UI/UX Development

More often than not, technical terms that are essential for an online business sound like a nonsensical regurgitation of alphabets. However, we at Digicoms prioritise the requirements & preferences of our clients, which is why it is important to not leave them in the dark. So, before getting into the notable benefits of & the need for UI/UX development, let us talk about what UI & UX development actually are.

UI Design

The “UI” in the term stands for “User Interface”. It is the graphical layout of a website &/or webpage, comprising of everything users come into contact with & make use of. For example, buttons, text, images, sliders, text entry fields, etc. The development of UI design involves any & all sorts of visual elements or animation the user interacts with; such as screen layout, transitions, interface animations, & each & every micro-interaction. In essence, therefore, the UI design is the outlook & aesthetics of a site’s user interface. This design will hence define the way your brand is presented to your audience. First impressions are everything, especially in marketing, & that is why a business needs to be very careful of who they choose to design the very image that will be foundation for their online presence & reputation.

Aesthetics give a company a significant advantage in the highly competitive atmosphere of the world of capitalist businesses. There have been many studies conducted to prove the impact of aesthetics on the building of pre-purchase preferences. The modern consumer is looking not only for a product &/or service, but for an experience. The stressful & monotonous nature of everyday life may contribute to the need for overall stimulation, & with the many companies willing to offer exactly that, brands must up their game to appeal to their target demographic.

UX Design

“UX” stands for “user experience”. Going by the name, it is akin to the customer services department of any company. Only that it is online. To delve deeper into comprehending its implications, UX design concentrates on how the website affects the experience of its users. Where UI design focuses on the aesthetics, UX design focuses on the operation. It gauges whether the website or webpage is easy or difficult to interact with for users, taking into consideration the UI design that has been created.

The two terms often go hand-in hand, & some may even use them interchangeably. Which is understandable, but not quite accurate. While UX design is also concerned with the User Interface, it is not for the same reasons as the UI design. The primary function of the UX design is to determine the functionality & practical aspects of the structure built by UI designers. It looks at the very workings, organisation & structure of the interface, so that users do not have to face a bad experience when using the interface.

How UI/UX Designs work together

UI/UX development is a collaborative process, as the two designs work co-dependently to improve the website or webpage overall. While the UX design development involves working out the productivity of the site (if the interface is working seamlessly, that it efficiently serves up relevant information, & how well each button can help navigate users); the UI design development will concentrate on how all of the elements of the interface will appear to the users on their screens.

To offer an example for elucidation, let’s assume that at some point during the process of development it is decided that more textual information is required to be added to a particular screen. The interface will thus need modification in how the textual content is organised. Editing of the font style & size may also be required. The UX developers would determine the most strategic way to lay out the text; whereas the UI developers will adapt the interface designs to fit the altered layout.

Importance of Integrating UI/UX Design in the Web Development Process

• It helps to increase customer acquisition & loyalty, as it can provide brands a significant competitive edge in attracting & retaining consumer traffic. The more aesthetically attractive the interface would be, the easier it would be to attract customers, & imply a high quality of your products &/or services. Those who take marketing seriously would be seen as taking their business seriously. Plus, a better outlook makes a site appear more trustworthy, thus boosting traffic rates.
• It maximises opportunities for revenue generation.
•  UI/UX design development can optimise resources, development time & costs, for it can provide opportunity for addressing most usability issues before going to production.
•  It can afford a brand more insights & feedback from user engagement. Common, easily-avoidable errors often include incorrect assumptions regarding user behavior, & new features that are unwanted or inaccessible. With customer feedback & engagement, this unnecessary spending can be avoided.

UI/UX development can be cost-effective, as it helps reduce troubleshooting & associated costs. Research shows that an estimated 50% of an enterprise’s engineering budget is spent on resolving errors that can otherwise be easily avoided.