Introduction:

Before understanding everything that S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. is working on to perfect user experience, it is important to understand what user experience really is. User experience, also called UX for short, is the process that the design teams use to create products that provide a significant and appropriate experience to the users.

This involves the designing and creation of the entire process of acquiring and integrating the products. This includes aspects of branding, designs, the usability and functions of the application.

User Experience Goes Beyond User Interface:

The terms user experience and user interface are very often used interchangeably, however; these are two close but different concepts. The usability of a design along with the user interface are quite important for the development of a software product, however, they are only subsets of user experience. User experience design is an umbrella term that covers an array of concepts and areas. User experience design encompasses the entire procedure of acquiring and integrating a product. This includes various aspects of branding, design, usability and function. User experience is not just a task to be completed, it is a story that starts before the device even reaches the hands of the user.

A product is not like an island. It is not an isolated thing. A software product is much more than that. It is an integrated and cohesive set of experiences. Think of a project in all of its totality; from the initial intentions of creating something, all the way to the final reflections and testing of the product. From the initial usage of the product to services and maintenance. User experience is all about bringing all of these together and making them work seamlessly.

User experience is an overall design and collaboration of the whole journey of the client on the software product. Software products that provide an amazing user experience (e.g. Skype) are thus designed with not only the product’s consumption or use in mind but also the entire procedure of attaining, owning and even troubleshooting it.

Similar to this, user experience designers at S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. don’t only pay attention to creating products that are usable; they pay heed to other aspects of the user experience, such as pleasure, efficiency and fun. Due to this, there is not a single, unanimous definition of a good user experience. Instead, it is a more qualitative concept. A good user experience can be defined as the user experience that meets the needs of a particular user in the specific context of the users making use of the product.

UX Designers Consider The Way, What And How Of Product Use:

The team members at S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. always start by considering the Why, What and How of product use. This simple exercise allows the team members to cover all the major requirements of the user experience design and not skip or miss out on any of the points that should be well covered by the team. The “why” being considered gives an understanding of the motivation of the users for adopting a product in their lives. It gives a clear idea of why the user wants to use the product in the first place, whether they relate to a task they wish to perform with it or to values and views which users associate with the ownership and use of the product. Next comes the “what” of the user experience. The “what” being considered addresses the different things a user can do with a product and its functionalities. This helps to understand and build around what is important in the software application/product. Once it is clear what is required by the client, a more appropriate user design is created which is more in line with what the client wants. Finally, the last of the three is considering the “how” of the product. The “how” relates to the design functionality in an accessible and aesthetically pleasant manner. 

At S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd, the user experience design starts with the why as it helps to strengthen the base for everything else, followed by the what and then in the end, finally the how. This sequence is used by the team members to create products that users can form meaningful and worthy experiences with. The people in the company understand that when it comes to software designs, it is integral to ensure that the product’s “weight” comes from an already existing device and it offers a smooth and seamless experience to the user.

User Experience Design Is User-Centred:

S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. encourages the team members to invest some time in researching the user and the demographic that the product is aimed at. This time spent on research is not seen as time wasted by the company. Instead, this is seen as creating a stronger base about the project while allowing the user experience designers to get a better grip on what the direction of the project should be and ultimately saves up more time for the company in the long run.

The designers at S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. work in a user centred work process. This helps to continuously channel the best efforts until all the relevant issues and the user’s needs are addressed in a proper manner. You could create the most effective product with the best quality design but if the design does not speak to your user’s and the targeted audience, it all goes to waste.  It is no foreign concept for the team members at the company that the design has to always be user centred otherwise it fails to measure up to the standard of the current market. 

Colour Contrast

When it comes to user experience, something that is very integral to the experience is the visual impact that the design is able to create. These designs need to match the style and preferences of the demographic being targeted and they should appeal to the user that the product is aimed at.

When working on a new project, the designers first decide on a colour palette that they wish to use in order to create the product. Different colours and colour combinations can make the person feel differently about the application that they use. It is important to study and keep in mind the colour psychology and the impact of different colours on the user. This may seem like a very minor detail however, if done incorrectly, it can completely ruin the outlook of a product. Imagine a children’s app created in black and grey or a product aimed at corporate users that is designed in rainbow colours. 

It is essential to decide the colours and the combinations of an application before the design is created so that all the tasks that the designers complete, create a single uniformed product that gels well with the user. 

Design Style

It is the ability of S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd to research and continually invest time in expanding knowledge of graphic design styles, both historical and contemporary, that hold the key to being exceptionally great at the work they provide. There have been many different design styles that have stayed and made their mark however, with changing times it is important to create designs for the modern user.

However, this is not set in stone. The user experience cannot be defined and steady outlines for the work cannot be provided as the user in itself does not remain the same. Sometimes the team members dip into other styles to get creative inspiration for a specific user. The brainstorming sessions are focused on what would be the requirement for the client; from the bold geometrical shapes of art deco, asymmetrical layouts of Swiss and international designs, the intense clash of colours seen in psychedelic designs to the use of negative spaces in minimalism. There is not a single design style that goes unconsidered when it comes to making what is best for the client. 

User Control & Freedom

S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. makes sure that the user control works flawlessly and there is no bug in navigating through the product. Once an appealing visual has made a mark on the user, it is necessary that the user controls also live up to the same standard that has been set by looking at the visuals. 

The user will create a certain level of expectation after looking at a product that is very beautifully designed to cater to the user demographic in question. To match the expectations of the user, it is important that the software product also works as well as it looks.

There needs to be a certain balance in the visuals and the features of the product. Where the product should be visually appealing for the client, similarly the features need to be user friendly so that the user can have a positive experience while using the product. 

Consistency & Flexibility

Ensuring a worthy experience of the user means that the product must be consistent and flexible at the same time. The product being designed must have consistent visuals throughout the product and at the same time it should offer some flexibility to cater to the personal preferences of a user. 

To understand flexibility, think of the night and light mode in an application. It allows users to choose between a darker and a light design for their application. This is a personal preference and it can vary from person to person. These flexibilities in design that certain products offer make it more appealing to the user as they get the option to change the application according to their preference. At the same time it allows the user to feel more connected to the product as they have customised it according to their own requirements. 

S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd. ensures that all software products for their client have consistency across all the different platforms and that it follows the same, uniform pattern no matter which system the user of the product is utilising. It is important for the team members to make sure that users have the best possible encounter with the product under question.

Error Prevention

Finally, before the user experience team can say that the product is completely user centred, it is ensured that there are no errors in the designs of the product. This is an extensive process that involves the team to check and recheck the work that is provided. Every little detail that is part of the product and everything that the user will interact with goes through 7 rounds of testing done by a team of quality assurance specialists. It does not matter how big or small a detail may be, they are all given equal importance at S.T.A.R.S (Pvt.) Ltd.