What a Brand Designer Learned about Usability
“When you hear ‘someone might want this’ you know you’re about to hear a really bad design decision.” — Alan Cooper
I’ve taken many paths as a designer in the print industry, most notably as a screen-printer running a studio creating my own tangible products, and recently joined Creative Market’s design team as a brand designer. It’s been an amazing opportunity to work for a company where we help inspire, support, and connect designers all around the world. This was also my first experience working alongside a team of passionate product designers. I’ll be the first to admit that at times terminology went over my head, Google became my go-to resource for all things UX, and I’d review meeting notes like I was prepping for the SAT.
During this time I asked myself a number of questions. When our team had meetings or discussions about projects I’d often think, “How can I create and deliver a great brand experience alongside the user experience? What value can I bring not only to the brand team but the product team as well? And most importantly, how can I give critical constructive feedback for our product team with my limited UX knowledge?”
Many times in our career we’re given a chance to learn from each other and grow. I’ve always known that communication is one of the key components for an effective team. I decided to reach out to my coworkers and ask the questions that had been holding me back. What I got was a list of resources they suggested to help me along my path. So it meant it was time to roll up my sleeves, gather my list of UX books, and start chuggin’ some coffee. Sometimes it was a beer, but I like to look professional.
There are dozens of valuable lessons I learned during my UX adventures and what follows are a few key points I found particularly valuable showing the intersection of UX and brand design.
My Favorite Question, “What else can we add?”
And a horrible one at that.
I have fallen prey to this question many times before. That urge to add visuals everywhere that my design starts to make the Louvre look like Swedish minimalism in comparison.
Cue a gaudy bedazzled toilet…
Hyperbole, yes…but I hope I painted a picture at how overzealous I can be for over-the-top design. I’ve improved by asking a better question, “Do we need it?”
There is a great quote in Eric Reiss’s book “Usable Usability” that reminded me to always ask this question. In his book he mentions that Alan Cooper (who many view as a pioneer in our industry) once said, “When you hear ‘someone might want this’ you know you’re about to hear a really bad design decision.” I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve said this before. If I don’t have a reason to add or change something then it’s best to leave it be. If it communicates what we need it to then we have accomplished our goal. When you add or change variables you might introduce a new set of problems for your user. And we definitely don’t want that.
“Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince
Visual Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy is important when giving a voice and tone to a brand’s visual system. Our goal is to provide our users with a consistent & unique experience so they become comfortable with our product. What I didn’t realize until now was our responsibility to help guide, remind, and alert the user throughout their online experience. This is something that UX designers constantly do on a daily basis.
What if everything you designed had the same level of emphasis and your user doesn’t know which way to go? All of your visuals are competing for the same attention. The subtle cues that help guide your user aren’t being delivered. Instead they get distracted or frustrated and leave your website with a bad taste in their mouth.
When a visual is in place to deliver a comforting mood you want it to cohesively work with the navigation or the product. If the user continues along their journey through the site without their attention diverted then you have done your job. Achieving this uninterrupted flow is the goal. If there are important steps the user needs to take or a reminder they need to see then a visual can be used to bring attention to this, but it needs to stand out as well as be in balance with the entirety of the product. If everything is consistently loud or consistently subdued then the user may not pay attention to the important message you want delivered.
Home Away from Home
One other important takeaway I learned was how and when visuals are utilized outside the product. In our day and age we are bombarded with information online at a greater rate than ever before and as a result people tend to skim information. By now we know that UX makes information easily digestible for the user and helps guide the experience on that brands website.
But what happens when that brand finds itself at the mercy of an entirely different platform like social media? They have no control over the experience. Only providing a single image they hope will convey their message to the user who’s attention is already being fought over by many other brands. How does a brand get heard through the multitude of other voices trying to do the same thing? This is were I believe brand designers truly shine.
It is our responsibility to help drive and steer the message through imagery. By using the principles of usability, the visuals we create help users focus on the message and guide them to a call-to-action. When all you have is one image to get your entire message across you need to understand the user’s tendencies so as not to be overlooked. A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, a thousand clicks.
Pshh, Usability is my Middle Name
No…not by a long shot.
I still have a lot to learn but I feel more knowledgeable and without a doubt this lets me contribute more to my team.
Even as we slowly move into specialties within design there is still the million dollar question we all seek to ask, “What are we trying to communicate?” This experience has opened me up to what I could apply from other areas in design that could have a profoundly positive effect in my work. As the saying goes…you never stop learning.
We’re always looking for amazing people to join the Creative Market team. We value our culture as much as we value our mission. So if helping creators turn passion into opportunity sounds like something you’d love to do with a group of folks who feel the same way, then check out our job openings and apply today!
