UI/UX Design Guide: 10 Rules Every Designer Should Follow

The core of user interface design is meeting the users’ requirements and providing them with an outstanding design experience. Hence, when it comes to user interface, there are things considered such as utility, usability, and desirability. The primary goal of a UI UX design agency is creating a strong user experience in terms of designing and achieving the UI goals.

But here the question arises: How do UI designers achieve this goal and provide an intuitive designing experience? This UI UX design guide helps to know about the rules a UI designer must follow to deliver outstanding results. These top 10 rules for UI UX designers to design with simple explanation but have in-depth meaning into it. Here is the complete guide to UI UX design and the top 10 rules that every designer should follow.

Complete Guide to UI UX Design: Top 10 Rules for UI UX Designers

Accessibility

Providing accessibility is the key frame of an intuitive design. Ui UX design guide ensures that users can interact easily with the product with its designing part. Also, the design must be accessible to the users with disabilities like vision, hearing, and other impairments.

Key Considerations:

• Making use of proper HTML & form fields
• Adding ALT tags to images as well as keyboard navigation
• Follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to meet the standards.

Consistency

With consistency, it becomes easy for the user to get used to the product faster. This reduces the load of the users to understand the design. Make use of the elements in a way that makes the user confident to use it.

Key Considerations:

• Use a static style for visual elements like buttons, icons, fonts, etc.
• Make sure that the functional elements perform the same way on different pages.
• Make use of component libraries rather than reinventing the elements
• The navigation and UI behavior is stable for different browsers and devices
• Consistency builds trust and, in turn, increases user engagement

Be Clear

Being clear is not just about avoiding confusion; Users can easily move to the desired functionality access confidently. Make use of easy language and become easy to understand for users. Try to add descriptive words like “Create Account” or “Download PDF here” rather than using “Submit” or “Click Here.”

Key Considerations:

• Simple language in buttons and instructions.
• Identify errors or misunderstandings by testing the UI/UX design with real users.
• Avoid making use of technical terms and also avoid jargons

Feedback

Feedback lets the users know about their actions that are been undertaken. No matter whether it is a filling form or just loading a page. This includes the status of the communication, whether it is loading, error message or saving a document. One can provide interactive ways to users like a hover or an animation on completing a specific activity.

Key Considerations

• Make use of load spinners, checkmarks, or a progress bar
• Color codes can give proper indications to users. For example, red for error, green for success, and yellow for warning.
• Rather than waiting till submitting the form, try to display validation in the form itself

Also read: The Power of UI UX Design in Flutter App Development: Tips and Tricks

Recognition with Clues

It is difficult to force users to remember the flow of the design and how it works. Rather, it is a good idea to help the user understand with ease using different visual or context clues. Letting users recall the steps and follow them makes it easy to make them understand the functions. For this, UI UX designers can make the best use of icons and easy layout patterns.

Key Considerations

• Design with UI conventions like shopping cart icons and others
• Make users’ tasks easy by autocomplete or recent search suggestions
• All the elements must be visible for action, rather than hiding them in submenus
• Once users know what to do, they do it with speed and confidence.

Designing Standards

Users always prefer the UI UX design that meets the standards that help them to navigate confidently. This helps to improve the usability of the UI components.

Key Considerations

• Follow the design guidelines for specific platforms
• Use familiar icons that are easy to understand for users. For example, delete, settings, etc.
• Proper positioning of the elements of login or logout where users generally expect to have

Follow a Hierarchy

Hierarchy is nothing but a smooth flow of the complete process. This helps users to know what is first and what is last. Having proper use of space, color, and layout that fits the content logically. Placing the important elements wherever necessary.

Key Considerations

• For headings, generally, there are large fonts and bold styles
• Keep consistent spacing between elements
• For CTAs, make use of different color contrasts & combinations

Make it Simple

Having a simple design helps in less chance of errors and can complete the task at ease. Do not make use of unnecessary elements like buttons, features, etc. The focus should be on the core part of the design and essential elements.

Key Considerations

• Follow a simple design process with all basic options. Later in the future, implement the advanced options
• Make use of white space and have a clean layout
• Use limited colors and fonts in the UI/UX design

User Control

Providing specifics like the users can perform certain actions like undo actions, change preferences,s etc. This helps users to explore the design more freely, where they can perform actions like start, pause, cancel

Key Considerations:

• Add buttons like ‘Undo’ or ‘Back’
• Avoid making use of dialogues that are hard to understand by users
• Give users access to customize settings and preferences

Offer Support with Documentation

The design always needs support when required by the users. Whether they are new users or returning users, they should have access to the helpful resources. One can provide support using different options like FAQ, tutorials etc. The content for the support should be simple and action-oriented.

Key Considerations

• Providing support to users with the help of tutorials & FAQs
• Help content must be clear & specific
• Mention step-by-step instructions for complex process
• Live chat for real-time support

Know more about: Trends in Micro-Interactions and Animation in UI UX Design