UI design.UI design is the process of designing the interface that users interact with, focusing on the look, feel, and usability of a product or communication. It’s about creating visually appealing, consistent, and intuitive layouts that enhance the overall user experience.
UI design works hand-in-hand with UX to ensure that digital products are not only functional but also enjoyable to use. Keep reading for some of the processes I get involved in when designing the interface. |
Information architectureBy mapping out the site in this way helps define the user’s journey through the website, ensuring that navigation is logical and intuitive.
A well-planned site map makes sure that users can access the right information quickly and logically, reducing the risk of frustration and cognitive load. Not only for user experience, but this planning is crucial within the project to help transparency for the stakeholders and clarity and direction for the build team. |
User journey mapsMapping out specific journeys enables us to focus from the user’s perspective, allowing the design process to centre around their needs, expectations, and identify pain points.
By walking through the entire journey a user takes to accomplish a specific goal, you can identify where the design should support their actions and improve their experience. This ensures that every design decision is made with the user in mind. |
Design systemsBuilding a design system into your project offers numerous advantages, from ensuring consistency and improving collaboration, to enhancing scalability and accessibility.
A design system enables me to craft a versatile design guideline which accelerates the whole process, reduces design debt, and makes it easier to maintain and update the website over time. By providing a unified framework, a design system enables teams to create user-friendly, visually coherent, and scalable websites while staying true to brand identity. |
Design for buildI really enjoy getting into the detail of the interface development. Interpreting the brand direction into assets for digital pages and preparing them for the development team. Identifying the patterns in the components, nailing down final design decisions and setting the guidelines for future development.
The collaboration with the development team at this detailed stage of a project often digs up further technical issues and design problems that need solving, which I find particularly rewarding. |
AccessibilityI will always endeavour to produce solutions that are built to the highest standard of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) possible within the scope of a project.
For this reason you will hear me talk about avoiding certain colour combinations, limiting line length or ensuring certain content is duplicated in another format. My aim is to produce an inclusive solution that is informative for all and allows them to use it to the fullest. |