UI/UX plays a significant role in any brand’s success. It can help you reach new heights but only if you deliver a good service. This article takes you through the latest UI/UX trends and its benefits to help you understand it better.

What is the difference between UX and UI design

Both mobiles and desktops have a majority of digital users onboard and both the platforms have their own significance. For instance, desktops serve the purpose of quick access to web pages and mobile phones are ideal for creating engagement. Aesthetic graphics and engaging content must be on point while designing a digital presence but another important thing that most of the designers overlook is good user experience and interface. But what exactly is UI and UX?

What is UX?

UX is the abbreviated form of User Experience and it is based on the idea of creating a system that provides the users with the best experience. It aims at turning your customers into loyal customers by offering a positive experience to them. UX is accountable for a user’s journey through the mobile app or website which eventually becomes the deciding factor for the success of the business.

What is UI?

UI is an abbreviation used for User Interface and it’s the way using which users can interact with any mobile application. User interface design for mobile applications focuses on delivering easy, enjoyable and effective interactions between users and the application. In IT, User Interface refers to any device that allows the users to interact with monitors, screens or mobile devices. The primary goal which UI aims for is to provide the best interaction possible.

What are benefits of UX/UI

1. Encourages the use of interaction: Creating content is not a hard task. But creating content that people would like to interact with, is the real challenge. Be it in the form of text, images, advertisements, or call to action, everything must lure the user. There are several techniques to encourage user interaction such as producing the content that appeals to the targeted audience. It can also be about personalised features based on consumer behaviour or things they like. People prefer a software that has consistency in design, is predictable, and comfortable to use.

 

2. Generates loyalty: A good user experience can create customer loyalty for your brand. An application or website that offers easy functionality and backed by great service will make your users use it again and again. The designer can create a Customer Journey i.e. CJM Map to achieve it. It will help the designer to map the entire journey of the user through the website or the mobile application. This journey must be thoroughly tested to make sure that a user’s interaction with the product is as smooth and easy as possible. It’s more like putting the design team in the shoes of the user and thinking from their perspective.

 

3. Generates recommendations: An interactive user experience design is the key to encouraging word of mouth recommendations i.e. it should be good to an extent that the users can’t stop talking about it. A well-designed site or application with the ease of use, offering great features and usefulness will encourage people to tell others about the service. A part of user experience is meant to make sharing easy and a free recommendation from a user itself is way more impactful than a paid advertisement.

 

4. Reduces development costs: A stellar user experience helps you keep a project within budget by lowering development costs along with extensive user research, prototyping, and usability testing. By doing this, you can ensure that development time is targeted on the areas of functionality that matter. This focused approach helps you create better initial design specs, reduces the risk of feature creep, and provides more relevant content. It greatly erases the need for last-minute redesigns and enhancements.

 

5. Reduces internal costs: User experience is an end-user focused approach that concentrates on the design and development, keeping in mind what users want and not what developers think they want. It not only saves money on development costs but it also helps businesses to wisely use their internal resources. For instance, the design will help you identify the products liked or wanted by people. This would help the sales and marketing department to put their efforts on profitable products instead of putting it on the less profitable ones. Moreover, it reduces the need for manual intervention and hence reduces the support costs eventually.

 

What are latest UX/UI trends

 

1. Animation: It makes web pages or mobile applications more appealing to users as it connects with the customers more than any other design. This tool is getting popular amongst the designers as it allows them to create a positive impact on the users. Earlier, we used to have flat logos, icons, buttons, etc. but now they are getting replaced with animated buttons, icons, and even logos.

 

2. Digital illustrations for the web: Custom digital illustrations are trending in the field of UI and UX. These digital illustrations are generally used on web interfaces and add colours, designs while making the information more evident and interesting. They are widely used by blogs and service websites to beautify their website and present sober information in a modern and fancy way.

 

3. 3D designs: It helps you create more impactful design and it’s already being used in many games and movies with high functionality. A combination of animation and 3D is going to be the next trend in UI and UX.

 

4. Split Screen: The idea of using two screens simultaneously appeals to a lot of users. It not only looks cool but also allows you to gather more information at the same time.
5. Voice UI: Voice assistants like Google Home and Alexa have taken over the entire digital world of virtual assistants. People use these services widely to get most of their work done irrespective of its origin i.e. small or big. Performing tasks using your voice is a lot more convenient than operating a device with buttons and making it do the same.

 

NDN Group build a chatbot with personality for hotel group

At NDN Group, we help our clients map out UX/UI to understand their customers, define customer experience journeys and innovate with a strong focus on customers’ needs and awe-inspiring insights about them. From user personas and customer journeys to content strategy, wireframe to website and app design, we help our business clients tell their stories and engage with customers for scaling businesses.

NDN Group’s digital consultancy, New Digital Noise, has been helping a global hotel group to develop an AI-powered chatbot with persona and personality traits, thereby creating immersive and fascinating experiences to its customers. The bot can help guests make suite booking and restaurant reservations as well answer questions on thrilling entertainment and hotel facilities.

To create persona and personality for the bot, our team has gathered insights to understand more about the hotel group from its brand persona, daily operations, gaming and entertainment facilities, world-class dining experience and luxurious and bespoke services offered to customers.

Creating a chatbot conversation flow and putting to the test

Our UX/UI team has arranged empathy sessions for the hotel to learn their customers genuine needs. With our five-stage process – Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test, we empathise with the targeted customers through researches, interviews and sharing. We understand customers’ emotional needs, discover human touchpoints and garner insights on the needs of customers in different segments. Our team has created solid solutions to address users’ needs and built a prototype chatbot for testing/validation to excel to entire UX process.

Also, we have embraced six core human needs – Certainly, Variety, Significance, Love, Growth and Contribution – in the process. Then we have clearly defined the background, personalities, tone of voice and manner of the bot.

In the development of the chatbot script, we imagine how the AI-powered chatbot talks to customers based on its persona.  Based on conversational diagram, we have imagined the bot talking to customers in real time when writing scripts. We listened to characters or people who are similar to the bot persona. We try to avoid dead ends and leaving the user hanging. It mimics what we would hear from a concierge in the luxurious hotel. Finally, we have developed a prototype for the chatbot and fine-tuned scripts. We have interacted with the bot to excel its dialogue flow and make it immersive to customers, ensuring that the bot is helpful and meet customers’ needs and expectations.

Conclusion

Our User Experience/User Interface design services are thoughtful, engaging, user–centric. We work with our clients to define their business goals, and every industry is different. The trends of UX and UI have changed a lot and it will continue to do so. But one thing which doesn’t change with time is the quality of UX and UI. To derive better results and satisfy your customers, it is important to offer them an outstanding UX/UI services. Drop us a line at info@ndngroup.com to learn more about how our UX/UI services fit your business needs.

Just when you think by now surely all companies have mastered their digital transformation, a recent report by Forrester Consulting suggested otherwise. A mere 5% of organizations said they had successfully made digital an advantage over their competitors.

What does a business have to do to become one of those five percenters?

“First and foremost, set a clear digital vision and strategy. It might seem obvious, but many companies do struggle with this simple step,” Andy Ann, Chairman of NDN Group, said. “Improving customer experience is above all one of the top goals in digital transformation.”

“Many companies think making a significant investment in technology is the be-all and end-all of the process. That cannot be further from the truth,” Ann continued.

“That’s right,” chimed in Louise Au, COO of NDN Group. “Technology certainly is a great part of digital transformation, but operational processes and human resources still take centre stage. It’s essential to communicate your end vision and any necessary changes so that everyone in the business is well aware of the direction they’re heading.”

Paula Yang, NDN Group’s GM, explained the concept further. “Digital transformation is a company-wide initiative. For it to succeed, you got to change the work culture and get everyone involved. Build enthusiasm. At the end of the day, your staff are the ones delivering the change. If they’re excited about the transformation and genuinely believe in the benefits that it brings, you’re already halfway there!”

“A good way to start is to invite digital transformation experts to speak to your staff about how to grow business through digital. That does wonders exciting and inspiring staff members,” said Au. “Meanwhile, identify those on your team who welcome digital the most. Provide them with more training and let them be the ambassadors and motivate others from within your business.”

“That includes the senior levels as well,” Ann added. “You’d be surprised how even some of the most senior-level staff can have a hard time appreciating the impact of digital transformation. Bringing in industry experts would certainly help bring across the message.”

“Businesses also need to find ways to engage with their customers through technology. When face-to-face contact is almost non-existent, what can we do to provide quality customer service and give it a bit of a personal touch at the same time?  For instance, how about sending your customers a personalized video instead of a standard email reply?” Yang added. “Also make sure you set clear key performance indicators to measure results and keep track of your progress.

“Do consider partnering up with an expert,” Ann said. “No one knows everything.  Sometimes enlisting third parties that can guide you through the transformation could be a win-win situation and save you loads of money and time in the end.”

“And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Empower your staff. Let them try out new ideas without the red tape and review them afterwards,” the Chairman concluded.

Digital transformation could be something that everyone is doing, but not everyone is doing it well. Start with a shared vision; experiment with technologies while nurturing innovative cultures over time to sustain the transformation. Let us help! Find out more here.

Gone are the moments when we would find ourselves staring blankly into space while waiting for takeout or riding a bus. With a smartphone in hand, people often use these brief moments to compare prices, read product reviews, or simply search for answers to random questions that pop into their heads.

These micro-moments, as defined by Google, are “moments when we turn to a device — often a smartphone — to take action on whatever we need or want right now.”  Engaging your target audience at the right micro-moment can guide them through the sales funnel.

Seamless experience

Your marketing message may be powerful, but if it cannot be viewed properly on a smartphone during these micro-moments, you are marketing in vain. A smooth, mobile-friendly experience is the first step to get to your potential customers. A study by Google found that 79% of its users tend to revisit a mobile site if it is easy to navigate, or even share it with others.

Be there

Marketing automation platforms and retargeting ads are tools that you can use to market proactively among potential customers. Someone previously viewed your product? Make sure they see your ad when they move on to look at something else. Someone placed some items in the shopping cart and then went silent? Shoot them an email and remind them of the incomplete transaction, or even offer a discount. Sometimes all it takes for a potential customer to become an actual one is just a bit more motivation. According to Google, 73% of consumers tend to select a brand when they regularly hear about it.

Your content needs to make an impression and have people talk about it afterwards. Using the latest Internet’s lexicon, exaggerated movements (in a video) or even creating a catchphrase would help.

Winning micro-moments takes more than self-promotion. Actively engaging your target audience and making these moments viral-worthy is the key to micro-moment marketing. Need more advice? Give us a call and let’s talk it over.