Modern-day businesses are very dynamic and fast-paced. Hence it becomes important for them to create new avenues to generate revenue, enhance brand identity and keep the customer engaged. These days, the average attention span of the human brain is 8 seconds. Businesses that connect to potential customers in the digital domain have to make an impression on them within this duration. What can they do the best to capture their attention? How can they improve their digital experience? How can they provide the best user experience?

UI and UX are the commonly used terms in digital design platforms. UI stands for User Interface whereas UX denotes User Experience. These elements are crucial for a product and they go hand in hand in creating an elevated digital experience. A well developed UI/UX can make or break a product.

In this regard, a business can follow the following tips to create an improved digital experience for a user:

Know your user

It always helps to know the general characteristics of your customer base. These include the age group, region, individual shopping history. These can be incorporated into the design element for a better experience

Keep it simple

A cluttered place tends to confuse the audience, and that is not the goal. Moderation is the key. Keep the design layout, colour scheme, graphics and text visually appealing. You can use tools like Xcode to set up a uniform colour palette. Avoid redundant elements

Clarity

Don’t keep the customer guessing your product. Your design must convey what your business/product is all about. It should help the user understand the real value of what is being offered. Ensure to articulate and guide the experience to follow a natural pattern or instinct.

Flexibility

The best experience would come when the design is visually appealing, and most importantly works for interactions on all touchpoints. Focus on a design that functions perfectly in all formats, utilizing solid topography across multiple device resolutions like a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Boosting digital experience with visual hierarchy

The concept of the visual hierarchy has been applied in design much before the Internet came into the forefront. Visual Hierarchy determines the order in which people view and process the information put out, regardless of whether digital or print. The main purpose of defining a clear visual hierarchy is to guide the user towards the content or actions of importance. 

When in print, the onus would be more on the caption of a heading of the advertisement. Whereas, in the digital product, it is more of a branding message or a call to action.

Visual hierarchy is an exceptional way of creating an orderly and purposeful customer experience while striving to improve the chances of achieving a strategic outcome. So here are few steps UX designers can follow to achieve a clear sense of visual hierarchy in digital products and give the users an amazing experience.

Defining Brand Objectives and UX:

There are various methods through which product teams define specific goals for each section of the products. One tried and tested technique of shaping the definition of UX goals is “S.M.A.R.T”, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Trackable. 

Brand objectives are also equally important as these reflect the goals of a business. 

A collaborative visual hierarchy workshop is the most effective way of documenting the UX and brand objectives of various phases of the customer’s journey.

Ranking Actions and Content:

After setting the UX and brand objectives, it is time to define the appropriate visual hierarchy. This refers to the content, each piece of the action, and documentation of design. When designers start getting acquainted with taking visual hierarchy into account while designing, it opens up possibilities and adds real depth to user interfaces.

Building Visual Hierarchy into the Design:

The third step is laying out the necessary templates and deciding upon the placement of highly ranked elements. Multiple variations may be needed to cater to a range of scenarios and it all must be created at this stage to ensure that nothing is overlooked.

Benefits of Visual hierarchy

Introducing a visual hierarchy workflow into the design process is sure to result in a great user experience. It can be woven into every element of a brand’s imagery, composition and tone. The deeper the design, the more appealing it appears to the customers and the more focused the experience is bound to be. It is evident that a clear visual hierarchy is not only beneficial to boost UX but also creates a sustainable workflow that provides the design process with a strategic focus, which is very crucial in today’s modern product design environment

Conclusion

A successful product is a true reflection of an organization, of its values, mission, and vision. As the product gains feedback, it drives a desire to innovate and make it better. AI, webchat and augmented conversation play a major role in making designs more sophisticated and they strike a winning chord for customers and businesses.