The Architect of the Digital World
A UX Designer, which stands for User Experience Designer, is responsible for making the use of digital products like apps or websites as pleasant and easy as possible for people. You can think of this work like that of an architect for the digital world. While an architect plans how rooms in a house should be arranged so that residents can find their way intuitively, the UX designer plans the structure of an application. The goal is always for the user to reach their objective—whether it is buying a product or finding information—without frustration and without having to think too much.
Analyzing Human Needs
The entire work process does not begin with drawing, but with understanding. A UX designer spends a lot of time precisely analyzing the target group. They conduct interviews, observe people using technology, and find out where they encounter problems. In this phase, they act primarily as a researcher and psychologist who wants to understand the needs and fears of the users. Only when it is clear which problem needs to be solved does the actual conceptual phase begin, in which the logical processes are determined.
Creating Digital Blueprints
Once the strategy is set, the designer creates the first rough blueprints, which are called wireframes in technical terms. These drafts do not yet contain colors, logos, or beautiful images, but consist only of simple boxes and lines. This has the advantage that one can focus entirely on usability without being distracted by the visuals. It is purely about the question of whether the arrangement of buttons and text makes sense. In this phase, a UX designer ensures that the most important functions are always easily accessible and that the navigation is logically structured.
Testing Ideas Through Practical Application
Another crucial part of the work is testing. Before a program is actually programmed by software developers, the UX designer builds a clickable model, a so-called prototype. They put this prototype into the hands of real test subjects and observe exactly where they hesitate or make mistakes. these findings flow directly back into improving the design. This cycle of designing, testing, and improving guarantees in the end that the finished product actually works in reality and not just in the designer’s theory.
The Important Distinction from Visual Design
Although UX design is often confused with the look of an app, it differs significantly from purely visual UI design. While UI design determines whether a button is blue or green or which font is used, UX design takes care of why that button is there in the first place and what happens when you press it. In their daily work, the UX designer acts as a bridge between the wishes of the customers, the technical possibilities of the programmers, and the actual needs of the users. They ensure that technology remains accessible and understandable for everyone.
What makes a good UX designer?
A good UX designer primarily needs empathy. They must be able to put themselves in the customer’s shoes to understand their needs. They ensure that apps and websites are easy and pleasant to use.
In addition, they need a lot of expertise in these areas:
- User experience (UX): How does the use feel?
- User interface (UI): What does everything look like?
- Responsive Design: Does the site work on the phone?
- Search engines (SEO): Will the page be found on Google?