BLOG POST 7
This week, I learned that UI (user interface) is about the visual design and things users click on, like buttons and icons. UX (user experience) is about the overall experience and how easy the product is to use. I now understand that both UI and UX work together to make a product look good and easy to use.
In the UX process, steps like Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test guide the design journey. Empathize means understanding what your users want and need. Define helps you clearly state the problem your users are facing. Ideate is where you brainstorm as many ideas as possible to solve that problem. Then, you create a prototype, which is a cost-efficient sample to test your best ideas. Test the product or solution with real users to see if it works. Alongside this, key deliverables include research, information architecture, wireframing, interaction & visual design, usability, and prototyping—all of which help shape a user-friendly and effective product. Another vital step in creating a blog is understanding the users through research to continuously improve the product after launch. These insights help create designs that are not only functional but also intuitive, enjoyable, and aligned with the needs of the target audience. UX is a never-complete process, as there is always room for improvement and refinement based on ongoing user feedback and evolving needs.
For my client’s blog project, some important UX steps were skipped, particularly research and brainstorming. Without fully understanding what users needed or exploring different ideas, the design didn’t meet UX standards. I also ran into limitations with the wireframe I created because I was required to honor the wireframe I sketched; as a result, there wasn’t much room to adjust or improve it.