In this blog, we will discuss the concepts of the most important UI design principles and how to apply them. In the digital age, design is more than just a sleek surface treatment that makes an app or website look good. Thoughtful user interface design enhances digital product experiences by improving usability, accessibility, and inclusivity for global users. Thousands of designers around the world are now using UI design principles with Figma. So let's get to know all about it.

What are UI design principles?

In digital design, UI design principles are broad guidance designers rely on to create designs that serve and delight users. Our job as digital designers is to help users access the content and features they need, so they can accomplish what they want to do. UI design principles matter draw inspiration from the Gestalt principles of human perception, grouping design elements into simple patterns that users can easily follow to reach their goals.

Why UI design principles matter

Everyone can use, follow, and enjoy digital products more easily when the best standards in UI design principles for websites. Consider a user as someone who approaches you for guidance. They're likely to go lost if you only show them a map and hope they can memorize it. But what if you direct them to a sign that indicates this is the way to their destination, and they may follow the directions from there? It is a fantastic encounter. Establishing indications that users can follow to achieve their goals is made easier by UI design concepts. One interaction, one click, one scroll at a time.

Designers find it easier to make decisions when they follow clear, consistent UI design standards. Product teams operate more efficiently and designers have less cognitive strain when UI design standards are established early on. Participants who had access to a design system finished their design objective 34% faster than those who did not, according to Figma data analysts.

Key Principles for Designing Interactive User Interfaces

Numerous design principles for creating interactive user interfaces (UI) must be familiar to you. Different designers may have different answers. Do they operate accordingly, though? We've listed a few topics below; read it through to learn more.

Read More: –The 12 Best Online UX Design Courses (2024)

Establishing a Clear Starting Point:

One of the main guidelines for creating an interactive user interface is to clearly define the beginning point (sign-in, for example). It can lessen users' effort and misunderstanding when completing tasks with digital products. Let's say you walk into a mall and are having trouble finding the store you want to visit. That must be very annoying for you. It certainly is. In these situations, you may choose to purchase at a different, more accessible location.

User psychology applies to digital products in a manner comparable to this real-world example. The starting point needs to be marked so that users know where to start right away. It is impossible to create an engaging and user-centric interaction design without this principle. You must employ interface design elements wisely if you want to include this notion in your design. Relevant and comprehensible iconography and typography should be used for navigation. And the user's perspective should be used for everything.

Maintaining Internal Consistency in Design:

The secret to making a product interactive in interaction design is internal consistency. Once the user has the beginning point, it is crucial to keep things consistent throughout the process to make the work seem simple to do. A confusing user interface design principle is the outcome of inconsistent design. A thorough explanation of what needs to be done next and why should be provided.

Navigation problems may arise if the app's icons, actions, or functions are inconsistent. For instance, the "Back" button utilizes a word label in some places and a left arrow image in others. It is challenging for users to rapidly recognize frequent actions because of this inconsistency. Therefore, while creating a product's user interface design principles, you should strictly prevent this inconsistency.

Integrating Familiar Design Elements:

When creating a product's interface, it's critical to choose recognizable components rather than uncommon or novel ones. This guarantees that consumers will be able to interact with the interface with ease and comprehend the purpose of each piece. It is not user-centered design if your design elements leave people confused about how to engage with them. Recognizable components are essential to making the user's journey through the platform easier to complete.

In this case, you should choose components that are recognizable to your target audience after determining who your target audience is. For example, it's crucial to employ design aspects that are well-known in the target location while creating for it. Similarly, if elderly people make up part of your target demographic, think about using retro design features.

Delivering Clear Error Messages:

To improve user experience and boost engagement, you need to give a clear error message. As soon as problems arise, the user should be able to pinpoint the precise problems with their procedure. For example, if you miss a part when filling out the Google sign-up form, a red mark will indicate the missing information. As a result, consumers find it easier to locate and fix the missing area.

Keeping the language clear and concise
Keeping user actions specific and logical
Avoiding technical jargon
Showing the actual field that the user missed

Assisting in Exploration:

Because it has the power to make or break a system or product, designing an interface that is easy for users to use is crucial. An interface should be simple enough for users to understand how to use it and what it can do. Consider visual cues such as color, font, spacing, and patterns as helpful indicators that direct user interface design principles.

Another important factor is that you can click on and interact with buttons and menus. They provide you with advice and motivate you to continue your exploration. To generate better solutions, designers effectively experiment with various design ideas by using tools and approaches.

Additionally, while starting to create user interface design principles, interaction design thoroughly investigates the issue and the goals of the target audience. This data directs the design process, ensuring that the user interface fulfills their needs and inspires exploration. Furthermore, contented people tend to have nicer experiences in general when they are investigating.

Prioritizing Simplicity in Design:

Making UX design principles for a website simple is essential to make it interactive. It serves as the cornerstone of an excellent interactive user experience. Maintaining simplicity in your design has a good impact on how users engage with the user interface. First and foremost, usability is improved by simplicity. By keeping things simple, users can navigate the UI and do activities with ease. Users are more likely to remain interested, investigate further, and become devoted users or customers when they find something simple to use.

Furthermore, goal achievement is accelerated by simplicity. Simplifying design streamlines the user's journey to their goals. As a result, they will be able to do activities faster and more effectively, leading to a more seamless and fulfilling experience. A touch of aesthetics is also added to your design by simplicity. Interfaces that are uncomplicated and easy to use are usually more visually appealing. Users are more likely to remain interested in and complete the intended actions such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter when they find a design visually appealing.

Designing for Forgiveness in User Interaction:

If you want to create interactive UX design principles for a website, you must make your design forgiving. Because human error is inevitable, it's possible for users to inadvertently make mistakes when interacting with your product to complete a task. This might be quite frustrating for them because they may have to start the procedure over from scratch. It's important to adhere to the forgiving principle so that users can pick up where they left off and avoid irritation of this kind. User pleasure is prioritized in goods using this strategy, which greatly improves the overall user experience.

Giving Prompt Feedback:

In user interface design, prompt feedback refers to providing users with relevant and fast responses while interacting with a product's interface. Feedback should be really clear so that users can comprehend what is happening as a result of their actions with ease. Additionally, it must be obvious so that consumers are aware that their swipes and clicks are being acknowledged. So why is receiving feedback quickly such a big deal? Well, the main goal is to simplify things for users. It enhances their experience, helps them get what they want without any needless difficulties, and keeps them coming back for more. UI design principles matter feedback includes things like error warnings, loading spinners, and those little symbols that inform you of what's happening.

Make sure to elicit detailed information from users regarding their product experience while soliciting their opinions. And do it in a way that gives them a sense of inclusion and connectivity. Please include some context so they understand what you're trying to find.

How To Use Them Figma

Figma is simple to use at first, but there is a lot to understand before you can take full advantage of its capabilities. With the fundamentals of shapes, photos, and text, you may quickly begin building a website, designing a mobile application, and much more.

Figma account
Create and modify new frames
Insert images, text, and other objects
Save your styles
Add components
Make auto layouts

➡️ Figma account:- To begin, go to www.figma.com and join up by clicking the Get Started icon in the upper right corner. If you already have an account with them, use the login button instead. Since this is a tutorial, we will use the sign-up option. For this, Figma provides two alternatives. Click the Continue with Google button, or enter your email and password. You’ll also be prompted to give your name, identify the sort of job you perform, and explain how you want to utilize Figma.

➡️ Create and modify new frames:- On Figma, frames function similarly to boards. They represent the interface that the design’s end users will engage with. On Figma, you can choose from a variety of frames to display your design. To build new frames, open the design file and select the Frame tool in the upper left corner. Have difficulties locating it? Look for the button that resembles a hashtag. You may also generate additional frames by using the F key on your keyboard.

➡️ Insert images, text, and other objects:- There are several methods for inserting photos into your frames on Figma. The most frequent and easiest method is to drag and drop them onto your workspace. You may also use the Shape menu at the top of the page to pick Place Image/Video. When you click Open, a dialogue window will appear in which you may pick the photographs you wish to utilize. Then click ok to insert the image.

➡️ Save your styles:- Saving your styles allows you to avoid repeating the same design process. If you want all of the text headers in your design to have the same font, color, and size, you can build a style and store it as a reusable H2 style.

➡️ Add components:- Components are groupings of UI design principles matter, objects, or layers that may be reused across your design. They let you keep a consistent design without having to update or scale your work.

➡️ Make auto layouts:- Auto Layout is a feature that allows you to construct a dynamic frame that expands or contracts as you modify the information within it. This will assist you avoid having to alter the frame repeatedly. It also allows you to see whether your design works in real life with a simple click.

Conclusion

Following these eight UI design principles, matter can help you develop user-friendly interfaces. Prioritizing clarity, simplicity, accessibility, user-centricity, and feedback in your design will allow for frictionless interactions.

8 Key UI Design Principles And How To Use Them Figma

Table of contents

Follow Us