When people hear attractive design, many think of busy designs that use a lot of animation. But they do not ask themselves: as a user, would I actually use a platform (a website or mobile app) built in this design? Perhaps they do ask the question, but because it is their own product they arrive at the answer “of course”. It is worth considering: would someone with no prior knowledge of this product be able to use it on first encounter?
In this article we will try to answer these questions together and talk about the stages of creating a design that meets our clients' requirements and that they can use comfortably.
How do you create a user-friendly design?
According to research, as time goes on people find designs that are aesthetically simple, whose subject is direct and easy to understand, and which are comfortable to use, far more attractive. In addition, the platform loading quickly and moving between screens quickly (whether a website or a mobile app) also affects users' decisions.
It is no surprise, then, that in recent years designers who take these preferences into account have shifted towards minimalist design. However, it should be noted that minimalism does not mean “easy design”. On the contrary, this concept sometimes becomes a major challenge for designers.
Minimal design means removing every function that does not serve the platform's direct purpose. After that, the platform emerges simply as a tool that performs its necessary function. That is why certain points deserve particular attention when creating a minimal design.
- It must convey the message clearly
Before creating a website or mobile app, you must define its functionality and the message it will convey. Here you should adopt a goal in line with your brand's activity and choose a message that suits it. At the design stage, you must not stray from that goal.
Let us say you are building a website to sell one of your products. In that case, the moment a user enters the site they should see that product and move to the purchase page with a single click. If a user has to spend seconds hunting for the button to the purchase page after entering the site, you will most likely lose that user.
- Distracting elements must be kept to a minimum
The distracting elements we mean here are pop-up ads, unnecessary images and information, and so on. You must evaluate your platform's design and remove every element there that falls outside the purpose.
The best method to use at this stage is the 80-20 rule. According to this rule, 80% of your users will use only 20% of your platform. That is why refining that existing 20% of features, rather than adding new ones, will please your users.
- The number of choices must be reduced
One of the most important steps towards user-friendly design is keeping the number of choices low. For users, more choices mean more time spent, which sometimes results in them making no choice at all.
It is always best to create a design on your website or mobile app that serves the purpose, lets the user finish their task in the shortest time and reach the result in a few clicks.
- Colour order and layout
In minimalist design, as in every type of design, the main sections should be more emphasised. The chosen colours and layout must be pleasing to the eye. People always misunderstand this and think that in minimalist design the sections must be black and white or that only muted colours should be used. On the contrary, creating a beautiful combination with vivid colours leads users to feel better when they enter the platform and to stay there longer.
Another key topic is producing an elegant design through the correct use of white space. Buttons and pieces of information placed close together always confuse users' thinking and create difficulty for them.
- Users must be listened to
The most important point is that you must gather your users' opinions and make design changes based on what they say. To do this you must stay in constant contact with them, track their actions on your platform using dedicated tools and collect data.
If you do not give the person you are trying to sell your product to what they want, they are not obliged to stay. Sometimes we assume we know best and avoid changes. But we must not forget that “the customer is always right”. Simply convince people that your platform is what they want.
“If you want to build a boat, do not try to make people cut wood, send everyone chasing after tasks, or hand out orders left and right. It is enough to teach people to feel the beauty of the vast, endless sea.” –Leland Bell
If this topic matters for your business, take a look at NS Studio’s branding and logo design and website development services, and continue with “The role of colors in sales psychology”.
