The user interface (UI) design process is fundamentally a creative and research-driven journey that requires intrinsic collaboration with the user experience (UX) design. UX and UI design work together to achieve a common goal, as both disciplines are essential for proper web design. It is essential to understand this process as a team effort oriented towards a shared outcome.

When it comes to developing an idea, whether for a new project or an already established brand, the starting point is always a thorough analysis. At the UX level, the aim is to investigate the users’ characteristics and needs through the lens of the specific requirements of the product or project. Market research, focus groups, user tracking tools, and benchmarking are used to identify strengths and weaknesses in the initial phase of analysing the target audience and product requirements.

The result of this analytical phase provides a solid foundation for the subsequent ideation and design phases, ensuring that the user interface design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and responsive to the real needs of users and the project’s objectives.

From scratch to wireframe

Once personas (fictional characters that represent target users) and their respective requirements have been defined, the design phase begins with brainstorming and moodboarding.

Moodboarding is a concept with historical roots in the field of design and the visual arts. Primarily used in the fashion industry as a tool for collecting and organising visual ideas, colours, textures, and styles to inspire and guide the creative process, a mood board helps us in the very first step of finding the right path to the most suitable visual identity. Our team starts by sketching ideas on paper, then moves on to initial wireframes and mockups, which are progressively more detailed and refined graphical drafts.

An essential aspect at this stage is to understand and compare how others have designed solutions for products similar to ours. For this activity, it is very useful to employ websites that collect and display common “patterns” such as logins, checkouts, and list pages. These materials are then used for the initial user tests, during which we analyse the navigation flows and verify user flows. This process lets us identify any issues and improve on the user experience, ensuring that the structure and functionalities of the project are optimised before moving onto the next step in design, which is the first prototype.

Validating user experience through simple design

The process of developing a website, an app, or any other type of digital medium undergoes a progression from wireframe to prototype. The stage known as the prototype or “Mockup” is the step that gives a significant imprint to the project, defining the style, language, and ultimately the final result. As mentioned earlier, the development of the moodboard helps at this stage to take the concepts expressed earlier and then apply them to the Mockup.

In the field of UI, it is considered good practice to adopt a minimalist approach, creating an engaging interface and enhancing the user experience. Today, minimalist design focuses on essentiality, adopting a “Clean Design” approach that makes the product aesthetically pleasing and attractive while still delivering on the platform’s functionalities.

Minimalist UI/UX design may seem simple, but often many projects end up overloading the interface with so many elements that the end user loses clear understanding of what is truly useful. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.”

We strive to keep the design as clean and essential as possible, eliminating any potential distractions and following the principle that every element in your design must have a well-defined purpose. A minimalist design is often the key not only for enhanced performance and a streamlined user experience, but also for greater engagement overall.

Looking for the perfect design for your platform? Our team is ready to help you create the perfect platform for you and your users. Contact us today to get started!