User Experience
One of the most important and detrimental aspects to consider when designing a website is UX (user experience). UX is all about grasping a good understanding of the user’s needs and what they look for when experiencing a product, in this case a website.
When you are visiting a website, there are a few things that can make your experience great or rubbish, without you even noticing. Because of this important fact, I’ve researched into what makes the best possible user experience.
In my opinion, a great website for example would be Missguided. Pictured below is a screenshot of what appears when you visit their website on your desktop.
From just a peep, we notice the vibrant colours and bold style of the website. I personally find the overall look of this page to be very eye-catching and appealing. It also brings a clear means of navigation; I know exactly where to click when wondering where to find something. If I hover my mouse over each category on the top menu bar, more detailed options drop down, which is very useful as it makes my overall user experience simplified and quicker.
Looking at Missguided’s homepage as a whole, its content is really engaging, thanks to their input of guides to new trends and other offers and discounts. The photography used on the web-page compliments the colour pallet and typography, creating a very upbeat and slick feel.
Pictured below are a variety of screenshots taken on a mobile device when viewing the website’s very own app.
If we compare the look of these screenshots to that of the desktops, we see similarities in colour and overall style. They have also included information on new and different looks, as well as bright and bold offers on the homepage. On the app they also have a WishList (pictured right) that users can use to save products they like but perhaps cannot afford. I really like this feature as it is thoughtful in terms of what users experience when on their app. They have thought about how their website will look on a number of devices and managed to make both look official and aesthetically pleasing. I think this is a vital aspect to consider when designing a website, as different user’s use different devices and it’s important to regard the experience of all possible users.
The Missguided app has five different bold icons to click on at the bottom of the page. The one I took most like to was their ‘Tinder’ take on swiping left to clothes you don’t like, and swiping right to clothes you do like. This is really effective in terms of letting the user know they care about their opinion, as it is ultimately feedback on each of their products, but in a stylish and witty way. It’s also a great way to interact with your users, as it’s molding a feature that they are most likely already interested in, as ‘Tinder’ is a very popular app among a younger audience.
It is also very important to take a company’s social media activity into account when contemplating their overall UX. They carry a theme of pink throughout all their online platforms as well as their wide and bold signature typeface. Their overall style is consistent and contributes massively to the overall usability of the company, as users become familiar and comfortable with them by the use of their many different media efforts, and therefore gain trust for the company.
Overall, I believe that Missguided is a great example of a well thought out site in terms of UX, as it fully engages with its users in a variety of ways. Its layout and design is very enjoyable for the eye and it can be easily endured when it comes to navigating your way round the site. It has lots of thoughtful features in both the desktop and mobile applications, further reaching out to a wider audience.
