Yes what?

You've probably already heard someone around you talk about UX (user experience) or even UI design (user interface). Although these terms are often used, they are now often victims of the current trend. Does it seem better in a conversation to say “We changed the location of this call to action in order to improve the user experience” or “We changed the location of this button because it's common sense, people read from left to right”. Today, it seems more professional to talk about user experience than common sense, but what is it really like?

First of all, you should know that these terms appeared following the complexity of the web and the rise in importance of the mobile platform. UX is not new; it is even present in all areas of our lives, whether it's for a doorknob, a bottle of ketchup or the route we follow at the airport. If you have ever gotten lost in a building due to a lack of directions or because some posters were not in the right place, you have had a poor user experience. The same goes for your website, application, or software.

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Who is in charge of the UX/UI?

In recent years, we have seen the roles of UX Designer and UI Designer appear in the field. Most Web Designers are in fact now UX/UI Designers, but some companies, due to their size and/or the division of their departments, hire people who specialize in one or the other. Although sometimes treated separately, these two specialties are part of a global approach that consists in improving the design and organization of an online platform, and therefore in making users want to come back to your site.

Improving the user interface (UI) is one of the steps in the journey to follow for an optimal improvement of the user experience (UX) of your platform. It will make navigation easier and more intuitive by working on the fluidity of the animations, the visibility of the elements and the efficiency of the design.

As mentioned earlier, user experience (UX) at its core starts with common sense. On the other hand, if you take the time to do it correctly and with the right tools, there are ways to better measure the factors that will improve the simplicity, speed, and intuitiveness of navigation, and therefore the conversion of users on your platform. Which brings us to the next question...

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How much does it cost?

In today's competitive digital environment, user experience matters. UX used to be a luxury and an added expense. Now, good UX is the key to success. Without UX, you run the risk of decreasing sales, decreasing efficiency, increasing training and development costs, and being outperformed by competitors.

The user interface (UI) is generally the UX element that is most often optimized. Being the visible part, people tend to mistakenly believe that a spectacular and unusual design will solve all their problems. Although the aesthetic side of your website should not be overlooked, it is important not to forget the hidden part of the iceberg: scientific data. A carefully designed interface, but informed by research and validated by data, will further improve the conversion of your users. Commitment is key, and that's where a strong visual will serve you.

If you're working solely on design intuition, you're missing the opportunity to compile data that will help you understand what users want and what will determine their behavior. By establishing concrete metrics and criteria, you can also develop a plan and improve your website, application, or software iteratively over time. We recommend using research, analysis, and testing to validate that your user interface (UI) will meet your goals.

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Research

It's crucial to know who your users are and what challenges they face. Compiling data will allow you to make informed design decisions.

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Analysis

A better understanding of the competition is key. The data generated will allow you to make better decisions in terms of design and functionality.

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Tests

The tests will allow you to observe users interacting with your site and to compare their browsing habits with the typical path you had planned in order to achieve your goals.

For these reasons, among many others, the importance of science is clear. The visual style will capture the interest of a user and generate engagement, but science will validate that the decisions made at the level of visual design respect the goals and objectives of your business, and not only your taste in terms of visuals.

Now how much does that cost? That was our original question. As you might expect, there are several factors to consider and a multitude of tools and techniques available to achieve your goals. It is therefore impossible to define a price without evaluating your needs and goals. Here is the background and the opportunities offered to you at Walter:

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1. Understand

Knowing where you're coming from and where you want to go is crucial so that the next steps fit together. You can think of this step as the foundation of your website.

• What is your business model?
• What are the goals of your business?
• What functionalities are required?
• What are your technological constraints?
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2. Research & Analyze

User-centered design starts with setting goals and goals. It provides the foundation for strategy, design, content, and information architecture. Business priorities often overlook the reality of user needs. What works and matters to users is not always what works for us. At the research stage, we help you discover the gaps in your knowledge at this level and align your assumptions with real user expectations. We help you identify a strategy that meets both user needs and business goals. Our analytical approach focuses on finding strategic information in order to better understand the reactions and interactions of your customers with your platform. Based on the time and resources available, we choose the research methods that work best for you.

— Development of personas
A tool that will help you better understand a subset of users. The persona takes similar user attributes and associates them with the description of a single target group. It brings out details about the attitudes, behaviors, pain points, preferences, lifestyles, and motivations of this user group.

— Competition analysis
The process of comparing a product to other similar products on the market allows us to better understand the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, brand strategy and user experience of products that are already available.

— Conversion rate analysis
“Convert” doesn't mean just making a sale. Having a good conversion rate can represent all sorts of measurable things. Unless you clearly define what you want as a “conversion,” you won't be able to reach your goal.

— Surveys
It is possible to create a survey that will be sent to your target audience to get feedback, ask questions about the overall experience, and get information about the effectiveness of the features. It is an economical way for designers to obtain information, even if it will not be thorough enough compared to that obtained through user testing.

— Analysis of pain points
Sometimes a problem can create frustration or inefficiency in user navigation. In the early stages of our research, we will be able to uncover these problems by asking users what solutions they are currently using in order to meet their needs. The current solution may not be entirely adequate for the user to achieve their goals, or it may be unpleasant to execute, or it may take far too long. By obtaining this information, designers therefore have the opportunity to correct course by improving the product.

— Focus Group
Bringing together a group of people allows us to ask questions and have discussions that will allow us to find common ground in people's experiences and attitudes towards your product.

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3. Tester

Based on the goals set at the beginning of the UX process, we help you establish the appropriate key performance indicators. Walter can organize user test sessions and perform detailed analysis to turn data into actionable design improvements. We use a variety of methods to gather user feedback, from remote user testing to one-on-one sessions. We will help you choose the ones that are right for you and that are best for the participants. We love surprises and are always open to any discoveries that can help us improve your platform.

— Filter users (Screener)
A set of questions asked to research participants about potential users to ensure that they are part of the target audience. This selection helps to maximize research budgets and control the quality of results by ensuring that only qualified respondents are allowed to participate in the study.

— 5-second test
A quick exposure of 5 seconds allows us to see what users remember first about your product.

— Trust test
During the 5-second test, the user is asked how they perceive the credibility of the page, and whether they feel confident enough on the site to make purchases or provide personal information.

— Usability test
A test that involves observing user interactions with the interface to see how easily they can complete tasks, if they have problems with the interface, and if users have problems that designers would not have anticipated.

— Error analysis
An error made by a user during a usability test, accidental or not, allows us to notice a problem with the interface design. We also pay particular attention to users who click on non-clickable items, who are looking for functionality in the wrong place, who are entering the wrong type of information into a text field, and any other mistakes that point to potential improvement that needs to be made.

— Thinking aloud (Think Aloud)
A test method where users think out loud when using a system. This allows us to learn more about what people think when figuring out how to navigate a new interface.

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4. Structuring

Ensuring that the visual structure and presentation of information on a platform is intuitive and in line with user expectations is one of the foundations in optimizing the user experience. We ensure that the right information is presented in the right way, in the right place, and at the right time. Wire models will help you visualize data structures and represent user interface functionalities. They allow for effective communication between team members and, more importantly, they allow for rapid testing of workflows, navigation, and overall data structure.

— Information architecture and hierarchy
Creating or adjusting your tree structure is a good starting point in order to properly structure your site for optimal navigation. Ideally, the hierarchy of your information should correspond to your goals, so that the most important information is the one that will be most visible on the page.

— Creation of workflows
This step helps us to list the different paths that will be taken through the application, software, or website. It starts at the point of entry and follows the intermediate stages of the process until it is completed.

— Wire models (Wireframes)
Our team will provide you with a preliminary visualization of the interface layout. This step does not contain fonts, colors, or text and focuses only on the relationship between the various objects on the page. The purpose of wire models is to explore how the structure of the site will be worked out, without being distracted by visual details that are irrelevant at the moment.

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5. Designer & Programmer

The visual appeal of your product has a huge impact on users. While the information architecture of a product is important, it does not facilitate engagement in and of itself. We use user-centered design to produce a consistent, predictable, and desirable effect on the target audience. By targeting users at a deeper and more emotional level, we make the user experience more enjoyable. The change in experience is achieved by eliciting in the user an emotional response related to their actions and achievements. One of the main goals of UX design is to add context to the natural behavior of users and in doing so, to provide them with a story that they can learn from the experience. We also ensure that your product is part of your brand's unified entity and is presented with the required level of integrity.

Backed by years of experience, we ease your burden by ensuring that your platform looks and feels exactly like the approved visuals and has been properly tested on the various screens. By using the latest technology, we ensure that the design is translated into a functional code. We code strictly in accordance with current standards and assist you with more complex “back-end” integrations.

— Creation of a mood board (Moodboard)
Look for visual inspirations (such as fonts, colors, or images) that capture the emotional response a brand or site should elicit. In the early stages of design strategy, the mood board can help set the tone for all design choices made during the mock-up and prototyping stages.

— Creation of models
A design tool for pinning the final graphical elements of an interface. Instead of focusing on functionality, a mockup describes how the interface looks.

— Demo
The demo that will be provided to you is a preliminary version of your platform that allows us to test the functionalities and make some small adjustments before it is put online.

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6. Test & Improve Continuously

Although we have previously done tests and analyses in order to optimize your site as much as possible, you should know that the optimization of a website never ends. In order to always be one step ahead of your competitors, you will need to stay on the lookout for new trends and the evolution of your users. Our customers who understood that continuous improvement was the key, are the ones who get the best returns on their investment.

— A/B testing
It's about showing users one of the two versions of the same page and determining which one scores better in terms of metrics, such as conversions or click-through rates. Pages typically include a change to a single feature, such as color, text, or the location of a button.

What value can an investment in UX bring you?

A high level of user satisfaction will ensure your business growth and sustainability. You will be able to achieve this goal by creating a high quality product. Start improving your reputation by investing in UX today.

At the end of the day, a good user experience leads to:

• Improved performance — Products that work better
• Increase in exposure — Better products and good word of mouth marketing
• Enhanced credibility — More interest and trust in the brand, therefore a low bounce rate
• Long-term decreases in design and development costs — More economical initial investment of time/money
• Increase in sales — Improved conversion
• Reduction in training and errors — More productivity and efficiency for users

We recommend investing in UX, both on the scientific and aesthetic side, in order to create products that will charm users. Calculating the ROI of UX is a good place to start convincing your partners that it's worth it.Want to know more? Do not hesitate to communicate with us to speak with an expert.