Cecilia recently attended a user experience (UX) course, all about the future of web design. The course focused on the importance of research and user understanding, which underly all our website projects. Cecilia reported back to us with everything she found – here are the highlights.
At the heart of it all
Understand your user, and especially why and how they’re accessing your website.
Web users of today are vastly different to those who accessed your site 5 years ago. Just think about it – the iPhone 7 was released in 2016 and most people had an iPhone 5 or 6. Since then, technology and digital capability has exploded including smart phone functionality. Now more than 50% of people use mobile phones for all online activity and online behaviours have changed with the technology.
Today, the best websites answer what a user needs to understand intuitively. The user and their needs are at the centre of the design process.
Conversation led
Websites are no longer online shopfronts for displaying goods and services. Rather, they’re an interactive conversation with a potential client. They both tell a story and solve a problem.
In an age of web robots and AI, users expect websites to respond to them, often in real time. It’s not a matter of redirecting your client elsewhere but changing your web strategy to make all web interactions as smooth as possible. Which means the website of 5-10 years ago won’t cut it today, because the user expects a different online experience.
Best practice is to create a digital product with a sturdy foundation that can be evolved to meet the changing needs of your user. When was the last time you asked your clients (or better yet, your potential clients) what they need from your website? Why are they online, how can your site better meet their needs?
