Although you might not know what UI is  – everyday you benefit from good UI and become annoyed with bad UI.

UI, or User Interface, is how we interact with devices – anything from a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or Google Sheets, computer games, apps on our phones, and every website we visit.

In the case of websites, good user interface design makes the site easy to use and find what you are looking for.  Bad user interface design makes the software feel clunky and confusing.

UI design is essential for creating a positive user experience. A poor user interface will cause your visitors will leave your site.  On the flip side,  if you spend some time on your user interface, your visitors will spend more time on your site, signing up for your services, purchasing your products, and are more likely to return in the future.

What is User Interface Design (UI)?

User interface design, or UI, is the process of designing the look and feel of a website. It’s the part of the website that we, as users, see and interact with.

Many factors go into designing a good UI. User interface designers must consider the users, the device hardware, and the website’s overall goal. 

Your website should be easy to navigate and use. If it isn’t, your website visitor will likely give up and try another site, which means you lose that customer or client to another business. That’s why it’s critical to put thought into your UI design and make sure it’s easy to use and visually appealing.

What are Examples of Good User Interface?

As already mentioned, good User Interface design creates a positive user experience.  Some aspects of good UI design include:

• Easy to read text, including
  • Fonts that are easy to read
  • Headings in a larger size to alert the reader what the section is about
  • Text that is large enough to read easily but isn’t too large that words wrap on smaller screens

• Clear buttons
  • Use consistent color, size, and shape throughout the website so visitors easily recognize that they should click on them
  • Clear labels on buttons so that the user knows what clicking on the button leads to

• Good use of color
  • In addition to the buttons discussed above, you want to use colors the same way throughout the website
  • Use the same color for headings 
  • Use the same color for any links throughout the website
  • Colors must provide contrast – especially between text and the background

• Logical layout 
  • Use menu titles that are easy to understand and navigate.  Many people want their website to be unique and stand out from others … but actually, you want your website to be straightforward to use, navigate and understand for your visitor
  • Keep your menu items with names people are used to (aka about, services, products) and keep it at the top of the website page
  • Use your footer for items that people need to find but are not the primary focus of your site. For example, terms and conditions, policy statement, and disclaimer should be located in the footer for people who want to look through them

What are Examples of Poor User Interface?

Bad UI can lead to frustration and confusion for users, resulting in lost sales and decreased customer satisfaction with your brand, products, or services.

Some examples of poor user interface include:

• Cluttered and confusing interface
• Labels and buttons that are difficult to read or understand
• Poor use of color and contrast
• Ineffective navigation

As a website owner, why should you care about UI?

User interface, or UI, is essential in website design. 

Without good UI design, your website could be challenging to understand, hard to navigate, and possibly impossible to use.  This could lead to lost sales, customers going elsewhere, and a poor reputation for your business.

UI design is essential for creating a positive user experience. It can affect how users feel about your business and whether or not they will complete their purchase, give you their email address, or signup for your services. 

Visitors to your website should be able to figure out how to use your website intuitively. If they can’t, they’re likely to give up and go elsewhere for the product or service they are looking for.