Zero Experience Design
“Design is not just what it looks like… Design is how it works” — Steve Jobs.
The man was right!
While UI design is how the software looks, UX design is how the software works.
The main goal of UX here is to create an experience that works smoothly for specific purposes and make sure the software is simple, intuitive, and fulfills the user’s needs.
When done right, the ideal thing is something that works really well but you don't even notice it.
🤔 Dan, please explain...
Here, folks:
Think about when you need to travel from point A to point B (the task). You choose a way to get there, like a taxi car 🚕. The car is a thing. The experience inside the car, like how comfortable the seats are and communication with a driver, as well as things outside like road noise and traffic rules, and, of course, the way you order a taxi 📱 (Uber app — is also a thing) all together make up the experience of using things to complete the task.
When we make things, we should try to make them as close to perfect as possible, for example, by improving stuff like noise reduction, and autopilot, making the inside comfortable, and the application more intuitive and easy to use.
In this case, the perfect thing would be if you could teleport instantly to your destination point without even experiencing anything. Thus, having LESS experience/interaction (!).
AND THAT’S THE MAIN BEAUTY OF UX. As a UX designer I genuinely believe that the best interaction is no interaction at all.
But what does it have to do with a digital UX?…
Conclusion
Let's break it down! Here’re some examples where you can remove interaction for users:
- No repetition: Don't ask users to type the same stuff again. If they've already said their name, make the system remember it and don't ask them to type it again.
- Smart guesses: Instead of asking everything, try to guess some things based on the situation. E.g. suggest the most popular email providers for the email inputs so the users don’t type it themselves. ("@gmail.com," "@yahoo.com").
- Right place, right time: Show information that makes sense at the moment. If it's morning, show breakfast options, not the beer menu. Match the user's needs! 🍻
- Learn from the past: Pay attention to what users have done before. If they've ordered a taxi to the same restaurant multiple times, make that choice easily accessible.
By following these simple ideas in your UX design, you can cut down on extra steps for users, making their experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Cheers 🎩
