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an introduction to UX design

20 Mar 2023

5 min read

UX design (or user experience design), is the process of designing user-centered products or services based on the needs and preferences of your users. UX design is about making your products and services functional, effective, and enjoyable. During our develop and deliver phase within our triple diamond design process, we focus on designing the user experience.  

Our service innovation team of UX designers works closely with our CX strategists and service designers to deliver the perfect user experience. An optimized user experience will enable you to start crafting the ideal customer experience for your customers, which our team of experienced designers can help you achieve. Investing in designing your user experience brings many benefits and value to your business, but what will it do to my business?

The UX design process begins with research to understand the client’s business, users, and project goals. This is followed by the creation of low-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes to get feedback from end-users and business, which informs iterations on the design. Then high-fidelity mock-ups are created in the visual design phase, including color palettes and other design elements. Finally, the development team builds the final product in collaboration with the UX designers to ensure that it meets design specifications. 

the value of designing your user experience

A great user experience can lead to many benefits to your business and create value for your customers. Hence why, UX design has huge impacts to nearly every modern business. Some benefits are invisible, but there are a few examples in which UX design creates value to our clients: 

  1. Enhanced user satisfaction and loyalty
    A good UX design ensures that users can navigate through a product or service quickly, easily, and efficiently. This positive experience leads to satisfied customers, who are more likely to become loyal customers. 
  1. Increased user engagement and conversion rates
    A well-designed UX can help to keep users engaged with a product or service. It guides them towards completing desired actions, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. This can lead to increased conversion rates and ultimately drive revenue for the business. 
  1. Improved usability and efficiency
    A UX design that prioritizes ease of use and efficiency can help users’ complete tasks more quickly and easily. This in turn can lead to increased productivity and a more positive experience overall. 
  1. Reduced development costs
    UX design can help to identify potential issues and areas for improvement early in the development process, which can reduce the need for costly changes later on. 
  1. Competitive advantage
    In today’s crowded marketplace, a well-designed UX can help businesses stand out from the competition and differentiate their products or services. 
  1. Increased customer retention and referrals
    A positive UX can lead to satisfied customers, who are more likely to return and recommend the product or service to others, which can drive further business growth.  

It’s clear that UX design can bring a range of benefits to your business. But what part does UX play in your customer experience

the impact of UX on customer experience

At Essense, we understand that UX design is just one part of the entire customer experience (CX). It’s important to understand how UX design and customer experience work together and influence each other. UX design is a critical component of CX because it focuses on designing interactions between the user and the product or service. The goal of UX design is to make the interaction as easy and enjoyable as possible for the user, which contributes to the overall CX. 

Therefore, we think it’s important to not only to focus on the UX experience of the product or service but also on how that experience fits within the broader CX strategy of the client. By considering the impact of UX on the overall CX, we can deliver a better end result that is not only user-friendly but also contributes to a positive and consistent CX. 

different types of UX deliverables

We offer a wide range of deliverables to help our clients achieve their design goals. A couple examples are:  

UX audit is a comprehensive analysis of a product or service’s user experience to identify areas for improvement. 
 
A user need overview is identified through research services, including user interviews, to ensure that designs meet user expectations.  
 
User flows visually represent the steps users take to interact with a product or service to identify pain points and improve the user experience. 
 
Lofi wireframes provide a visual representation of a product or service’s layout and structure, while prototypes allow users to test the interface before launch.  
 
Validation reports document user testing findings. Additionally, a design system defines the visual and functional elements of a product or service to ensure consistency and a polished user experience. 

Tools to design and deliver UX

We use various tools to provide effective UX design solutions to our clients. One of the essential tools we use is Figma, which is a collaborative design tool. This platform allows us to create high-fidelity designs quickly and efficiently while ensuring seamless collaboration among our team members. 

Miro is another essential tool that we use as a virtual whiteboard to facilitate workshops, brainstorming sessions, and ideation. With Miro, we can quickly gather ideas, document them, and create visual representations to support our design process. 

We also use TheyDo, which is a journey mapping and management tool. This platform helps us to manage and map the customer journeys of our clients. This is crucial in understanding the user experience and identifying areas for improvement. TheyDo allows us to collaborate with our clients and keep track of their progress throughout the design process. 

Overall, these tools help us to deliver effective UX design solutions by facilitating collaboration, documentation, and visual representation of our design process. 

getting started

Ready to improve your user experience? Contact us today to learn more about our UX design services and how we can help you create a seamless, intuitive, and enjoyable user experience for your customers. 

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