Communicating UX Design Principles through the Concepts of Architecture
How to adapt architectural foundations for everyday UX designers practice
Many people in our professional orbit often miss the depth of the UX design practice. There’s a misconception that our work is purely aesthetic — simply beautifying interfaces, adjusting colors, or crafting icons and that we are doing something that can be compared to art. What often goes unnoticed is what happens behind the scenes of design. The entire journey, from the early stages to the final visual interface, remains hidden but also underappreciated by those on the outside. For example, clients tend to desire a quick fix to an interface or a few tweaks without a full understanding of the implications, dependencies and amount of work involved.
Some years ago, I noticed that UX design shares many more parallels with architectural construction than with designing a poster or painting a picture. While I don’t come from an architectural background, I have a strong interest in it and am a big fan of beautiful and functional architecture. By drawing comparisons to the established practice of architecture and building, we can help clarify the steps of UX design to clients, managers, developers, and colleagues.
The foundations of classical architecture
Let’s start by revisiting the foundations of classical architecture set forth by Vitruvius, the renowned ancient Roman architect, in his work “De Architectura” which is still influential thousands of years later:
- Utility (Utilitas): Architecture needs to be functional and serve its intended purpose for its users.
- Durability (Firmatis): Architecture must be sturdy and remain in excellent condition over time.
- Beauty (Venustatis): Architecture should inspire joy and elevate the human experience.
If you replace “architecture” with “product”, these principles could very well apply to the development of robust and reliable software. So, how can we use architectural examples to demystify the UX design process? Here are five steps for creating sustainable product outcomes through design.
Step 1: Start with the big picture
Key principle of architecture: Utility (Utilitas)
Often product teams want to jump directly into the solution space without really understanding the big picture. But imagine if our homes, offices, and cities were built without planning — we’d be lost in a maze of mismatched rooms and disarray. This is precisely how users feel when navigating through poorly designed software. Just as architects wouldn’t begin a building by designing the doorknob, UX designers shouldn’t jump into designing a feature without a comprehensive understanding of the end result.
This is why we must start with the requirements. Just as an architect must determine whether they are designing an office skyscraper, a potential UNESCO World Heritage site, or a simple family home, similarly, a UX designer must thoroughly understand the project’s scope and audience to deliver an impactful solution. It’s crucial to know not just what to create, but also who it’s for and how it will be used. This depth of understanding gives the team better insight into the project’s scope and ensures that the final product connects with its intended users.
Step 2: Do your research
Key principle of architecture: Durability (Firmatis)
When initiating the building process, it is crucial to undertake thorough research, encompassing an analysis of structural requirements, material properties, and environmental considerations to ensure a resilient and sustainable architectural outcome. This principle is also crucial in the digital landscape. Devoting attention and resources to in-depth user research can contain future costs and result in products that truly meet user expectations. Research encompasses a triad of insights:
Understanding user needs
Understanding the specific needs of our target users is as fundamental in UX as it is in architecture. A family of five, for instance, presents different challenges and expectations compared to a big design agency. A clear understanding of the overarching needs and desires is fundamental to our strategy’s success. Engaging directly with our clients through initial interviews provides insights into their unique challenges and aspirations. Only after these conversations can we truly comprehend and cater to their actual requirements.
Context is king
Architects spend significant time understanding their environment to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages. The challenges of constructing a building in the dense urban landscape of Tokyo are very different from those of building at the heights of tranquil Swiss Alps or on an untouched meadow. Similarly, creating a brand-new app isn’t the same as crafting a feature to enhance a complex already-existing product. As UX designers, we need to look at the context of our designs just as critically. Careful consideration of dependencies and potential consequences is crucial to avoid oversight. The deeper our comprehension of the context, the more refined and effective our product will become.
Leveraging existing foundations
When working with historical buildings, planners approach them with reverence, aiming to enhance without erasing the past. Similarly, in UX, we must evaluate existing efforts to avoid duplicative work and create solutions that align with the established objectives. Ensure that efforts are not in vain by seeking out previous investments in your project topic and identifying teams who have faced or solved related challenges. In large organizations, the peril of duplicative work is significant, and working in isolation can result in outcomes misaligned with the overarching mission. Continuously reach out, converse with colleagues across the organization, and seek out opportunities for synergy. This approach is not only efficient but also helps to avoid unintentional missteps that can occur when we work in silos.
UX design requires extensive research, but it shouldn’t become an obstacle to progress. Overindulging in research can lead to analysis paralysis, delaying prototyping and experimentation. By striking a balance between research, prototyping, and experimentation, you can create user-centered designs that meet user needs and expectations.
Step 3: Take care of flow and use
Key principle of architecture: Utility (Utilitas)
Just as a well-designed building guides individuals through its space, offering clear pathways and intuitive transitions between different zones, a well-crafted user interface should facilitate a seamless journey across its landscape. These transitions are more than just movements; they can have profound impacts, at times bearing critical consequences. A designer must consider the user journey across an interface: the triggers for each action, the array of choices for advancing or retreating, and the underlying reasons why a journey might pause or end.
As UX designers, it is our duty to empower users with control. This empowerment not only smooths out the user experience but also builds and reinforces trust in the product. By ensuring a user can navigate confidently and retreat easily, when necessary, we craft a sense of security and reliability that enhances the overall experience.
Step 4: Model and test before you build
Key principles of architecture: Durability (Firmatis), Utility (Utilitas)
In architecture, models serve a dual purpose: they bring our visions to life, allowing us to visualize but also function as predictive instruments that evaluate the structural integrity and viability of our designs, all while capturing the user’s movement and interplay with light. By transforming abstract ideas into concrete, interactive forms, they offer immediate insights and can reveal solutions to problems that may not have been anticipated, all before committing to a final product. Similarly, in UX design, it is also important to start the design process with rough functional drafts and wireframes in order to better understand movement, flow, and interaction. This approach prevents us from getting bogged down in small details and keeps us focused on the big picture. Moreover, it is imperative to understand the software from the users’ perspective before diving into development. Engaging with users early via these models or pilots saves substantial time and financial resources, providing vital insights into user behavior, and thereby allowing for direct and timely adjustments to the design.
Step 5: Use patterns but stay flexible
Key principles of architecture: Utility (Utilitas), Beauty (Venustatis)
A harmonious design, much like a well-composed building, relies on a blend of consistency and variety. Leveraging a standard design framework and reusable elements is key for not only a cohesive appearance but also for efficiency. Design thrives on this balance of standardization and originality, where established patterns provide guidance but don’t constrain creativity. In design, unchecked creativity without a common thread can lead to ‘design debt’ and even more serious technical complications. In the same way, you wouldn’t use a hodgepodge of different styles of windows or materials when building a house. The whole thing wouldn’t work together, and it would be difficult to build in a modular and efficient way.
Crafting a precise style guide, a pattern library or a design system, is crucial to maintaining brand and product coherence. Adhering to it ensures visual harmony and respectful integration of both new and established components within the product’s design. Think of the design components as your building blocks — much like doors and windows in architecture, buttons and cards in UX should work together seamlessly in any layout while allowing for scalable and customizable use.
Approach the UX design process as you would architecture
Unlike the static construction of a building, constant iterations and new beginnings are possible in software development. Nevertheless, it is advisable to carry out certain tasks in a certain order and to resist the temptation to rush headlong into implementation, just as an architect wouldn’t start building without a detailed blueprint. The synergy between architectural methods and UX design offers rich insights. Employ these strategies to enhance communication, optimize workflow, and achieve outcomes that are advantageous for all stakeholders. As we continue to build, may we always remember that be it brick and mortar or bits and bytes, the principles of great design remain timeless.
Experience matters. Follow our journey as we transform the way we build products for enterprise on www.sap.com/design.
