11 UX design principles you need to know

Here are the top 11 UX principles that we at Designway think are very important for a new or aspiring UX designer to know:

1. Meet the needs of both the client and the user

The name UX or User Experience itself makes it clear that your work would need to center on improving your users’ experience with the product or service while giving the client what he wants. So getting outside of your head and engaging with the user for some user research is an important step in the design process.

2. Less is more

Originally proposed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the “Less is More” concept emphasizes simplicity. The hallmark of a great user interface is simplicity and consistency. The most striking example of this approach is Apple’s website as well as its products. In this context, simplicity would mean ease of understanding and interaction with the design.

3. The different stages of design

Most designers are familiar with the concept of “design thinking” as a UX process. This process has five stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. you’ll need to use different tools for each of these phases. Knowing your design phase also helps you ask the right questions for user research.

4. Be clear with the hierarchy of the content

There are two important hierarchies that you need to know about:

• Primary hierarchy, which is associated with how content or information is organized throughout the design. This includes the navigation bar and the main sections.
• Visual hierarchy, which allows users to navigate easily within a page or section.

Therefore, to create an easy-flowing design for users, you need to place the important content prominently.

5. Keep accessibility in mind

Accessible design allows users of all abilities to navigate, understand, and use the product successfully. Your product needs to be accessible to users of all abilities, including those with low vision, blindness, hearing impairments, cognitive impairments, or motor impairments. Like using contrasting text in the background to help visually impaired users read more easily.

6. Usability

No matter how aesthetically pleasing your work may be, it won’t make a difference to the user unless it solves a problem, is safe and easy to use. Conduct usability tests throughout the UX design process, including before you start your initial design, during the prototyping phases, and at the end of the process.

7. Reduce cognitive load

Don’t overwhelm users with too much information. A 2015 study conducted by Microsoft found that the average human attention span is 8 seconds. Hence, designers need to adjust to keep this behavior pattern in mind. The goal is to get people the information they need as quickly as possible.

8. Power of typography

The typography you use impacts the way users interpret the overall theme and enhance the message. Moreover, typography can improve UX in multiple ways by improving accessibility and making the design more user-friendly. Typography has to be such that it makes the content more readable.

9. Confirm the facts

Accidents happen all the time. One common example is a person unintentionally deleting a file. You should strive to either eliminate error-prone conditions or check for them and notify users before they commit to the action. This makes confirmation another one of the essential UX design principles.

10. Put the user in control

User control focuses on more flexibility and control to the user within a design or product, to enhance the user experience. For example, the “undo” button saves a user from making an unintended action, and the “upward” icon on a web page allows you to get to the top of the page with a single click.

11. Use Comprehensive vocabulary

Using a simple vocabulary makes the site easy for everyone to read. Simple vocabulary doesn't necessarily mean ‘dumbing down, rather it is communicating your message clearly. For example, use labels that suggest the outcome, making it easier for the user to understand what would be the result of the action.