Design beyond acronyms and anglicisms*
The term design has deep and varied roots. Some associate it with the Latin verb designare, meaning the realization of an idea. Others see design as something related to plans and intentions. Even Bard AI has its own definition: the “creation of something new,” be it a physical object, a process, or a system. The truth is there is no universal consensus.
From my perspective as a User Interface (UI) Designer at a technology company focused on developing corporate software with Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), design can be used to solve problems, make things more efficient, or simply more beautiful. It is also a combination of efficiency, cost-saving, and competitive advantage, especially in the context of UI Enterprise Design.
UI Enterprise Design?
Yes. This term refers to the process of designing the user interface (UI) of corporate software products and services. The UI is the part that users interact with directly (menus, buttons, icons, and widgets). It is extremely important because it affects the usability, accessibility, and security of a software product/service.
And to identify improvements, create/implement solutions, and respond to users’ challenges and needs, designers use critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. This “problem solver” approach defines me as a professional in the “era of acronyms” of design – UI (User Interface), UI/UX (User Experience), IXD (Interaction Design), UI-IA (User Interface Information Architecture), and HCI (Human-Computer Interaction), to name a few.
But talking about design is also about balance: user-centered solutions tailored to the specific business context’s needs and preferences, but solutions that equally improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes/tasks and align with the “production process” – development/programming, which should be agile, scalable, and in constant evolution. It’s a recipe with various ingredients, such as:
- Empathy: Putting oneself in the user’s place and feeling their needs, frustrations, and preferences in order to solve their problems and improve their experience;
- Psychology: Understanding the cognitive process, user interaction with interfaces, and decision-making. The principles of Gestalt, for example, are used in UI Design to present content more intuitively.
- Technology: Knowing the unique characteristics and specificities of the platforms and tools used helps to circumvent challenges and create technically feasible solutions.
- Collaboration: Exchanging ideas and “translating” design concepts with software developers, product managers, UX specialists, clients, partners, or other stakeholders, to ensure the design is correctly implemented and meets the project’s needs.
- Usability: Eliminating unnecessary elements and facilitating user interaction to reduce cognitive overload and make their journey more direct and efficient – with the fewest barriers and clicks possible;
- Business: Understanding the domain for which you are working contributes to making more informed decisions aligned with the goals of the client and the end user (whether creating a CRM system, purchasing, or subscribing to a newsletter).
- Accessibility: Ensuring that the design is responsive, works on different devices/screen sizes available, and is accessible to all users, with or without some limitation or disability.
- Adaptability: Adapting the design based on technological changes, trends, or continuous and regular feedback from users, in order to make the necessary adjustments and improvements.
- Cultural awareness: Understanding that today’s globalized world requires solutions with various cultural nuances for users with different backgrounds, contexts, traditions, languages, or social practices.
- Emotion: Incorporating emotion is crucial to establishing a human connection and making a difference in a market saturated with similar offerings. Thinking of that detail (message, notification, button, animation, etc.) that steals a smile unexpectedly? Exactly.
And not talking about AI would be a “contextual error”. Even in its developmental stage, this technology has the potential to revolutionize UI Enterprise Design positively. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it will be an essential tool for designers to streamline and refine research, find innovative ideas, automate prototyping and testing tasks, etc.
Finally, to say that interface design is much more than a current trend or an excellent way to draw more women into the tech universe. It is a severe and complex discipline where various technical, creative, and interpersonal skills converge to create aesthetically pleasing, functional, user-centered, and business-centered solutions. And an area where men and women can join forces and contribute with their unique perspectives and experiences to shape a more inclusive, accessible, and humanized digital future.
*This article was originally published in Marketeer.