The Role Of Branding in Our Lives
It’s crazy how sometimes we’re so obsessed with a brand. You could find the same comfort and quality with a similar product. But we still choose to go for a particular brand, wanting to feel that sense of familiarity.
How is it possible to get emotionally connected to a cup of coffee or chai you have every day on your way back home? What about that iconic pair of Converse that we buy every 4 years as it begins to get worn out? Or that dark black pencil with a dark point that gives really good handwriting? Alright, maybe the last one’s just me, but you get the idea right?
We’re all attached to a specific brand. Part of the reason is maybe because we can rely on it to deliver its promise. We’ve experienced how it feels, we’re familiar with it, and we don’t want to consider a change. People pay attention to things that make them feel a certain way.
There is a sense of emotional connection a brand fosters whenever we use it. Sometimes it’s a sense of warmth, the heartwarming kind, (not in its literal sense obviously), or happiness, ( like a specific brand of ice cream with a unique taste that cheers up your day), or even nostalgia, perhaps that particular fragrance from a particular brand reminds you of your mom.
What is UX UI design?
Before we dive into the importance of UX Design in branding, let’s first get a headstart on what UX design is.
UX and UI design involves the designing of easy-to-use, intuitive, interactive, and satisfying digital products.
While UI focuses on the visual elements of a digital product, like the buttons, screens, and icons, UX is all about how you feel using the entire product.
The Role of UX UI Design in Branding
You may wonder how UX and UI play a role in branding. Similar to products or services, websites and mobile apps that people use ultimately become a brand that they go back to, to complete a particular task. UX design and branding only connect occasionally when designing a website or mobile app.
This poses a question of why UX design matters so much then. Well, considering how often we buy a lot of things from phone cables to our favorite cakes online through a website or a mobile app, it does make sense to infuse the concept of branding into the design of these platforms, doesn’t it?
A really bad UX and UI with a confusing layout and a terrible color pallet can seriously negatively impact your brand. Whether it’s a mobile app or a website, you need to make sure your users have a great experience navigating through it.
Reasons Why UX Design Matters in Branding.
Consistency
Incorporating a UX design in a brand is important to ensure consistency in every touch point. The uniformity and consistency will help enhance the brand image. For example, Apple has always been the brand that took the quote “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication’ quite personally. Its product, logo, branding, and everything about it has one thing in common- a sleek modern design that’s always in style. And their UX? They have it in there too. Its clean layout and simple design are consistent on all devices.
Consistency in UX design will make users trust a brand, as it promises a sense of professionalism and reliability. Imagine you’re a fan of a famous burger joint, but their online order system is so sketchy you feel like you’re making an illegal purchase. What would it do to the brand’s reputation? Kill it right? They may be good at humorous Twitter replies but without a good UX design, a company can ruin its brand name.
Usability
Quick, clear, and user-friendly. AirBnB’s platform screams that tech-savvy travelers can find options to match their needs and get going with simply a tap. So why is the platform so famous? Why is it now THE brand for travelers who are on the lookout for accommodation? *Drumroll* UX DESIGN!
A good UX will ensure the user has a frictionless journey in completing a task. This will in turn give a positive experience to the user making them have a positive perception of the brand. Another advantage of great UX design is that it will keep the user engaged.
Take Netflix for example. The autoplay of the next episode has saved us from reaching out for the remote every 25 minutes and it’s great that at least someone does the job without us asking for it. Jokes apart, that’s an incredible UX design feature that adds to why Netflix is user-friendly as it is. With good usability, people will get a great impression of the brand’s commitment to quality and customer experience.
Competitive Edge
Imagine walking into a store where you have to climb 50 stairs and is poorly lit with no air conditioning either. You’d probably go for another choice, wouldn’t you? Similarly, a poorly designed website with bugs and errors will tarnish the brand name and make the user switch to another brand with simply a click on the search results.
Why UX design matters when it comes to branding because it establishes user trust and credibility, distinguishes your product from rivals, and provides a unified and memorable brand-user experience. Appropriate images and perfectly placed calls to action that all match the brand’s tone and design make it a stellar UX design that will secure the brand’s competitive edge.
Conclusion
According to a report, good UX design can increase conversions by up to 200%. I know what you’re thinking. Mentioning it initially would have saved you from reading a thousand-word article. But on a serious note, although I’ve mentioned only a few, there are enough and more reasons why UX is critical to your branding. Incorporating a good UX design will directly impact how people perceive your brand. So make sure your web development or mobile app development in Dubai takes into account a killer UX design strategy.
