User Experience (UX) is an integral part of the technology and design industry. UX aims to fulfil users' needs and provide positive experiences that keep users loyal to the product/ brand. Additionally, a meaningful user experience allows you to define customer journeys on your product that are most conducive to business success.

What is UX design?

User experience (UX) is the complete journey of a user while using a platform, from login to logout. It includes all the aspects from direct interaction with the product to how it serves the purpose of completing various tasks. 

Whereas UX design is a process, which teams in the industry use to create products (physical and digital) that are easy and practical to use. It is a very vast field comprising aspects of psychology, business, market research, design and technology. Every touchpoint between the customer and the company is included in creating a map for User Experience.

Difference between UX and UI Design: 

In the industry, the term user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are often used interchangeably. However, we need to understand that user interface design is not the same as user experience design. 

When we talk about UI design, it refers to the actual interface of the product or the system that the user interacts with. It is concerned with all the visual and the interactive elements of the product interface ranging from the colours, typography to animations and navigational touchpoints (such as buttons and scrollbars) that the user uses.

On the other hand, UX design is everywhere and in everything that as users we come across in our day to day life. It is the experience the user derives when they interact with the product or system. It takes into consideration how the users feel, and how easy the product is for the users to accomplish their desired tasks. 

The term was first coined by Don Norman. The goal of UX design is to create easy, efficient, relevant and all-around pleasant experiences for the user. As stated by Don Norman “User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-users interaction with the company, its services, and products.” UI and UX go hand-in-hand, and the design of the interface, the product has a huge impact on the overall user experience.

Factors that influence UX design

UX addresses how a user feels while using a system, whereas usability is about the user-friendliness and efficiency of the interface. UX as a field has grown and it accommodates usability. That's why it is important to pay attention to all facets of the user experience to develop and deliver successful products.

According to Peter Morville a pioneer in the UX field, there are 7 factors that describe UX:

• Useful: The content/product should be original and fulfil the user’s needs.

• Usable: The product must be easy to use. 

• Desirable: Image, identity, brand, and other design elements are used to create desire, emotions and appreciation for the product.

• Findable: The content/product must be easy to find onsite and offsite.

• Accessible: Content/product needs to be accessible to people with disabilities. 

• Credible: Credibility relates to the ability of the user to trust in the product that you’ve provided. 

• Valuable: The product must deliver value to the users. Without value, any initial success of a product will eventually be undermined.

It is important for any organization to be aware of all these benefits of usability and user experience. Develop this awareness to generate productive outcomes, improve people’s lives, facilitate users’ interactions, and provide ease of use. The more you understand users’ needs, the better your products will be. Once your requirements are clear, you can plan your next move, and design your product based on business and consumer demands.