How to Create a Better User Interface

To keep your users highly engaged and happy you need to create a simple, attractive and user-friendly interface. Thus, to help you create a better UI for your next website, we are giving you some very useful tips here.

Highlight Important Changes

Use AJAX which allows users to update a portion of the webpage without the need of the whole page to be refreshed; or use highlighting or animation to make users aware of the ongoing process their action rendered the site. You can implement animation using JavaScript to give a visual feedback. Although refrain from putting too much of animation to prevent slowing down of your website and also to diffuse the user’s attention.

Upgrade Options on the Account Page

If your application has several subscription options, you must consider putting the upgrade option right on the user’s account page, to give them a clear idea of the available options and supported functionalities and to make the process hassle free.

Advertise the Feature of Your Application

Since it is very likely for your users to not have read your detailed marketing page or gone through your extensive help section to get to know all the available features of your product or app; it is very thoughtful to advertise your product’s features right there on the app pages; ideally in the sidebar.

Offer Personalization Options

Offering customization options to your users, allows them to connect with the application. Let them change the color of the links, tabs or choose background wallpaper. However, the system’s functionality should not be compromised by it and should still continue to work efficiently and fast enough to meet the user’s needs.

Use Color Codes for Various Lists

Color-coding different tasks and content that appear on the same page, together, allows the users to identify the different content easily. It can be done by putting text inside differently colored boxes. Same colors should not be used for various tasks and similarly different colors must not be used for the same task. Plus the colors should be distinct and at the same time their contrast shouldn’t be harsh on the eyes.

Use Tabbed Navigation

Using different tabs for different pages on the main navigation menu lets the users know what is it and what it does, very easily. Also, since the tab in use is attached to the opened page, it will make the current page clearer and will give the users a sense of control and orientation.

Display Help Messages that Attract the Eye

You can create a better UI by using small visually attractive sticky notes offering help to your users like to help people to get started. Another way is to use small visual graphics or icons against the design elements that need explanation.

Design Feedback Forms Carefully

Using traffic-lights based color coding here, is a good idea; green for successful completion of an action, yellow for warning or wait and red for showing error. Or you can also use certain small universal symbols like tick or an exclamatory sign within a triangle to show success or warning respectively.

Employ Short Sign-Up Forms

What users detest the most are the long sign-up forms they have to fill to become members or customers. To avoid this, remove all optional elements and use only the most essential fields to be filled in.