UxD myths — #4 You don’t need content to think about design
Myths — those hard-and-fast beliefs which often start as plausible ideas or one-off observations — seem to permeate so many aspects of our lives. Naturally, User Experience Design (UxD) is no different.
In the last article of this series, we’ve discussed our third myth — More choices = greater satisfaction — we’ve tried to understand what is better for the user, a large number of choices or fewer and more straightforward solutions.
This time we’ll understand what comes first, design or content?
#4 You don’t need content to think about design
In most projects, the designer starts off with a high-level brief and nothing else, meaning the design will likely need to adapt based on changing content demands.
What do we mean by content?
Content is anything from copy to graphics, not forgetting audio and video. It’s everything we use to communicate an idea. Content is all of the information displayed by an application that a user needs to understand to perform any necessary tasks.
Design is communication. If you don’t know what you want to communicate, coming up with the right design is nigh-on impossible. Most design problems are, in fact, communication problems. The interfaces designed for users should facilitate interaction and understanding between people and the things around them.
By knowing what any interface needs to communicate, we can accommodate content in the best possible way.
Putting content first is more efficient in the long run. Not only does it lead to more efficient design production but using actual content (or likely material), helps uncover potential roadblocks sooner. This makes sure that designs do not need to be drastically changed as a project evolves.
When you define content before starting any design process, it helps structure the application in a way that can better guide users, assisting them to achieve their goals effectively.
Knowing your content helps you create the right layout and structure for your design. Put content first and grand designs will follow.
Get in touch
UxD team at Critical Software — Designing for critical systems
uxd@criticalsoftware.com
Check out other insightful content on the importance of user experience design, right here.
