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The terms User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) can be confusing. We’ve all used apps like Uber, Netflix, and AirBnB, but what was it about these platforms that convinced us to hop on board and has us always going back? Great UI/UX design can take an idea from conception to reality and grow your idea into a platform that millions of people use and love!
Here are a few examples of some companies that scaled almost solely based on improving their UI/UX design:
Before Netflix, we had Blockbuster. As much as we loved going to the store and rifling through the isles — not to mention arguing with our sister about which movie we were renting that weekend! — there were many factors customers didn’t enjoy about the Blockbuster experience.
For starters, rental fees of $5/movie, and oh my god, the late fees were stressful! So how do we convince people to be out with the old and in with the new?
Netflix’s online platform takes a detailed and thoughtful approach to the user experience. We all know the classic “tudum” sound and simple Netflix splash screen, it's when we look a little more carefully at the platform that we see how the designers had the users as their primary focus. For example, when you hover over a title, a short preview begins to play without having to click anything.
When you finish a program, right away they’ve made a suggestion for another watch. These are just a few examples of Netflix’s ability to understand its users’ needs and deliver solutions in a clear, easy-to-use, and enjoyable way. Each step of the design process should prompt the thought, “As a user, I’ve just finished this, what would I be most inclined to do next.”
Uber is another great example of a company that successfully “redesigned the wheel,” if you will.
Uber revolutionized the carsharing industry by incorporating small but powerful features that consumers felt were missing in other modes of transportation.
An interface was included where users could decide if they wanted to commit to a price before ordering the car, a concept not previously utilized by cab companies. Users can also view the car’s progress and proximity to the pickup and drop-off spots, as well as provide a place where the driver and passenger can communicate all within the app!
This isn’t an ad for Uber but features such as those do a great job of enhancing customer experience.
In this case, what makes Uber valuable over their competitor is as simple as creating a space where customers have an ease of process as well as an intuitive design that makes the app simple.
Notice how after ordering a ride, your home-screen changes to the map-tracking view as the new default. Imagine how frustrating it would be if that feature had to be accessed manually through another tab. When creating your app, do you put yourself in the users’ shoes in this way?
Lastly, let’s talk about Airbnb. Another obviously large and successful company, not necessarily for coming up with something new, but for simplifying and enhancing the user experience.
The homepage is not only relaxing to read but user-intuitive as well. Airbnb utilizes a homepage hierarchy of needs where it’s clear they asked themselves, “what are the top 3 things I want my user to do when they come to my homepage.”
First, a clean and simple search bar with “where” and “when” options placed front and center at the top of the page. Followed by a fun, interactive scroll bar of different types of short-stay rentals. And finally, large and informative thumbnails for users who may not have a travel plan at all but need some inspiration!
As a renter, the user can easily maneuver and utilize the features of the website with minimal to no tutorials, this is a sign of great UX/UI design!
On this side of the platform, Airbnb utilized gamification as a fun and simple tool for keeping users engaged and excited to keep using the app! By allowing hosts to earn badges and display the quality of their home to potential new customers, they’re encouraged to stay loyal to the app as well as promote it to others!
Whether your idea is brand new or a reinvention of an old classic, maintaining a core principle of ease of use when designing your platform is key.
If you’re feeling that you may be losing the user focus, place yourself in the shoes of someone who has never used your platform and ask yourself these questions:
Looking to chat more about UI/UX design? Contact us at info@irisdesigncollaborative.com.
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