A Comprehensive Guide to UX Redesign
When you need to redesign the UX of your app, website, or blog, it’s essential to do things in the proper order. The process of redesigning may seem daunting at first. Still, starting with a clear goal and carefully planning each step can be relatively simple.
Why Do I Need To Conduct A UX Redesign?
Conducting a UX redesign is vital for several reasons. Here are a few:
- The user experience needs to be improved. It’s crucial to perform a UX redesign when you see that your site is getting outdated.
- Another reason is if your competitors have introduced new features that would be beneficial when integrated into your platform.
- When Analytics data shows reduced product usage because of issues with the user experience and poor navigation flow, it’s time for an update.
- Designing for additional devices like mobiles or when the company has updated its brand can also be why conducting a UX redesign could be beneficial.
UX Redesign Process
Clearly define the problem
Defining the problem before you start is an excellent way to keep a clear focus during the redesign process. This will often stem from why you want to redesign your UX in the first place.
This should be easy, as user feedback and analytics data can show you where the problems lie in your current design. Suppose you need more technical know-how to understand how UX affects your business. In that case, you can rely on UX design consultancy or design agencies to help in this regard.
Hire a UX design agency
Hiring a UX design consultant will guarantee that your redesign process is successful. To do this, you can rely on UX design consultancy and agencies. If you are planning on redesigning your website or mobile app, there are several important considerations:
- The UX agency should be able to understand the business goals and user needs and translate those into actionable steps.
- A UX designer should be able to communicate effectively with your team, who will implement the design changes.
- A UX agency should be able to think creatively about how people will interact with your product or service.
Perform competitive analysis
You need to conduct a competitive analysis by looking at your competitors to see what they are doing for their users. This gives you an idea of the current trend and whether you need to catch up. The goal is to replicate this in a better form on your platform.
You can also look at your users and see what they want, so you can create an experience that meets their needs. If the data shows that an innovative solution is working well for one of your competitors, then use it as inspiration to create something similar with a twist.
Brainstorm solutions with your chosen design agency
In the context of UX redesign, brainstorming is an activity that takes place after a deep analysis of the problem. And one creative process that can help you generate ideas and solutions is brainstorming.
Only some of your ideas for a possible solution will be feasible, which is why talking with a consultant or agency can help. In the end, whatever solution you think will work best should help you solve the problem it aims to fix and not create a new one in the process. Also, your solution should reduce the user journey process and not add to it.
Prioritize features based on user needs
A UX design agency can quickly help you prioritize features along the UX redesign process. To prioritize features, the agency will often consider various aspects such as user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.
User needs are at the top of your priority list because they define what users want from your product or service. So, it’s important to know what users want before you start working on any new feature or functionality to improve usability or functionality.
Prototype solutions
The rule of UX redesign to keep in mind is to prototype early and test often. Why? Change is constant in the digital world, and whatever solutions you come up with can quickly become obsolete if you fail to act on them. Prototyping is critical in letting stakeholders see how things could look without spending too much time and money developing them.
Create a site map of the redesigned information architecture to give a clearer idea of the components needed for your product or service. Once you handle these top-level issues, it’s time to start wireframing and creating prototypes for the redesign.
Test your prototype solution with active users
Now that you have a rough prototype solution, it’s time to test it on real users. If you can experiment with users in person, that’s great; however, if not, there are other ways of getting feedback from active users. Take user surveys online, via email, or run beta tests with select people who already use your product.
Make sure all testers have enough experience using your previous UX to actively gauge whether there will be any usability problems with the redesign. Once this is done, begin testing prototypes for each feature being redesigned.
Implement solutions
Now that you have a working redesign, you will want to implement it as quickly as possible. Remember that users often hate change, so your new iterations might take time to catch on.
The first-time users who try your redesigned UX will need to learn the new design. This means they will look for buttons that are now missing or have been moved from their old location. And if you’ve added entirely new features, they might need to learn how to use them.
To help people learn how to use all those cool new features in your redesign, you can create guides and tutorials that walk through each one step by step. If necessary, provide feedback mechanisms like surveys or pop-up messages prompting them to rate their experience with particular features and let you know if they find them helpful or confusing.
Conclusion
As you can see, conducting a UX redesign can be complex, but a UX design agency can help you get it done in no time. As you’re redesigning, new patterns emerge, tools become more accessible to users, and the web changes.
For this reason, don’t expect to get it right first, and be ready to make mistakes along the way. But if you follow the guide above, you’ll be on the right track to creating a better user experience for your business.
Good luck!
