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User-centered design has been at the core of web design for a while now. That’s because people are quite vocal about what they want and expect from websites, applications, and even video games. Many people aren’t necessarily tech-savvy, so they expect sites and applications to cater to them with that and mind.
Not only do people want easily usable sites, but they also want them to look and feel great. While coding is a big part of that, user-centered design relies on many other important disciplines and steps.
Follow along as we explore everything that goes into user-centered design and how it affects your online experience.
5 Core Tech Disciplines Essential to User-Centered Design
Even someone without a degree in computer science can easily tell when a website doesn’t cater to their needs and feels inaccessible. Today, people are used to sites and applications made by multidisciplinary design teams who value the user. User-centered design relies on many important tech disciplines, including:
1. Determine User Needs
Entering the design phase without thinking about the user is a huge mistake. The key to user-centered design is to get as much information about your desired user base as possible. This can include conducting surveys, soliciting user recommendations, and sourcing available data.
It’s also important to look at the competition and single out some examples of user-centered designs. Carefully examine the user interface and site speed to get an idea of your competitor’s design philosophy. It’s also a great idea to read or solicit feedback about successful sites and platforms to see how people feel about them.
This can help you understand how users feel about their design choices, which can inform your designs. The research phase can take a while, but it’s much better than aimlessly rushing into the design phase. Don’t hesitate to interview as many people as you want and conduct hundreds of surveys if that’s what it takes. There is no golden rule.
2. Create a Research-Informed Design
Once you have an idea of what will be best for users, you can start the design phase. Designs based on user preferences and recommendations have the potential to reach and satisfy a large audience. This part of the process may make things take longer, but it’s essential if you’re focused on users.
It’s also important to keep this up throughout the different stages of development. For example, you can create an initial design, then have a small pool of users test it and offer feedback. It may take some troubleshooting, but it’s better to do it that way than to launch a website, get bad feedback, and overhaul it.
The more you implement user research, the more easily you can develop a site that caters to them. That includes everything from the user interface to the systems the site or application utilizes.
3. Front-End Development
Today, users expect websites, applications, and social media platforms to grab them right away. After all, people can spend their time on countless other sites and platforms. However, strong front-end development is essential to set the tone for users and keep them engaged.
Front-end development refers to the technical side of everything that users see when they visit websites and applications. Usability is key, as most people are accustomed to using smooth, consistent websites that run well. Everything from mobile phone optimization and site speed to how many pop-up windows appear must be addressed.
Front-end development is an iterative process, as developers and programmers must continually update it. Users change, and so too do the trends and things that people expect from online experiences. Design isn’t always linear, so there’s nothing wrong with going back and forth between steps throughout the process.
4. Support the Front End With Ironclad Backend Development
None of your team’s research and hard work will pay off if the backend isn’t as airtight as the front end. Backend development involves creating and managing robust servers and managing data effectively. This is more than just coding, however, as you must support the design philosophy that you set out to achieve.
In user-centered design, that means turning this philosophy into something functional that supports the user experience. For example, this includes optimizing systems to feel as responsive as possible. If the system doesn’t support requests, users won’t feel catered to or satisfied.
Naturally, the whole team must communicate and work together to ensure the backend meets the needs of the front-end development. Collaboration is key, and creating a cohesive experience is essential to a strong user-centered design.
5. Continual Testing, Iteration, and Updates
A design team’s work doesn’t end the day they launch a website or application. If anything, that’s where the next chapter begins, and the nature of their work changes. Now, you can get real-time feedback and data from a wide range of users outside of your research pool and team.
This stage will show you how reliable your systems and servers are, and how users respond to them. It’s easy to panic when bugs and glitches appear shortly after release, but that’s normal. The key is to react quickly and fix them to show users that you care about their experience.
Once stable, the team can continually monitor the data and see how users respond to all their hard work. While it may seem like it never ends at first, this is the most rewarding part of the process. Post-launch maintenance and development take a special type of discipline, and it’s key to user-centered design.
User-Centered Design Is the Present and Future
It’s hard to achieve a great user-centered design without a talented, multidisciplinary design team. No single person can easily handle all stages of development, so assembling a versatile team is essential. Each step, from the research and design to front-end development, relies on hardworking, talented individuals.
Today, you can’t get away with a website that doesn’t cater to a smooth user experience. People are accustomed to impressive sites and apps that guide them and make everything clear. The payoff is well worth it when users get to enjoy a smooth, streamlined, accessible experience that reflects well on the team.
