When choosing a UX designer, describe what ambiguity you want to solve instead of saying “user-friendly screens”. The freelance UX designer may undertake research, flow editing or prototype evaluation depending on the team's question. The value of research is revealed in which product decision changes, rather than in how many pages of presentations are produced.
Turn complaint into research question
“Users not registering” is an initial observation. The reason may be the length of the form, lack of trust, wrong target audience or technical error. First, separate the data at hand and the points you do not know. When the research question narrows down, it becomes clearer who to talk to and what task to observe.
Choose the method based on the risk of the decision
An initial ideation interview and task testing in the current product do not measure the same thing. Interviews help understand expectations and the current way of working. Task testing, on the other hand, shows how a person completes a specific job in the prototype or product. Do not draw firm conclusions about the entire market from a small sample; Write the limitations of the findings.
Separate evidence and comment on delivery
A user's sentence, the designer's comment, and the team's product decision should be recorded separately. For example, if the participant cannot find the filter, it does not directly indicate that all filters should be removed. The proposal should explain how it solves the observed problem and what new risk it introduces.
Team participation in freelance work
The person responsible for access to the research, finding participants and decision meetings should be determined in advance. While the designer brings the findings, the product owner shares priorities and development conditions. Breaking down the results into small actionable changes prevents the report from remaining a file.
For user research to be conducted in Istanbul or remotely, we can first discuss the decision need of the product. User flow design helps bring research findings to the relationship between screens.
What is UX design, where does it meet UI?
UX design involves decisions to understand and improve user experience. It's not just the appearance of a product; Meeting the goal, usage flow, and obstacles the person encounters are also evaluated. UI, on the other hand, deals with the interface components and visual layout of this experience. The same expert can work in two fields; The overlap of tasks does not mean that the concepts are the same.
In a reference product, button prominence is an interface decision. What information is requested in the application and why and whether the person can complete the process are broader experience questions. Do not reduce this distinction to narrow patterns such as “UI looks beautiful, UX is done once”. As the product changes, new questions and testing needs may arise.
UI design guide completes the visual system and component side. During the research submission, it should be visible which decision is based on which finding.
How do UI and UX go together in the same project?
In an example service request flow, the user selects a category, describes his problem, and determines the appropriate time. If the research shows that people cannot understand the category names, enlarging the buttons alone may not be enough. Naming and selection order are evaluated first; Then the visual hierarchy of the new layout is designed. In the prototype, the same task is tried again to examine whether the change meets the problem.
In this process, the UX finding, UI decision and development constraint feed each other. Instead of viewing design delivery as a one-shot, plan it through decision, implementation and control steps. With Selçuk Aker, it can be determined from the beginning which flows will be handled and which deliverables will be prepared in freelance UI/UX design work.
How to read the titles UX designer and UI designer?
UX designer refers to the user experience designer, UI designer refers to the user interface designer. You may also encounter abbreviations such as UXD and UID in advertisements or offers; these do not guarantee the same scope of duties in every institution. Ask whether the person is responsible for research, flow, interface or application control in the portfolio. Consider submissions and decision responsibility before title.
Offer help when needed, anticipate the mistake
Instead of explaining all the features to a new user at first login, focus on the task they want to complete. For example, a design request may include a brief description next to the “print size” field and an option for those who do not know the size. This way, the person does not have to read a long help text and return to the form.
Opening a confirmation window for every transaction is not a solution. In an irreversible step such as deleting the draft, the result should be clearly explained; Unnecessary downtime should be avoided with a simple filter change. Evaluate the options of undoing, preserving the entered information and marking the incorrect area according to the risk of the transaction.
Also test the discoverability of critical actions presented through gestures such as swiping on the mobile app. Instead of a flow that relies on the user guessing a hidden move, a visible alternative may be needed. In freelance UX design work, examining these decisions through task testing is more revealing than making decisions based on the appearance of the screen alone.
Frequently asked questions
What decision should we make before starting UX research?
Describe the product decision you will make at the end of the research. For example, understanding where users have difficulty in the registration step may require different participants and methods than a general satisfaction survey.
Should every suggestion made by the user be included in the design?
Not every suggestion should be translated directly into a feature request. Evaluate the stated need, the observed behavior, and the purpose of the product together; Record which decision was based on the finding and how.
Do UI and UX necessarily require two separate people?
No. The same expert may undertake different responsibilities; What is important is that the necessary research and design work is carried out with a clear scope. The size of the project and team skills determine the division of labor.
Should we show every user a long induction tutorial?
No. Decide based on the complexity of the product and the tasks of the users. A brief help, example, or explanation that opens when needed next to the relevant field may be sufficient; Evaluate whether it works with real tasks.
