The digital landscape is always changing. Websites and applications are becoming the front door to businesses, and the pressure for an exceptional user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) has never been more significant. In this competitive environment, standing out with a design that doesn’t just look great but also works perfectly is crucial.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll investigate 10 examples of UX/UI design that have nailed the brief and are worth examining for elements that might dynamically transform your own digital presence. Each example is dissected to reveal the strategy behind their design, ultimately uncovering principles that you can adapt to your brand’s design concepts. At Big Red Jelly in Provo, Utah, we believe that great design is not only functional and visually appealing but also human-centered. With that in mind, let’s dive into the world of UX/UI design done right.
1. Airbnb – Visual Storytelling and Seamless Navigation
Airbnb has mastered the art of captivating visual storytelling. Their website employs high-quality imagery, enticing visitors to explore and discover. What’s truly remarkable is the seamless navigation that allows users to jump from inspiration to booking in a few clicks. They also utilize a minimalistic UI that keeps focus on the content while providing a clutter-free experience. The driving force behind Airbnb’s design is user engagement through intuitive and emotional navigation.
2. Duolingo – Gamification of Learning
Duolingo demonstrates how to gamify complex processes to make learning a language both effective and fun. The platform’s UI encourages consistent use with progress bars that resemble video game interface designs. These make bench-marking progress a clear, motivating challenge, displaying complex data in an easily digestible way. The UX encourages return visits and high engagement rates, a testament to its success in gamifying the language acquisition process.
3. Headspace – Delightful and Calming Aesthetic
Headspace is a mindfulness app that aims to bring tranquility through its digital offering. Their soothing color palette and gentle animations create a calming effect, which is in line with the app’s purpose. The UI design is straightforward, allowing quick and smooth navigation for a stress-free user experience. In this example, the UI reflects the UX goal, delivering on the emotional resonance promised by the brand.
4. Stripe – Simplified and Transparent Process
Stripe, a payment processing powerhouse, sets the benchmark for how to design a complex process underpinning their business. Their UI is minimalistic with clear, easy-to-understand graphics that explain what are ordinarily challenging, back-end financial transactions. Stripe’s design is successful because it simplifies what’s complicated, and it clearly explains a process most users would typically find overwhelming.
5. Canva – Empowering Creativity Through Accessible Design
Canva is a graphic design platform that has democratized aesthetics. Their UX/UI design is all about user empowerment. The platform provides a host of tools to the user while maintaining a clean, simple interface. Their onboarding process is smooth and efficient, giving even design novices access to all the features. Canva makes intricate design decisions behind the scenes, but the design makes the process of creating polished, professional graphics approachable for everyone.
6. Trello – Information Management Made Visually Appealing
Trello is a project management tool that essentially boils down to a complex online to-do list. Its success in both UX and UI design lies in how it leverages a simple concept and turns it into a visually engaging experience. The platform uses cards to represent tasks, lists to showcase progress, and boards as an overarching project. It allows users to comprehend a lot of information at a glance, and it brings an enjoyable organization to what would be considered a dull task for many.
7. Spotify – Personalization at the Core
Spotify’s success in the UX/UI space is due to personalization. The platform collects user data to suggest music, playlists, and podcasts that match individual interests. Their UI adapts to user behavior and continuously evolves to showcase content that the user is most likely to engage with. The simplicity of the platform’s design helps focus on personalized content, always ensuring a delightful experience for the user.
8. Slack – Contextual Design to Boost Productivity
Slack is a communication tool that’s all about being in the right place at the right time. The app’s UX/UI design is elegantly crafted to ensure that the right information is always at your fingertips. Messages are sorted by relevance, helping users to prioritize conversations with ease. Slack’s design is not just about looks; it’s about enabling users to manage information effectively, keeping productivity at the forefront.
9. Mint – From Complexity to Clarity
Mint, the personal finance app, does an excellent job of taking a potentially daunting topic and translating it into an accessible and educational experience. Its UX/UI design is geared toward simplifying multiple financial sources into a single dashboard. Clear graphics and color-coded categories help users understand their financial health at a glance. Mint’s design choices help steer users away from the anxiety of personal finance towards proactive and informed control over their spending and saving habits.
10. The New York Times – Balancing Tradition with Innovation
The New York Times’ digital edition strikes a balance between delivering the news in a traditional newspaper format (columns, sections, and headlines arranged chronologically) and integrating digital elements such as videos and interactive graphics. Its UI makes the dense content of a newspaper easy to digest on different devices. The UX is spurred by the new ways readers interact with news, resulting in a design that respects the old but fully embraces the new.
Trust Big Red Jelly for Your UX/UI Design Needs
At Big Red Jelly in Provo, Utah, we are passionate about creating exceptional user experiences that make a lasting impression. Our team of expert designers combines creativity with data-driven insights to craft intuitive and visually appealing designs. Let us help you elevate your brand’s digital presence through our top-notch UX/UI design services. Contact us today to learn more!
