User interface design is the process of designing the frontend of an application, website etc. with prime focus on the user experience and interaction with the application / website. A good user interface design enables the user to complete a task without unnecessary distractions. Use of appropriate graphics design and typography enables designers to create highly usable user interfaces. It should be a perfect balance between the technical functionalities and visual elements that go into the making of attractive, yet user friendly interfaces.
Here is a brief process that will help understand the design process for user interfaces:
Functionality and Requirement gathering
It is crucial to understand what the core functionalities required by the project are. Understand the aim of the application and make a list of functionalities that are required by the project. Secondly, understand the requirements of the users and the potential needs of the users while using the applications. This will give you a clear idea of what to include in the interface design.
Users and Tasks analysis
This is the process by which the research is done to evaluate what must be included in the interface from a user workflow perspective. The logical flow of the interaction of a user with the interface is chalked out and then the various elements of the design are placed logically. The user’s technical aptitude and taste in terms of creative design is also researched on.
Information Architecture
The hierarchy of the pages and the information flow from one page to another is studied and the interface is then designed with the detailed logic in mind. Wireframes and prototypes are created to get an initial idea of how the final design would look like.
Usability Inspection
Inspecting the interface is an important part of the design process. This can be used early in the development process and designers need not wait for the development cycle to complete. Some methods of usability inspection are cognitive walkthrough, heuristic evaluation and pluralistic walkthrough.
Usability Testing
This is the process where in an actual user uses a prototype of the product and tests it for its features and functionalities. This helps the designer understand the design from the viewer’s perspective and make improvements if need be based on the feedback they receive from the users.
This phase includes the actual designing of the interface after evaluating inputs from all the previous stages of the process.
By following all the above stages stringently, designers will be able to create flawless and highly successful applications. Any problems that are seen at any of the above phases can be rectified and the design can be perfected at every stage of the process to create attractive and user friendly user interfaces.
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