Have you ever come across a website that made you wonder, who designed this, and what were they thinking?. We’ve all been there—clunky navigation and way too many buttons that don’t seem to do anything.
That’s why adopting a user-centered design approach is so important. Whether you’re building a simple app or creating an eCommerce website with Wix Studio design tools, putting users first is a must.
We’ll break down the core principles of user-centered design and share practical tips to help you create digital products that people enjoy using.
What is user-centered design?
In user-centered design (UCD), you prioritize user goals, needs and challenges to create products that work for them. Instead of guessing what they want, you actively involve them in the process to make sure every design decision aligns with their expectations.
This approach doesn’t just apply to websites or apps. It’s also crucial in metaverse design, where creating immersive virtual experiences relies heavily on understanding how users interact in a digital world.
Benefits of user-centered design
Some of the benefits of a user-centered design process include:
Higher return on investment (ROI)
When users can easily navigate your website or app, they’re more likely to stick around and convert into loyal customers. That means more revenue for you.
Plus, fixing usability issues after launch is way more expensive than getting it right the first time. A little investment in user research and testing upfront pays off in the long run.
Project risk reduction
When you put users at the center of your UX process, you’re not assuming what they want—you’re creating something that actually solves their problems. This significantly reduces the risk of launching a product that flops because it’s out of touch with users’ needs.
Enhanced user experience
User-centric designs make sure every touchpoint is tailored to user expectations. So, people won’t have to guess where to click—they’ll just “get it.”
Reduced support costs
A well-designed product means fewer frustrated users and fewer support tickets, emails and calls clogging up your support and design teams’ time. Plus, your staff can focus on solving bigger issues instead of answering the same “How do I...?” questions over and over.
Competitive advantage
A user-centered design can set you apart from competitors. By being the brand that gets it right, you become the standout option. People will notice, and they’ll choose you.
User-centered design principles
By now, you already know that at the heart of every successful UX design strategy is a focus on the user. Let’s look at five key principles you should implement to create a user-centric design for your app or website.
01. Empathy
Empathy is stepping into users’ shoes and understanding what they want. It requires you to put your opinions aside because what works for you might not work for them. And that’s okay since this process is all about them.
For example, let’s say your client wants to design a fitness app. They might love detailed workout charts and think, Yeah, everyone’s gonna love this.
Then, you chat with target users, and it turns out all those details stress people out. They want something simple, like a tracker that focuses on their goals and keeps things easy and motivating. Knowing that, you can put your preferences aside and build something that works for them.
While this might seem easy, it’s not. Only 62% of senior executives can put themselves in their customers’ shoes, according to Forrester, a global market research company. This is why empathy is such a crucial skill. Understanding what your users want is what makes the difference between “meh” and “amazing.”
02. Usability
Usability is creating designs that people can navigate without getting stuck. If users need to stop and think, how does this work?, you’re doing something wrong.
Take a food delivery app, for example. If customers can’t find the menu, add items to their cart or check out in a few taps, they’ll probably give up and look elsewhere.
The goal is to make sure your design works well without anyone having to overthink it.
03. User feedback
Regular feedback from users helps you find out what’s working, what’s not and what could be better—straight from the people using your product. That way, you know what to focus on, what to fix and which changes will make a difference for your users.
04. Iteration
Great designs rarely happen overnight. Instead, they’re built step by step, with each version getting better than the last. That’s what an iterative design process is all about: testing things out, getting feedback, making improvements and doing it all over again until it works.
05. Collaboration
Collaboration is the driving force that brings user-centered design to fruition. When designers, developers, marketers and stakeholders work together, everyone stays aligned on what matters most: meeting user needs while achieving business goals.
How to be more user-centered in your designs
01. Conduct user research
As mentioned, if you want your design solutions to work for users, you’ve got to understand them first. And that means doing user research. Research gives you valuable insights into how people interact with your product, what they want and what they struggle with.
When you put effort into understanding your users, the results speak for themselves. A study by Maze, a user research platform, shows that regularly doing research boosts product usability by 85%, customer satisfaction by 58% and customer engagement by 44%.
With that in mind, here are some effective ways to research your users:
Conduct one-on-one interviews. Sit down (or hop on a video call) with users and ask open-ended questions about their experiences, their challenges and what they wish could be better.
Do ethnographic studies. Watch how real users interact with your product in their natural environment: at work, at home or anywhere else. Pay attention to their behavior and frustrations.
Send out surveys. Create surveys that ask users about their preferences and expectations to identify trends or common pain points across your user base.
Analyze existing data. Numbers don’t lie. Look at your analytics to see what’s happening under the hood. Which features are people using most? Which ones are confusing? Combine this with your interviews and surveys to get the full picture.
Run usability tests. Ask users to test a high-fidelity prototype while you observe. Watch how they navigate the design, fumble through tricky spots or get excited when something works.
02. Create a detailed user persona
The next step is to create a user persona. This detailed profile of your target audience helps you understand whom you’re designing for and what they care about.
To create an effective persona, start with the research you’ve already done. Look for patterns in interviews, surveys or analytics. What challenges keep popping up? What are users trying to achieve?
Once you’ve got that figured out, make it specific. Focus on details like what their daily struggles look like and what they’re hoping to get from your product.
But don’t stop there. Add a photo and name to make your persona feel more real. It’s way easier to design for “Samantha—a busy small business owner juggling 10 things at once” than for “User Group A.”
03. Involve users early and often
Don’t design for your users in isolation; design with them. By inviting their input early and often, you’ll uncover insights you never would’ve thought of on your own, and you’ll end up with designs that eventually work for them.
Here’s how you can engage users during the design process:
Use co-creation workshops. Get users in the room—literally or virtually—and brainstorm together. Hand out sticky notes, sketching tools or a blank canvas and let them share ideas.
Host prototyping sessions. Don’t wait until everything’s polished to share your ideas. Show users rough drafts and sketches and see how they respond to them. Ask them what works and what doesn’t so you can improve your design before investing too much time and energy.
Have regular check-ins. Involve a small group of users throughout the project as your “design advisors.” Think of them as part of your team—they can give you honest feedback and keep you on track when you’re tempted to overcomplicate things.
Make usability testing conversational. When testing your designs, let users talk through what they’re doing and why. Their reactions—both good and bad—can help you spot what’s working and what you need to change.
Set up feedback channels. Even after launch, don’t close the door on your users. Add an easy way for them to share feedback, like a simple button or a quick survey. You can even host community chats to hear what they think.
04. Design for simplicity
People don’t want to spend time figuring out how something works. They want it to feel natural and effortless. If your design feels cluttered or hard to use, you’re putting up roadblocks. And, let’s face it, no one has time for that. So, if something doesn’t serve a purpose, let it go.
You can borrow tricks from flat design to keep your website layout easy to follow. Simple icons and straightforward typography can help users find what they need without a hassle. A clean black and white design can also communicate your message without all the extras.
Remember, if people need to stop and think about what to do, the design isn’t simple enough. Show your designs to someone and see how quickly they can figure things out. If they hesitate, tweak your designs to make the experience more intuitive.
Sign up for Wix Studio and create your next great site today.
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