UX, you know you need it for your project, but you don’t know exactly what it is? Follow the guide!

UX means User eXperience.

The goal of UX, with its sweet little name, is to ensure an experience, even the most minimal, is as pleasant as possible. So whether it’s on a site or an application, or even while shopping or taking public transport, UX is everywhere:

• On a site, we make sure that the user has the right information at the right time.
• On an application, the user must not encounter any blockages regarding the action he wishes to perform
• During shopping, we do not put flour with vegetables for example and the cheapest products are often at the bottom of the shelves
• In public transport, it is necessary to correctly place the stops in order to properly serve the public space, while ensuring a good distribution of schedules.

Other examples can of course be found, but let’s go into a little more detail on the “operation” and how a good experience can be set up.

The user, at the center of all projects

At O’Matic, we make it a point of honor to offer end users the best experience.

This is why we start each project by asking you the awkward question: Who are you targeting? If you answer “Hmm… a bit everyone from 18 to 118 years old”, we will immediately guide you in order to find the target that suits you. We don’t talk to a digital native like we do to a boomer.

That’s why we do user research. Our goal is to understand the real needs of your users, the context of use of your product, to be as open as possible to help them understand what you are offering them.

Healthy foundations for a project that holds

A project is like a house, if you start with the roof, it will be more difficult… Much more difficult…

Based on healthy, well-thought-out foundations, it is possible to create projects of different sizes and with various needs. So whether your project is a single-storey house or a building, the foundations are the beginning of success!

We do what we call information architecture at this stage: we articulate the information, namely your content, so that it is as optimal as possible.

For example, if we take the example of our house, it is strange to enter through the bedroom. It is not impossible, but it is not the most practical or usual.

Habits to take and retake

The user, during his use of digital technology, whether on a computer or a smartphone, acquires his own habits. If something goes against his habits, he will be asked to make an additional effort in order to perform the action he wants.

That is the whole game of ergonomics!

To illustrate, let’s take the fact of pressing a button. This button, depending on where it is located, can be used for several things: placing an order, registering, visiting a page, sending a message, etc.

That is why when a designer designs the design, he thinks about several points:

• Does the button look like a button correctly?
• Is it well located?
• Is it understandable?

By answering these questions, the UX designer will be able to ensure that this button will meet the expectations of the previously targeted users.

Accessibility has become crucial these days to allow people with disabilities to access digital technology to perform tasks that are difficult or even impossible for them.

Ah… tastes and colors!

Once the experience part is “finished”, comes the “interface” part, the UI, namely everything that is visual. Visual design plays a very important role in the user experience, because it is the one that will be in direct contact with the user.

Thus, the interface must not only be pleasant and enjoyable for users, but must also respect ergonomics and accessibility criteria. To allow the user to navigate as they wish without encountering any discomfort, it is essential to correctly dose the choice of colors, text sizes, the hierarchy of elements and many other elements.

Of course, the visual design must remain in line with your brand identity! If your image is more in green tones, related to ecology, we will not put red on it which will rather have a connotation of error or danger.

To infinity and beyond!

Once the design of the project is conceived by the designer then validated by you, your baby enters the hands of the developer who will make sure to respect what has been agreed to satisfy the user.

User satisfaction will also and ABOVE ALL depend on the speed of the site or application. If the loading time is too long, the user will quickly lose patience. This is why on the web, the recommended loading time for a page should not exceed 2 or even 3 seconds.

The developer will ensure that they comply with current web standards (they will not develop with a language that is obsolete for some or most users) and accessibility.Le développeur s’assurera de respecter les standards actuels du web (il ne va pas développer avec un langage obsolète pour une partie ou la majorité des utilisateurs) et de l’accessibilité.

One for all and all for one!

UX is the business of the entire team, whether it is the client, the designer or the developer. This is why, at O’Matic, we work hand in hand between designer and developer. We ensure that everything is achievable on time to satisfy you and your end users.

If you need UX support, do not hesitate to contact us at undesign@o-matic.ch or on our contact page!