Published on | Prototyping: From UX to Front End — Medium Avery Phillips

What is intuitive to you may not be intuitive to me. However, there are some things that we both will agree on intuitively — such as not putting your hand on a hot burner of a stove. Intuitive web design is, in more complicated terms, the same way. Meaning that what is intuitive for you, may not be intuitive for users.

There are some things that you and your users can agree upon as intuitive, however. Let’s take a look at how you can design a more intuitive interface for users to find easy to use.

Market Research

One of the most self-evident ways for intuitive design is to do some research. Simply asking users what they think of your design, implementing what you would like users to gain from your site, and understanding how users got to your site in the first place is all invaluable knowledge you can use to make the necessary adjustments for a more intuitive feel for users.

A/B Testing

Knowing precisely what users like or don’t like about your design seems like the most logical first step to take when conducting research, so why not ask them? A/B testing can clarify some imperative knowledge, as the user is telling you exactly their experience — or, as Optimizely explains the benefits of mobile A/B testing, “A/B testing allows you to determine with statistical confidence what the impact of changes you make to your app will have, and measure exactly how much that impact will be.” This statistical confidence will allow you make adjustments to usability, accessibility, usefulness, and any other element of UX — providing a more intuitive UI/UX.

Current Knowledge vs. Target Knowledge

You don’t want to over-complicate your design with tasks users already know, and at the same time, you can over complicate your design with tasks that users don’t know — or don’t need. This leads to unnecessary steps in completing tasks for you and users. So, an intuitive design becomes finding a way to bridge the gap between what the user already knows about your interface (current knowledge) and what you want the user to get from your design to be able to perform the tasks they want.

In other words, you know that members of your audience will always be able to grasp universal concepts of an interface. However, say your interface requires different tasks outside of this norm; it’s your job to train your user, with the lowest degree of necessary instruction, how to navigate your site and perform the tasks you both want done. Additionally, it’s important to know your audience enough to anticipate what they already know, as well as tasks they wouldn’t or couldn’t do. If someone couldn’t open a door, why would you make it harder and put a lock on it?

SEO

You want people to be able to find your website, right? Ease of finding your site not only adds to UX but adds to your traffic as well. Optimize your content and homepage so users and potential customers can find it when they search Google. SEO content also allows for you to rank for the keywords you want to rank for. This can give you the insight to know what customers think of your site, what keywords they search your site by, as well as manage how you want your interface is perceived.

Design

Now that you understand what users want from your interface, what they think it is, and how you can get them to perform all necessary tasks efficiently, it’s time to actually design the site.

Information Architecture

You want users to be able not only to read, but scan information quickly and in a way that is intuitively organized. The outline, map, or blueprint of the content of your website can make or break your visitor bounce rate in a matter of seconds. Aspects of informational architecture include how you organize your interface, how sections are categorized, and how hard it is for users to navigate your site. Needless to say, it’s in your best interest to make it as easy and intuitive as possible to funnel your audience in the direction they need to go. You’ll want to keep in mind aesthetic elements such as visual hierarchy, page-scanning arrangement, and typography when you’re prototyping and sketching as well.

Simplicity

Simplicity in your design is incredibly popular — to the point of minimalist sites increasingly popping up. A simple interface loads faster, appears sleeker, and is easier to code and maintain. It’s no wonder UI/UX design professionals are leaning toward minimalist interfaces. Not to mention, simpler UX is easier for users to scan and navigate as well. You can start with getting rid of any unnecessary components of any part of your design, such as steps in the navigation process that aren’t essential. This can be information provided through market research to help illuminate redundant or unnecessary elements, as well as just a thorough audit of your site — including code. Anything to increase easiness can be seen by the user as intuitive, as the stress of them performing tasks on your site is diminished with simplicity. Check out how simple a recent example of Aribnb’s homepage:

It is important to remember that intuitive user experience and user interface design — to a certain degree — are subjective terms. What may be intuitive or preferable to one user may not be a priority to the next. There are, however, some things that most users tend to find universally a good experience, or more intuitive. For instance, page-scanning patterns are as intuitive as not putting your hand on a hot stove burner, so make sure to understand and include universally accepted UX/UI elements while assessing your audience. Knowing that intuition is not a blanket statement; the information above will get you started on figuring out what design elements are intuitive for your audience.

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Intuitive Web Design for Optimal UX was originally published in Prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Intuitive Web Design for Optimal UX

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