As the Web services market continues to shift and evolve in response to global accessibility needs and consumer demands, companies are continuing to extend and enhance their Internet-based services. Planning and following an integrated design process are invaluable in ensuring that a project is successful. Companies that don't possess the variety of disciplines involved in the creative process can partner with external resources that are agile and experienced in those areas.

Developing an enjoyable user experience online is an important part of building and maintaining trust with existing customers and prospects searching for specific services.

In order to create the user experience, you need to define your users and the top tasks they will perform as well as identify the potential scenarios for how they will interact with your application. Once you have this information, you can create an overall concept that provides the direction for the user experience.

Good experiences can build trust with customers, while an unsatisfactory experience can destroy a company's credibility with their existing customers and prospects. By following an integrated design approach, a company can design and develop an easy-to-use interface that creates an enjoyable experience. The following is a set of steps that can give your company insight into the process of user interface design.

First, take your user research and reference it throughout the process. User research can be gathered from conducting customer surveys, sending out questionnaires, or interviewing key users of your offering. If you have the opportunity to include real end users in your process - take it!

Next, start mapping the tasks that a user can accomplish based on the features you've defined for your application. Use your scenarios (defined based on your user research) to validate the flows and identify any incomplete paths that may have been missed.

Begin mapping out your menu systems while keeping in mind how your audience will want to interact with the service. Involve real users in the process with usability testing terms, labels, and workflows to gain real feedback and direction for how to improve their interactions before you have developed anything.

The next step in the process is designing a solid user interface. This involves identifying the different elements for each screen, areas of focus, and the features that allow users to travel through and manipulate the content. Success at this stage demands that you involve real users in the process by running task-based usability tests that reveal how a user moves through the information and how they rate their experience with the application.

Once your prototype has been successfully tested with real end users, a knowledgeable development team should implement the solution. By keeping in mind issues of security, reliable data transmission, browser compatibility, and platforms, the system can respond in a way that meets the expectations of its audience. It also affects how successful the experience is because it directly impacts how a user interacts with the design.

If it sounds like a vast array of knowledge and creative discipline are required to achieve all of this - you're right! Many companies don't possess the many disciplines required to create, develop, and maintain their Web service. They need to look outside their own firm to take advantage of companies that gather the necessary skill sets and are extremely agile in designing and developing Internet-based applications.

Finding a partner who can provide strategic direction and streamline the design process can ensure a positive user experience for your customers. It's never too early to start planning for your next release, and define how you're going to meet the increasingly high demands of your customers.

Author Bio
Thomas Obrey cofounded PixelMEDIA in 1994. As chief operating officer, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, managing the development and professional services staff, and providing senior-level strategy and consultation services to the company's client base. PixelMEDIA provides strategy, design, and implementation services for Web, multimedia, and IT initiatives.