the task at hand is too complex, and our focus is entirely on dealing with every possible scenario. Of course, it is valuable to know the extreme, but when we design the user as the center, we must not lack the attention to people.

In the past few years, I have seen a lot of simple techniques in dealing with complex problems, and I have been concerned about the user in designing the products. Here are some of the suggestions that are not complete and do not apply to all situations, but I hope that you can learn from them and find out one or two ways that are right for you.

Plant a seed.

Prepare early! It is very difficult to change direction in the course of the project. Before you start designing and drawing drafts, talk to your boss and tell him that being a thoughtful product will be a core design principle for you.

Integrate yourself into the user world

The short answer is to investigate. Leave the computer screen, and the user more exchanges and exchanges, not only to focus on the user said superficial meaning, to pay attention to their tone and facial expression. Note that you need to find a few more people to talk to and not let someone's word affect your judgment.

Create a persona (Personas)

In Aarron Walter's "Designing for the Emotions" (designing for emotion), he wrote about how to simulate a user to help you understand users by creating a persona, you can also create a "persona in Design" ( Personas). In addition, the company's brand promotion plays an important role in creating personas, so when doing this, remember to talk to the company owner. You can click here to learn more about personas in design.

Learn the full story

People often focus on their own work at the time of design, and forget that user experience design is a systematic project, you need to consider the entire process of user's use of the product, stand on the user's point of view to see you do this part of the work. Be sure to understand what the user is doing before and after using your design content.

Realize the burden on your shoulders

Always think about how your product will help others in the process of project development. Imagine what a chain reaction would be if you were involved in a design. Designers are responsible for reshaping the world, and you need to be aware of that and do your job.

Imagine your grandfather is using this product

Imagine that someone you love is using the product you are designing. Put a picture of him on your desk and remind yourself all the time. If this person does not match the target group of your product, don't worry, the purpose of the photo is to remind you that the persona you created should represent the real person.

Don't be afraid to show your individuality

Personalization represents a vivid person in the design process. Don't worry about showing individuality in your project, when you're too old-fashioned, people around you will remind you.

Keep a caring heart

When we solve complex problems, we often ignore the user's feelings. Take 15-30 minutes each day, with a caring heart, to review the latest progress of the work.

Take advantage of the opportunity to give users feedback

When you give feedback to users, it is easiest to show your thoughtfulness. In a particular scenario, give the user some feedback and let them feel that you are a close friend, not a computer.

Make good use of blank areas

Most apps and sites have more or less empty areas, and you can use them to express your concern. Common blank areas include: Error or success tips, title bar, placeholder text, blank page, footer, and so on. Using white space doesn't mean you have to fill them up, but when you come across a blank corner, you can ask yourself: "What can I add to help the user?" "or" What can I add here to make the user smile? "

To the user to encourage

When the user completes something or knows a message, be sure of them and give them a reward! You can take a step further to make them happier and feel more encouraged on the basis of their happy mood.

Simplify and highlight your intentions

Try to simplify the page, and your intentions will be easier to highlight. There are plenty of available resources available to help you learn how to simplify and omit features. The simple and Usable Web, Mobile, and Consortium, written by Giles Colborne, is a masterpiece of this, and I love this book very much. If you want to get a quick idea of what's in it, you can read this article by Tyler Tate: Minimizing complexity in User interfaces.

Keep practicing.

OK, you've tried all kinds of methods, but you can't find the right one. You know, not every project can do a great job, don't worry. Instead of struggling to stumble, try to be prepared to do whatever it is you want to do. In the end, you will be proud of what you have done.

Summary

I think it is very important to use the right tools at the right time. In order to design a better user experience, we need to maintain the concern of the user throughout the design process. What a sense of achievement it is when we see that the product we are designing has a positive impact on people and the world.