Last Updated on August 17, 2021 by Sunny Staff
As many as 48% of website visitors believe that a site’s design is the most important factor in determining its credibility.
But while most WordPress developers are likely to appreciate the significance of excellent UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) design, few of them understand the various components required to create it.
The role of WordPress developers is to design the front-end layout, structure, and flow of a website’s pages. They aim to create a balanced visual impact that functions both practically and aesthetically.
UI design is all about how the website’s user interaction points look and function. UI designers consider all the visual aspects of a user’s journey – everything from the design and color of buttons to how a user interacts with an image gallery.
In a nutshell:
WordPress developers create functional, visually impactful site layouts.
UI designers make particular design choices based on the typical user’s point of view.
In addition, they obtain data-based information about how users perceive website layouts and use that information to influence their design. UI designers find out what users want and give it to them.
These days, users’ standards for websites are higher than ever before, which makes impressing them all the more difficult.
However, with the creative power of both stunning front-end development and exceptional UI design, even the most demanding users can be thoroughly captivated and engaged.
Why WordPress Developers Should Learn UI Design
If you’re already a website developer, you probably already know the value of a well-executed UI design. However, that may not be enough to convince you why it is worth learning more about. Here are five reasons why WordPress developers should learn UI design:
- Become an even better developer—The skillset of a modern developer is already broad, but learning more about UI design can only deepen your understanding of your craft. By discovering the user’s perspective and allowing it to influence your development techniques, you will add a whole new layer of quality to what you do every day.
- Become more hirable—Website development is currently one of the most in-demand, well-paying jobs globally. But that’s also the reason for its overly saturated market and high level of competition within the industry. To stand out (and earn a high salary), you need to be good at more than one thing. UI and development are a great match.
- Become a more valuable team player—There are often communication issues between the various website development team members. Everyone thinks they know best. But it’s usually those with an understanding of more than one domain that actually do. As a developer, learning UI design can improve your ability to communicate with team members and bridge the gap.
Colors, Fonts, and Layout
Many people think that these three things are chosen more for their visual appeal than anything else. But a good UI designer knows they are just as integral to a user’s successful website experience as clickable links or coding.
Moodboards often play an integral role in brainstorming visual design, and every color, font, and image is carefully evaluated before implementation. These elements are meticulously chosen based on the desired responses a brand wants to elicit in their user’s minds.
While visual impact and attraction can be seen as merely decorative features of a website, their role is absolutely critical in guiding the user towards their destination. Whether that destination is making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or fulfilling some other CTA.
One of the most important aspects of colors, fonts, and layout design is consistency. Users need to navigate their way through the website without feeling at all confused or misdirected. Even the most aesthetically pleasing designs are useless if not easily understood.
When a UI designer’s job is well done, users never have to think twice about where they are or how to get where they want to go. Excellent UI design is consistent, predictable, and seamlessly intuitive.
Important Usability Heuristics for UI Designers
The term “heuristics” describes any approach based on generally accepted guidelines. Usability heuristics encompass various “rules of thumb” for the website design process, such as:
- User Control—Users should feel naturally in control of their movements.
- Human Limitations—The user’s visual, cognitive, auditory, or motor limitations should not be tested or overloaded.
- Accommodation—The interface should accommodate different user types.
- Aesthetic Integrity—The interface design should be aesthetically pleasing and appropriate.
- User Support—Resources for support should be available to the user in case of confusion.
- Responsiveness—The interface should inform users of the results of their actions and provide information about the website’s status.
- Predictability—Users should be able to reasonably predict the outcome of their actions.
- Interpretation—The interface itself should be able to reasonably infer what the user’s motives are and accommodate them.
- Forgiveness—Actions executed by users should have the option for recovery.
These are only a handful of the many valuable usability heuristics that UI designers consider when designing a website. Tick all of them off, and your design should attract returning users like bees to honey.
Approaching Development as a UI Designer with WordPress
Typically, a user will determine within a mere 2 to 5 seconds whether to stay or exit a website they just accessed. The first impression of your website design is super important, and the window for that impression to occur is narrow.
Knowing this, the CMS (Content Management System) you choose to host your website is crucial to your website’s performance.
WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world. It can be relied upon to deliver your client’s message in a clear, confident manner that sits neatly in alignment with the fundamental UI usability heuristics that are so integral to visual communication and action.
With access to a huge variety of plug-ins, developing web designs via WordPress means writing less code and having more time to focus on beautiful, responsive, and intuitive UI design.
If you need help with your WordPress site, give us a call. We’re WordPress experts and love to help!
