Thoughtfulness in design is essential to the reception of any product. Enter UX and UI!
What is UX in Design?
“UX” stands for User Experience and is concerned with the integrated journey and accessibility of the subject. The reasonableness of the product design’s interconnected parts, as well as the logical ease with which the user can navigate the various elements to achieve their goal, is what determines if a product UX is up to snuff.
Complementarily, product design is also spoken of in terms of “UI”: User Interface. This has more to do with how things look, feel, and “vibe.”
What is UI in Design?
There is a psychological component to your UI: do the components in front of you draw your eye to where it ought to go, or is it in a counter-intuitive place, size, or color? Does the layout of the page facilitate and aid the UX, where you enjoy using the product nearly as much as what it can do for you?
These and others are among the many questions asked by those who evaluate product readiness.
How UX and UI Work Together
UX and UI are two design natures that work together to deliver on the promise to the user; however, not all products have to feel or flow the same way to be considered successful. How the UX’s conceptual focus is given life by the UI’s aesthetics will vary: A product’s goal will always determine the appropriateness of its design!
We believe in the harmony of User Experience and User Interface. Both are necessary components of a functional and accessible product; however, with Bubble.io, the emphasis has deliberately been put on User Experience.
The reason is simpler than you might think! Bubble.io is powerful in its execution of various integrated tasks, and also in what it allows you to control when building out your site or app’s logic and interactivity. For a dynamic experience, it was best to go for a more conceptual experience than an aesthetic one, due in part to the nature of the product as a tool.
In short, UX informs:
- The ease of use of the platform.
- How attractive it is.
- The feel of the application as you approach and understand it.
The UI, on the other hand, informs:
- How the website functions in terms of stability.
- How well it achieves its primary function.
- How it integrates with other digital tools.
Fluid UI in Practice
Bubble’s UI design is decidedly more stark and matter-of-fact than the app you will inevitably create with it! It also serves as an excellent example of what you should aim for with your own app: a UI that is consistent in design (think fonts and iconography), that utilizes contrast and clear differentiation between subjects, and isn’t overcrowded.
Some great examples of web apps created with Bubble.io, where their User Interface is organized and intuitive. The design virtues here are the utilization of empty space or minimalism, consistency, text hierarchy, and balance. For modern apps that facilitate user engagement, fluid and intuitive UI is a game changer that keeps your user base coming back.
Which one of these popular websites are you more likely to use based on first impression? Their UX is relatively identical. It is their UI that influences primary user engagement.
Planning and Designing Your App
When it comes to the design aspect there are likewise two different ways to approach the task. This is where you will be forming the aesthetics and feel (the User Interface – UI) of the app itself. You may decide to create the layout from scratch which can take longer though will likely end up being more unique, or you can work off a pre-existing layout system like Canvas which was created expressly for use with Bubble.io.
Bubble.io makes app design and development accessible to anyone with even a little preparedness. While using Bubble.io is easier than coding from scratch, it is still a fantastic idea to begin the process with a decisively sketched-out plan. That’s right, with pen and paper!
In this vein, we recommend starting with keeping the creations of the app’s UX features and functionality to the basics of what you want to accomplish. It is far easier to add more complexity with the app already well designed and developed than it is to backtrack.
Filling in the Data Structure
Once you’ve planned the “What”, you’ll need to commence execution of the “How” in terms of the data structure for the UX. One way to approach this is to build the database structure (with all or most of the foreseeable data types and fields) in advance. In this way, one can build your app’s logic more fluidly, as the pre-defined terms and parameters already set in place act as a foundation.
Alternatively, you can take the “check and adjust” approach and set up your database as you work through the functionality of the application, effectively toggling back and forth between logic and design.
Some caution should be heeded here though, as the further the project advances the more difficult and time-consuming it will be to make changes.
Get Inspired and Get Creating!
For inspiration, have a look at some great app examples that showcase Bubble’s intelligent and intuitive UX and UI possibilities. We also recommend joining the Bubble.io Academy to get the most out of your Bubble experience – especially if you’ve never used a code-free visual app designer before!
Bubble.IO has been used to create:
- Shift Trading Platforms
- Crowdfunding Platforms
- Co-living and Co-working Platforms for Renters
- E-Learning Platforms
- Quote Builders
- Remote Worker Applications
- Product Showcases
- Service Websites
- Much more!
Bubble.io allows you to fully realize your creative and professional vision! You can test out the capabilities of Bubble.io today over at…you know it! Bubble.io.
However, if you find yourself looking for experienced development from start to finish (and on a tight budget), consider contacting us. Our team of project managers, low-code developers, and market-smart engineers can take you from concept to contact form in as little as weeks. Visit Techmate Labs to learn more and to get started on your next Bubble deployment.