UI/UX Articles and Interesting Tidbits of the Week
December//1//2017
Here are some interesting finds on UI/UX of the week!
1.http://www.eyequant.com/blog/why-simple-uncluttered-design-works-best
Uncluttering. Very relevant article focused on the need to streamline information, as a means to reach, captivate and enable customer/user retention. The article details concepts such as Cognitive Load, and the learnability/efficiency factors users encounter when trying to accomplish a task. Highlight of the article includes:
“Cognitive load is a measure that describes how much mental effort is required to fulfill a certain task. In other words, let’s say a user comes to your site to shop for some shoes. How much mental activity does that user need to invest to find some new sneakers? The more is required, the higher the cognitive load for that user. With regard to web design, if a page is full of content (promotions, banners, blocks of text, CTAs, etc.) the user will immediately become overwhelmed. Cognitive load spikes and leads to confusion rather than a streamlined experience. The associated frustration of having to sift through the site will then prompt users to either have a bad start with your brand or leave the site all together. Today’s users are spoiled in terms of UX (think Millennials). They don’t put up with sites that look like they came straight from the 2000s anymore. As a result, they may switch to one of your competitors that offers the kind of design they enjoy using.”
2.https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2017/11/12-ways-to-design-the-perfect-site-navigation/
Navigation Paradigms. Article hailing from WebDesignerDepot, focused on showcasing different case studies where new navigation paradigms are being introduced, and how these can streamline the experience of navigating and experiencing a product. Highlight:
“Header navigation menus can often be overlooked when it comes to inventive and creative web design. But as the primary way users explore and interact with your website, investing in engaging header navigation means site visitors spend more time on your site and end up seeing much more than just your landing page. There’s no point having brilliant web design on your inner pages if your header doesn’t make it easy (and fun) to click through to it.”
3.https://mopinion.com/5-user-experience-ux-strategies-to-reduce-shopping-cart-abandonment/
Avoiding Shopping Cart Abandonment. Very interesting article from Erin Gilliam, which does an inventory of tactics that can avoid shopping cart abandonment in e-commerce experiences. Highlight:
“Shopping cart abandonment is an occurrence that plagues many retailers and webshops all over the world on a daily basis. By definition, shopping cart abandonment is when a potential customer starts the checkout process for an order online but drops off before completing the purchase. You will probably all agree with me when I say that the thought of the customer getting all the way to the shopping cart only to leave empty-handed is a very troublesome one, which is why it’s important to take action and stop it.”
