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Joud Baddawi
January 8th, 2023
While creating any website, you must keep in mind who you are building the website for, the users. Building a user-friendly website can be as important as building a functional website. That's where UI/UX designing comes in.
In simple terms, a UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) designer works to provide a positive experience for the user. UI/UX designers do that by visual designing and creating a simple path the user takes while using the product. The product can be either digital or physical, such as a website.
As a web developer, it's practical to learn the ABCs of UI/UX designing. A happy user is a frequent user; you can achieve better long-term results with a solid UI/UX design. We will discuss some handy tips in web development that link to UI/UX designing.
Do your homework
Are you building a website for a pet accessories shop? Or an initiative for gender equality week? Or simply a personal portfolio? Different websites have different targeted users. You have to identify your website users and conduct user research to understand them. Don't design the website for yourself, take the users' needs and goals into account.
Usability
A usable website meets the user's needs while using the website in a general manner. A user-friendly UI enables them to carry out actions and tasks and achieve results fast with minimal user effort.
Make sure your website is easy to use and not intimidating to new users.
Good JavaScript, Great CSS
The visual aspect of your website is vital to the UI/UX. JavaScript allows for a more attractive UI by controlling different elements to create an engaging interface. CSS helps you format your webpage and design your elements to ensure a positive UX. This can include:
Buttons that stand out
White (negative) space for separation of elements
Recognizable icons and symbols
Highlighted links
Calls to action (CTA) that encourage the user to click on them
Polish your CSS skills and learn some JavaScript. You will find that JavaScript has many applications that will boost your web development skills.
Meet expectations
Users expect a certain experience or interface before using your website. For instance, if you are building a blog website, they expect a search bar to be at the top of the screen. Or if you are building an online shop, they expect the chat assistance option to be in a lower corner. They expect the "PERMANENTLY DELETE THIS" button to be in bright red, to the point they may not even read the text on the button.
If the website fails to meet those expectations, it creates frustrations or even an unusable website. When you change these standards you force the users to learn how to use a website again all over, which is an extra effort they don't like. Don't reinvent the wheel trying to create new standards unless you are absolutely sure it will make the UI/UX better.
Test with real people
Before deploying your websites, always test them with real people. Ask your team or friends or make high-fidelity prototypes of some segments of the website that can be shared online and have people complete tasks. Study how they interact with the interface. Look for points of friction in their experience and document them. Once you have conclusive test results, return to your design and address any issues you found.
These are some of the tips that will help you, as a web developer, to create better, more engaging websites that users will love and use frequently.