User experience amounts to more than good UI design

Any business or developer that thinks a good user experience (UX) on the internet comes down to good web UI design must think again. While proper GUI design goes a long way to improving a website, there is more to UX than aesthetics.

According to CMSWire, a great UX combines good design, empathy with the user and a sustainable business model while also incorporating the ideas of the users, the developers and the businessmen and women who interact with the site. While this applies more to business web design than consumer, it works both ways. A user has to feel comfortable using a website, which generally means incorporating the user's needs into the design process while also taking into consideration what the creator/owner wants to see in a website.

This can mean different things for different designers, especially those versed in UX. Either the website has to focus on usability for users while incorporating the desires of the developers and owners, or it has to focus on maximizing web design usability regardless of those desires. These two differing viewpoints are not black and white though; there is a middle ground that can encompass the needs of both, and requires great UX design to do so.

There are four "truths" in UX design, according to the news source: sharing, incorporating outside viewpoints, paying attention to human needs and remaining flexible for growth. Any website should be constantly evolving - code can be updated, features can be changed. In order to maintain consistent user satisfaction while remaining current on technological evolutions, developers and designers must take all of these four points into consideration.

Designing a great website requires attention to detail and a willingness to change even the most favored ideas, because, ultimately, the site is designed for the user, not the creator. Even the best-designed website can drive users away by ignoring their needs in both features and appearance, and even poor graphical user interface design can draw in users if it has the features they want most.

Regardless of its intended purpose, by keeping these key points in mind, a website can be improved for the user experience, and kept open for future improvements as well.