A user experience of a website is literally just that. It’s what the user will experience as he/she goes through your website. It’s the combination of design, content and technical management that your clients will be able to see, hear and experience.
Firstly, there are two ground rules before starting to build a user experience (UX)
- You can’t build something from nothing.
- Even if you can’t get your head around the technical aspects, you can pick up a pencil and draw some sketches.
Start with the aesthetics. People like aesthetic things. Ever seen millennials posting stuff with the #aesthetic hashtag on Twitter, Fb and Insta?
But just because you’re not a self-centered millennial, and you’re not showing off that body shape doesn’t mean you don’t need to focus on aesthetics.
Design
A catchy website title grabs people, but a nice aesthetic keeps people there.
You need to be #keen to think outside the box. You might not have a design centric mind, but by the end, you will develop one.
Start off with a dash of inspiration. Google images works well. Search for Website UI/UX and jot down some notes.
You’ll probably notice that current design trends are towards minimalist/flat layouts and use of matte contrasting colours. (People right now like simple designs and vibrant yet non-shiny colours.)
Other sites that I personally like include Behance, and the Google / Apple design language guidelines.
Once you have the design set, focus on the experience and content of your site.
You want an easy to navigate website that doesn’t confuse the reader. Too many times have web developers designed webpages with hyperlinks everywhere that the user gets lost in a never ending circle.
Start with a tree diagram, outline which parts of your website matter to you, and how they will be ordered.
Make sure everything makes sense to you, at the very least. If you get lost, start again. Finish your flowchart, and then make another one; this time, make it more efficient, make it so users don’t have to go around circles to reach a certain part of your website.
Content
Last step is to fill in the content. Think catchy and direct. Have a look at some memes for inspiration. (That’s what I do.)
Putting the content into the flowchart will help you make sense of how your website is being structured.
Putting the content into the design will help you make sense of what your website will look like.
Lesson of today;
Don’t overthink things. If you get stressed out because none of this makes sense to you, take a break and go outside for a walk.
There are people who are here to help you make the most out of your website and they include;
- The NSW Government
- NetStripes
If you ever get stuck on this, both of them are willing to be your friend and help you out.
(It won’t even cost you!)
Any questions?
Feel free to talk to one of our digital strategists today. We are more than happy to help! Contact us now.
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