How to Create a Good UI/UX Design? Usability Principles and Evaluation Methods
What are UI and UX?
User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are two critical concepts in digital product design. User Interface refers to the visual design and interactive elements of an application or website, while User Experience encompasses users' interactions and overall experiences with this interface.
Why is Good UI/UX Design Important?
Research shows that a critical area growing startups should focus on is analysis and good User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) design. 75% of unicorn startups believe that an impressive UI/UX design can increase startup valuations and attract additional investor funds. Therefore, conducting research and deeper studies in this area is necessary.
Creating a good user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) is one of the cornerstones of modern application and software development processes. Designing high usability solutions that meet users' needs is critical to the success of the software. In this article, based on literature, we will examine how to create good UI/UX design and which principles should be considered to improve usability quality.
Importance of Design Principles
The fundamental step in UI/UX design is to determine the purpose of the application or software. Hokkanen and Kuusinen emphasize that the purpose of the application must be clearly defined in UI/UX design. This ensures that the design is suitable for usability. Prototype design is also of great importance in this process. High-fidelity prototypes better meet user needs and make it easier to receive feedback during the design process.
Darejeh and Singh state that UI design principles based on user needs help solve intuitive problems related to various user groups. A study by Kamoun and Halaweh examined five HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) structures (Content, Context, Connection, Commerce, and Communication) that positively impact e-commerce security perception and found that these structures are effective in improving usability quality.
Role of User Involvement
User involvement plays a vital role in UI/UX design. Designs based on users' needs increase software usability. Survey results by Nor and Muhlberger and Setiadi and Setiaji show that user feedback has a significant impact on UI/UX. According to User Acceptance Testing (UAT) results, the majority of users accept the design, and the design can be further improved based on feedback.
Laily and Rokhmawati's research shows that solution design helps users complete their tasks faster and more efficiently. This underscores the importance of improving design based on user feedback. Shadiq and Susanto state that user feedback is critical at every stage of design and that updates based on user needs increase usability.
User involvement means users actively participate and provide feedback during and after the development process of a product or service. Users' direct involvement in the design, development, and improvement processes significantly impacts the usability and user experience of the product.
The role of user involvement can be summarized as follows:
- Providing Feedback: Users provide valuable information by sharing their experiences and expectations regarding the product. This feedback offers important clues to improve the product's usability and user experience.
- Identifying Needs: Users help determine the requirements of the product based on their needs and expectations. This ensures that the product is designed in a user-centered manner and developed according to needs.
- Product Testing: Users test product prototypes and beta versions, evaluating the product's performance and usability in real usage scenarios. These tests are essential for identifying design flaws and errors.
- Loyalty and Commitment: Users become more loyal and committed to the product when they see that their feedback is considered during the development process. This increases long-term user satisfaction and brand loyalty.
- Innovation and Invention: Users contribute to the development of the product with innovative features by expressing their different needs and demands. This keeps the product competitive and up-to-date.
Perceptions of Evaluators and Heuristic Evaluation
To improve the usability of an application or software, the perceptions of expert evaluators are needed. Othman and Mahudin's research shows that expert users are better at identifying intuitive problems compared to novice users. As Nielsen and Molich state, heuristic evaluation should not be conducted by a single expert; more evaluators improve the results.
Evaluator perceptions are typically examined using research methods such as usability testing, observation, and user feedback. Here are some methods used to understand evaluator perceptions:
- Usability Testing: Used to observe real users' interactions with the product while performing specific tasks. This test identifies how users feel about the product, how they perceive it, and where they encounter difficulties.
- Observation: Used to observe users
in real-time interactions with the product and analyze specific behaviors. This method considers users' natural behaviors and reactions to gather information about the product's usability.
- User Feedback: Allows users to directly share their experiences and thoughts about the product. This feedback can be collected through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or during user tests.
Heuristic Evaluation is crucial for improving the usability of an application or software. Omar Mohamed and Yusoff state that critical issues are identified during heuristic evaluation, which plays a significant role in determining overall usability levels. Dias and De Mattos Fortes’ study on the HEUA method shows that simple tools can be used to identify usability and accessibility issues and compare systems.
Prasetyaningtias and Muslimah Az-Zahra’s research indicates that heuristic evaluation is an effective method for identifying problems and solving these issues. This method plays a critical role in enhancing the usability of an application or software.
In this method, an experienced evaluator or a group of experts analyzes the product using specific design principles or heuristic guides and identifies usability issues. The steps of the Heuristic Evaluation method are outlined below:
- Identifying Heuristics: The first step is to determine the heuristic criteria to be used for evaluation. These criteria are typically based on usability experts or design principles mentioned in the literature. For example, Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics is a commonly used set of heuristic criteria.
- Planning the Evaluation Process: The evaluation process is planned, deciding which heuristic criteria will be used and arranging an appropriate time and place for the evaluation.
- Evaluating the Product: The evaluator or evaluation team examines the product in detail based on the determined heuristic criteria. Different sections and functionalities of the product are evaluated one by one to check their compliance with each criterion.
- Identifying Usability Issues: The evaluator identifies usability issues encountered in each part or functionality of the product. These issues can be mismatches with heuristic criteria, difficulties users face, or flawed design decisions.
- Prioritizing Issues: Identified usability issues are prioritized. This helps determine which issues are urgent and important. Prioritization typically considers factors like the impact, frequency, difficulty of resolution, and the effect on the user experience.
- Creating an Evaluation Report: The results of the evaluation process are documented in a report. This report includes the identified usability issues, their priorities, and recommended solutions. Additionally, the report may contain general recommendations and advice to improve the user experience.
Conclusion
Based on findings in the literature, the fundamental factors to consider for good UI/UX design are:
- Design Principles: Clearly defining the purpose of the application and creating high-fidelity prototypes.
- User Involvement: Continuously improving the design based on user feedback.
- Evaluator Perceptions: Using expert evaluations and heuristic evaluation methods.
Considering these factors, developers and designers can solve intuitive issues in UI/UX design based on users' needs and improve software usability. Heuristic Evaluation, especially when conducted by expert evaluators, has been proven effective in identifying and improving usability issues.
Good UI/UX design enhances user experience by prioritizing user needs and increases the success of the software. Therefore, the importance of user involvement and expert evaluations should not be overlooked.
By considering these factors, Virgosol offers UI/UX tests using user-centered approaches and heuristic evaluation methods. This helps optimize software usability and user experience, increasing customer satisfaction and software success.
Author: Fatih M. HARMANCI
