What Every Designers should know about User Interface and User Experience

Even Though User Interface and User Experience are used in same context by many designers it is not exactly the same. It is true that both User Experience and User Interface are related to each other in many ways but there are several differences between these. To be a successful designer one must know about the difference between User Interface and User Experience.

User Interface is the elements that makes the interaction between humans and machines possible. Through an effective user interface it is easy to operate and control the machine by the user. The user interface consists of both hardware and software related things which are used for giving data as well as getting feedbacks.

The major factors that makes a successful user interface is by providing a easy, efficient and enjoyable way to operate the machine with minimum effort. There are different kind of user Interface and Graphical user Interface is one of the most important among all categories. There are What Every Designers should know about User Interface and User Experience web based user interfaces which can be operated either via the keyboard and mouse or through touch screens.

User Interface Design involves the creation of a uniform and enjoyable way to make the interaction between machine and humans possible. For this it is essential to observe the human behavior through the interactive elements on the screen. there are several tools available for the creation of User Interface but the actual creation required broad experience.

User Experience usually involves studying about the behavior attitude and emotions a user experience during the operation of a product. How effective is the practical aspects that facilitates the interaction between the user and the computer is defined by the user experience. It also explains the extent upto which the operation of the machine is easy for the user. User experience is depended on various persons and it is difficult to determine upto what extend the user interface is creating a unique experience.  

Website Homepage Design Checklist

When the first time a user visits a web page the thing that will catch the eye are elements of design attractiveness and navigation. If the first impression they are going to get is bad then chances are that the visitors will go back to the search result or close the web page. There are many elements on the home page that can have impact on the customer and design is one of the first element which creates the first impression. There might be several reasons for putting up a website home page and like attracting visitors, educating visitors, converting the website browsers into customers etc.

Establishing the Identity
It is through the home page that the visitor comes to know about what the company is about and who are the key people in the organization and what are the main services and products of the company. While doing the design for home page it should be taken care that the website should be able to introduce the visitors to the details of the company and at the same time provide an idea about the brand. Creating a unique logo and design that are matching will have tremendous impact on the visitor.

Simplicity
Complexly designed website home page will make the visitors confused and this will lead them to abandon the web page. Multiple widgets and Multiple Call to Action usually will overwhelm the first time visitors. It is also be taken care of the factor associated with fonts and the fonts used in the website should be easy to read. Labelling different sections on the home page is also essential in creating a smooth flow to the eyes of the visitor.

Above the Fold
While doing the design of the home page another factor that should be taken care of is keeping relevant information above the fold. Without scrolling the web page the visitor should be able to see the major features of products or major services. The home page also need to be tested to make sure that the home page design loads the necessary parts above the fold in multiple browsers.

Use of Color
As far as possible keeping the color theme of the website aligned with the official logo is good. Using colors that are not matching with the overall theme of the website will have negative effect on users. While choosing colors it should be taken care of that the visual impact on users is emphasised with appropriate distribution of colors. Color contrast also should be checked for creating appealing designs. 

Why User Experience is Important for your Website

Internet Users who come to your website have high expectations about the content they are looking for. Most of the time they might be looking for a valuable experience and expect the website to be easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing and emotionally satisfying. For retaining the existing customers and to gain news customers the user experience must be compelling in every way.

It is a well known fact that poor user experience can lead to reduced conversion rates, low retention of existing customers, increased redesign cost. A well designed web page with improved user experience will have low bounce rate and less chance of abandoning by users.

The three main advantage of improved user experience are as follows.

• Customers like to purchase more from a website offering improved user experience.
• Customers will do less business with the competitors if the user experience is better. 
• Customers will recommend your business if th user experience is compelling. 

The three factors that are contribution to the user experience are Usefulness, Usability and Desirability. The major reason why users visit a website is to achieve a goal. Up to what extend a website is useful will be the primary criteria for a website user. The next thing a user will will value will be the usability which involves the minimum effort to do a task on the website. The third thing a user looking for will be the desirability which is the extend to which the user enjoy the browsing experience.

The first step in creating a great user experience will be to know about the real users. Most of the time assuming that the developers know about the users creates problem. Creating online persona matching the profile of the customer should be the first step in the user experience excel. The requirement of the stakeholders might be different from that of the customer and aligning both through asking and listening is required in good user experience creation.

While creating design the primary importance should be given to user experience. Ignoring about what the users search and come to your website is also important while designing the website. It is also essential to test the designs for improving the usability factors. How much reliable is the information on the website and how much secure is the data is also have significance in design parameters. 

Most Popular Web Design Trends to be Watched in 2016

With the period of time every new thing will become old and so is the new trends in web design industry. Whenever there is a web design trend going out of date a new trend will follow it. The following are some of the most common trends that is trending in 2015 and found on different websites across the globe.

Line Icons
The first implementation of line icons was followed by Apple for achieving simple minimalistic designs. The aesthetics are not lost with these kind of designs which emphasize the visual cues. The line weight consistency is used in most of the designs following line icons. In some cases thick lines are used for overall shapes while thin line shapes are used for details. Most web designers provide editable strokes designs which the customer can change accordingly.

Material Design
Material design was first put forward by Google which involved classic principles of good design combined with the new trends and usage of new technologies.

Providing unique experience across all platforms including mobile and desktop is the primary principle for this kind of design. Creating visual effects like motion shadows and 3 dimensional capabilities gave material design its uniqueness in web design.

Interactive Infographics

The trends that is dominating in the graphics vertical is the visualization of elements through interactivity. It is true that most people love infographics but as there are thousands of infographics produced every day adding interactivity to the infographics is catching the trend. As it is possible to to create interactive and animated infographics with HTML5 and CSS3 the future of infographics belong to interactivity.

Full Screen Videos

One of the limitation with flash designs was the time taken to load and browser compatibility issues. This was overcome with the latest technologies in web design which made it possible to embed full screen videos in the website. With the videos playing in the background the attention of the visitor is kept on the screen for longer times. It also creates some kind of dynamism which is unique in the case of full screen videos. These kind of full screen videos are used mainly for video tours and product demos.

The above design trends have become part of brand identity and the unique look and feel of the website.

Usage of Mobile Phones by Small Business Owners

Usage of Mobile Phones by Small Business Owners in Percentage

A recent study conducted by the website Manta have found that 80% of the Small Business Owners in United States have used Mobile Phones in their Business. And 25% used these handheld devices once in an hour. and while they are not using mobile phone the small and medium business owners are stick to computers. About 12% of them are addicted to mobile and checked their mobiles for incoming messages and emails.

Most of the Small and Medium Business owners have used mobile phones to schedule appointments and communicating with customers.

Note taking applications were used by one by third of them. This is combined with creating things to do inside the list.

Usage of Social Media were also used by one third of the small business users

Expense management, Inventory Management and accounting were used less by them

The mobile phones were used by about one by fourth of them.

It has also been found that Small and Medium Business users were frequent users of  Mobile Apps.

Also majority of the business owners suggested they love to read mobile optimized content. Responsive website designs were preferred by them over mobile devices. 

Things to Remember while ReDesigning a Website

The online marketing strategies that contribute to the design of the website are based on principles that are changing frequently. Staying up to date with the latest trends is an essential part in attaining opportunities through internet. The following are the major points that need to be considered while updating the website.

Responsive Website Design
It has been found that majority of people will not return to a website if it is not mobile friendly. This is same for both mobile and tablet users. The recent algorithms by Google also favors mobile friendly websites to be displayed in Search Engine Results Page. The primary concern while designing the website should be to make it mobile friendly.

Good Content
People will not return to a website if the content is less. Also if duplicate content is displayed on a website it will be difficult to rank such websites for keyword queries. Adding more keywords to the content through keyword stuffing will lower the value of the website. Updating the content of the website is also necessary for getting more visitors.

Social Media OptimizationToday Twitter and Facebook are some of the most popular social media websites through which a website is promoted. There are many people who connect with each other through these websites. So having the presence of social sharing options on the website is essential while doing the redesign.

Website Loading TimeThe page loading time plays an important role in website conversion rate. The longer the time for a website to load the greater is the chance to loosing the customer by clicking back or closing the window.