When it comes to interfaces, a good design is not enough. It also needs to be functional and intuitive. The user has to enjoy their experience with the program and not struggle to figure out how everything works.
And that’s where UI/UX design comes into play. UI stands for user interface and UX is for user experience. Together, they represent a balance between an interface that is aesthetically pleasing and one users enjoy interacting with.
An effective and well-thought-out visual design can make a difference between a happy and dissatisfied client. When it comes to startups, they cannot afford to lose those precious first sales because of an MVP with an unoptimised UI UX app design.
Main benefits of UX/UI design for startups
Good UX/UI design makes users fall in love with and enjoy your products. But how does that directly benefit a startup??
- More conversions. In today’s tech savvy world, businesses compete against many similar offerings, making it hard to stand out and win clients. Top-level UX/UI design increases the chances of your startup being noticed and closing the deal.
- Stronger brand loyalty. Customers appreciate it when businesses make it easy for them. If your website or application is easy to use and all the information is readily available in logical places, customers are much more likely to stick to your brand and continue purchasing from you.
- Lower support expenses. Good visual design means clients can find and do everything they need on their own without your help. The fewer support requests you get, the lower your business expenses are, as you can keep a smaller team to accommodate all your clients’ needs.
- Higher chances of success. There are countless articles online talking about the high percent of startups that fail. Creating a user-centred design is one way to reduce that risk.
Key principles of UX/UI design
UX/UI design follows a set of principles that allow the creation of interfaces that users rave about. Let’s find out what those principles are.
#1 Focus on the user needs
User needs should be the cornerstone of everything that startups do, and interface design is no exception. To understand the needs of clients, it is important to conduct research and make tests to see what users really like and want.
It is important to distinguish the clients’ needs from what the production team prefers. Sometimes it means releasing a design the founders are not crazy about, but you’re not building an app for you internal team. You’re designing an app your target audience wants.
#2 Accessibility of the interface
Applications and programs that startups create will be used by very different people, including people with disabilities. There is no excuse to exclude anyone from experiencing your products. So one of the key principles of UX/UI design is inclusivity through accessibility.
#3 Clear hierarchy
One of the main goals of UI UX website design and application design is intuitivity. Users should have no problems navigating through the website or the application, finding all information they need, and quickly identifying the next steps.
Such streamlined experience is, in part, achieved with a clear hierarchy that organises the content logically. A consequent benefit of hierarchy is a user’s deeper dive into the site or app, meaning they spend more time with your solutions, strengthening the bond with your brand, and increasing sales likelihood.
#4 Consistency
We are not saying that experiments are bad, but a business, especially a startup, should not be making constant drastic changes to the interface. This can frustrate users as they can never catch up and become familiar with your solution. Once they are angry or annoyed, usersare likely to ditch your product and switch to an alternative.
#5 Less is more
Not every design needs to be strictly minimalist, but it is recommended to keep only the essentials on the web page or in the app. Allow users to easily locate the key information, and once they’ve done that, offer additional materials and content. In practice, it could mean a minimalist-like main page with key navigation leading to more content.
#6 Always prototyping and testing usability
Prototypes are drafts of your product’s interface that don’t require any coding or long-term commitment. It is perfect for exploring and trying out ideas before investing in development. Prototyping paired with usability tests helps startups collect comprehensive feedback quickly and incorporate it into the development process.
Outsource UI UX design services to Emphasoft
Trust us to create a premium digital experience for your clients.
The Emphasoft team has worked on more than 135+ projects over the past three years. We have partnered with many startups to help them with UX/UI design, MVP creation, mobile app development, and other services. Our team of 170+ technical professionals can begin working on your UX/UI design within three days.