Having a competent UI design process flow can help your development team save a lot of time, money and effort. Starting from a blank artboard and ending up with final high-fidelity UI designs requires a lot of different skills and knowledge. Sometimes, it is difficult to decide which to start with: a sketch, wireframes or prototype. In this article, GCT Solution will suggest our UI process steps, containing 5 main steps. Each main step has various components.
In the process of UI design, we create artistic visual components of the user interface, such as style, color, fonts, and graphical solutions. All of them must adhere to the standards and identity of the brand. In other words, visual interface design is the process of creating graphic symbols and icons. The primary screen of content design is determined by the design of the screen.
In contrast to static website landing pages or marketing sites, dynamic user interfaces (UI) require UI designers to consider states and conditionals. The designers must also be consistent, follow strict usability guidelines, and choose the most effective ways to lay out, group, and disclose information and activities. Here, using the concepts of components, atomic elements, and database views can be really helpful.
Here are some common UI components:
Designers employ user interface (UI) design patterns, which are reusable/repeatable elements, to address typical issues with user interface design. For instance, the breadcrumbs design pattern enables users to go back in time. Designers can utilize them in a variety of situations, but they must each be customized for the unique usage scenario.
Here are some common UI Design Patterns
Use linked labels to provide secondary navigation that shows the path from the front to the current site page in the hierarchy.
Forms can put users off registration. So, use this sign-up pattern to let users sample what your site/app offers for free or familiarize themselves with it. Then, you show them a sign-up form. For example, Amazon allows unrestricted navigation and cart-loading before it prompts users to register for an account.
Note: When content is accessible only to registered users or users must keep entering details, offer them simplified/low-effort sign-up forms.
This is where users can input information, such as name, email address, locations,... Some information is compulsory, while others are optional.
The UI designers will make buttons with outstanding color, helping users know what to do, such as “Buy now” and “Check it”. You may have to decide which actions take priority.
It shows users only features relevant for the task, one per screen. If you break input demands into sections, you will reduce cognitive load, such as “See more”.
This feature helps to hide less essential information on detailed pages to let users find relevant information more easily.
When all the technical details are all figured out, UI designers will put all the strongest graphic assets, copywriting, and visual designs to the prototype. Your brand visuals, identities and thematic features will be added to the product at this stage. The designers will make every pixel as precise as possible as well.
There are 3 types of UI prototypes:
Here are some main purposes of prototype design: