DESIGNING UX/UI

FOR A WEBSITE

UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) are critical aspects when approaching a web project.

It’s important to note that UID (User Interface Design) is a subset of UXD (User Experience Design). UX is about the overall experience a User has when arriving at a website, using an App, or completing a process. Whatever the User’s goal, it should not only be achievable (Usability and Effectiveness) but also enjoyable (easy, intuitive, fun, etc.).

UX goes beyond UI, which includes aspects like layout, hierarchy, colors, fonts (Usability), platform adaptability (Responsiveness), and User Flow. While UI plays an essential role, UX encompasses more than visual design; it’s about creating an experience that feels natural and adds value, whether perceived or real.

UX extends to all man-made creations. Unlike Nature, where humans adapt to survive, UX focuses on evolving products/processes to conform to human needs seamlessly. The goal is to make interactions instinctive—where the user doesn’t think about using something; they just do it.

Creating successful UX is an ongoing effort. It begins with understanding users as assumed Personas and evolves through real-user testing and behavior analysis. Feedback drives iterative improvements, reducing assumptions and incorporating actual user expectations into each prototype.

In UX Web Design, collaboration is key. It’s not a one-person effort. From Management to marketing, Design, and Developers, every aspect of project development influences the User Experience.

A Designer’s Role in UX

Today, being a “Designer” goes beyond aesthetics and usability. It’s about creating something that integrates into a social environment and improves quality of life for users. Let me share how I embarked on this journey.

The Early Days of Web Design

In the early ’90s, the internet was largely unknown. For most, “The Internet” meant email (and later, messaging and chat rooms). Email was primarily academic, and traditional mail was still the norm. Popular culture only began embracing email after movies like You’ve Got Mail (1998).

In 1993-94, I had access to a college email account but rarely used it. My internet experience was limited to websites I found via Altavista or Yahoo. Back then, if you wanted detailed information, books were the go-to resource. The idea of today’s Google with autofill and instant results felt like Sci-Fi.

Web professions like Web Designer or Web Developer didn’t exist yet. Programmers, often from unrelated fields, learned to code for browsers, primarily Netscape. Internet Explorer wasn’t widely adopted, and Chrome or Firefox didn’t exist. Netscape dominated until the Browser Wars claimed it as a casualty.

I was in my mid to late 20s and excited about this brave new world. To teach myself web design, I reverse-engineered websites. I discovered that the magic behind them was just text with understandable tags. By renaming TXT files to HTML, I could create documents readable by browsers. This was my AHA! moment.

In those days, there were no WYSIWYG editors. My first editor was Hotdog, followed by Pagemill, then Microsoft Frontpage, and eventually Dreamweaver by Macromedia (later Adobe). These tools revolutionized my workflow, though they often generated excessive code.

Technologies like Tables, Layers, and Frames emerged to structure web content. While Layers evolved into CSS positioning and Frames faded due to security and SEO issues, CSS revolutionized design, allowing HTML to focus on content structure for better search engine rankings.

The Role of UX in Modern Web Design

My professional journey taught me the importance of Wireframes, which prioritize structure and usability. Content, SEO, and visuals follow. Experience has shown me that Function matters more than Form—though both must coexist harmoniously.

Platforms like WordPress simplify many processes but come with limitations for those with minimal programming knowledge. Despite these challenges, my two decades of experience reassure me that technology will continue evolving, bringing new ways to create impactful user experiences.

You can see examples of my interactive design work from earlier projects here: MY INTERACTIVE DESIGN EXAMPLES.

In the end, there’s always excitement in contributing to the design of a new website.

P.S. If you ever wonder HOW MUCH to charge for a FREELANCE project like this, check out my “Project Budget Calculator“. It can help you estimate the value of your work.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”22px”] CONTACT ME [/vc_column][/vc_row]