What is User Experience?

User Experience is how a person feels when interacting with a system. This includes a mobile application, a website, desktop software, and basically any form of human/device interaction.
While it is still important for a product to function, experience has also become extremely relevant: the better the experience you’re offering, the more likely customers will choose you over your competitors: UX can be a differentiator in a crowded marketplace.

Why is UX design so important?
UX design is all about creating extremely user-friendly interfaces that can enhance users’ satisfaction and usability.
UX design is important because it tries to fulfill the users’ needs: any UX designer building interfaces should, first of all, shape work on users’ needs and perceptions: what type of person will visit the website/app? What will they expect? How to make their experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible?
UX design aims to provide positive experiences that keep a user loyal to the product or brand. Additionally, a meaningful user experience allows to define customer journeys on the products that are most conducive to business success.

How do you define a great experience?
User experience is different for everyone. We cannot assume what a user wants.
Getting close to users, talking to them, watching them use your product, getting inside their heads and questioning yourself about the decisions they make. You learn a lot from your users and customers, so pay attention! Listen, observe and question.

Methods of the UX Design process:

Here are some basic steps to start the user experience project:

  1. Kick-Off
  2. Stakeholders’ Workshop
  3. User Research
  4. Analytics
  5. User Persona
  6. User Journey Mapping
  7. Site Map

Best practices in website user experience?

Many aspects matter in website user experience. Here is a selection of the top 5:

  • Navigation through the site must be fast and logical.
  • Update contents frequently. Nothing is worse than finding out outdated info.
  • Mobile optimization is mandatory. The migration from desktop to mobile is going fast and not all websites are keeping up.
  • Use images. All text websites are boring and ineffective.
  • Test. Every now and then you should test your website. Make A/B tests, or use heat maps but make sure you’re keeping the user and their needs at the core.