User experience design and user interface design are two fundamental aspects of creating digital products that resonate with users. To break it down:
- User Experience Design dives deep into understanding the feelings, emotions, and needs of users when interacting with a product. It’s about making sure every interaction meets the user’s emotional needs and provides a smooth and intuitive experience.
- User Interface Design shapes the visual representation of these feelings and needs. It crafts the aesthetic aspects of a product — the colors, typography, navigation, and interactive elements — that stir emotions and resonate with users on a deeper level.
In a world increasingly shaped by digital experiences, UX and UI design have emerged as essential building blocks. While it’s true that something can be highly functional without necessarily being aesthetically pleasing, the inverse also holds: a visually stunning interface can falter in functionality. These two concepts are intrinsically linked, as the visual and interactive elements of an interface directly influence and shape the broader user experience.
Website Analysis
For my principles of user experience design course, we were tasked with analyzing two websites or apps by focusing on the intertwining roles of emotions and needs in UX and UI design. Our assignment was centered around the FEEL NEED technique, a critical aspect of understanding how users interact with digital platforms. I chose to analyze YouTube and Twitch as leading video and streaming platforms. This analysis provided insights into how design elements, both in user experience and user interface, can evoke specific emotions and address user needs.
First, what exactly is the FEEL NEED technique? How does it relate to UX and UI design? The FEEL NEED technique is a structured method used to gain deeper insights into a user’s emotional response and its connection to their underlying needs when interacting with a product or service. The framework we were given is: (Site Feature) makes me FEEL _____ because my NEED for _____ is OR is not met. In this format, the “FEEL _____” captures the emotional reaction elicited by that feature, while the “NEED for _____” articulates the need or desire driving that emotion. By determining whether this need is met or unmet, we can gain a clearer understanding of user satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Essentially, this technique allows for a systematic examination of the user experience, which helps us pinpoint areas of enhancement or redesign.
I chose to analyze both the video and streaming features of YouTube and Twitch, with a focus on the streaming aspect. While YouTube gained its reputation as a video platform, it has transitioned into the streaming world as well. Notably, as Twitch faces growing backlash over its new policies — particularly around the new ad rules and revenue split change — from viewers and streamers alike, many of its top creators have made the move to YouTube.
Here is link to my presentation: Website Analysis on YouTube and Twitch