Understanding UX design: a definition for novices

L'UX designor User Experience in French, is a key concept in the world of web development and the creation of applications.

This discipline encompasses all the stages involved in designing digital products and focuses on the quality of interaction between users and the product.

What exactly is UX design?

Design process : The ultimate goal of UX design is to make users' lives easier by making applications and websites as accessible and pleasant to use as possible.
Methodical and iterative : The iterative approach used by UX designers encourages continuous testing and adjustment of interfaces to improve usability and user satisfaction.
Human-centred : The philosophy at the heart of UX design is to always keep the end user in mind right from the start of the design process.

The main stages in UX design

1. User search

To ensure that the final product is truly adapted to users' needs, an in-depth analysis must be carried out beforehand. This can involve various methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, etc. This phase enables data to be gathered on the needs, expectations and possible frustrations of the target users.

2. Defining the target audience

The information gathered during user research is crucial in determining the precise profile of users who will be targeted by the product. This stage is important because it will guide all subsequent design decisions.

3. Developing user scenarios

Using data from the user search, the designers UX are capable of creating user scenarios. These are short stories that describe how a typical user might interact with the product. These scenarios are particularly useful for anticipating certain errors or obstacles that users might encounter.

4. Creating prototypes

Once the scenarios have been sketched out, the next step is to develop prototypes, taking into account feedback from the target users. Prototypes can be of various kinds: simple sketches, interactive mock-ups, etc. Their main purpose is to validate the concepts envisaged and to highlight any changes that need to be made before the product is launched.

5. User testing

User testing is an essential part of the UX design process. They enable usability, ergonomics and overall satisfaction with the product to be assessed. To do this, the UX designer can use a number of methods, such as A/B testing, focus groups or analysis of navigation data.

The skills of a UX designer

To master UX design, you need a certain number of cross-disciplinary skills and knowledge. Of course, each UX designer has his or her own specificities and areas of expertise, but certain skills are common to most professionals:

Analysis and problem solving : UX designers must be able to quickly identify the problems that users may face and find creative solutions to resolve them.
Communication : Creating a fluid, user-friendly experience requires constant communication between the various project stakeholders: developers, customers, experts content, etc.
Cognitive psychology : To design intuitive interfaces, it is essential to understand how the user's memory, attention, perception and other cognitive processes work.
Graphic design : While the UX designer's primary role is not to create spectacular visuals, they must nevertheless have a solid understanding of composition, typographycolour or iconography.
Proficiency in prototyping and wireframing tools: UX designers need to master a range of software and tools to create interactive prototypes and wireframes representing the product's architecture.

The importance of UI design in UX design

Le user interface design (UI designfor User Interface Design), is an integral part of UX design.

It focuses on the visual creation of product interfaces to optimise interaction between users and the system.

UI designers are responsible for arranging the graphic elements, colours, fonts and animations used in the interfaces.

The aesthetics and clarity of the designs have a direct influence on the overall user experience.

In short, UX design is a multidisciplinary process combining cognitive psychology, user research, scenario design, prototyping and testing to create relevant, effective and enjoyable user experiences.

The skills of a UX designer are not limited to purely technical aspects, but also include a deep understanding of the target audience and their needs.