The user experience or UX is a relatively new discipline that is usually classified within the field of design and which It focuses on understanding a target audience of users: what they need, what they value and what their limitations are.
From this very general definition, we can infer that user experience is a multifaceted field that goes beyond design, since It also draws on psychology, ergonomics, analytics, project management and other seemingly unrelated disciplines.
That is also why User experience is divided into several areas: UX design, UX writing or content design, UX research, and customer experience (CX).
So, a few UX best practices They help to enhance the quality of user interactions, as well as users’ perceptions of the company’s products and services.
How did UX emerge as a discipline?
We must look back to the 20th century to find the seed that gave rise to the user experience as a discipline in its own right. Specifically, we need to look back at the industrial landscape of factories and heavy machinery, such as car manufacturing plants.
Just as the workers’ production tools and workflows began to be optimised To boost productivity, UX first saw the light of day.
Ultimately, the aim of these improvements is to make work tools and procedures easier to use, thereby enhancing the ergonomic experience for workers when using these tools and preventing workplace accidents, occupational illnesses and a poor working environment in general.
However, the term “user experience” as such first appeared in the book The Design of Everyday Things (The Design of Everyday Things) by psychologist Donald Norman, a must-read for anyone interested in the subject.
Characteristics of a good user experience
In the end, UX is about users finding value in what is presented to them on a screen. Therefore, the characteristics of a well-thought-out and effective UX that delivers significant value must be:
- Useful: The content must be original and meet a genuine need.
- Usable: The website or app must be intuitive to use.
- Desirable: The interface should be appealing to the user, reflect the brand’s identity and evoke positive emotions.
- Navigable: Users must be able to navigate to any part of the website and find exactly what they are looking for with ease.
- Accessible: Users with disabilities must be taken into account.
- Credible: The claim It must be clear and appealing.
Examples of good UX practice
We could not define exactly what user experience entails without illustrating it with specific best practices that a website or application must adhere to in order to be usable:
Minimising cognitive load
In other words, reducing the mental effort required of the user by simplifying the amount of information and options presented to them at any given time. To achieve this, complex tasks should be broken down into smaller steps, and the user should not be overwhelmed with too many options.
Responsive design and responsive
When Let’s talk about design responsive By this we mean that the interface adapts to different screen sizes and devices, making the website or app usable on both desktop computers and mobile devices.
Clear feedback
In a effective UX design, the user must always be clear about where they are coming from and where they are going. It is essential to provide the user with instant feedback after each action, using confirmation messages, animations or visual cues to indicate that an action has been completed successfully.
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