The Impact of User Experience on Business Success

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Welcome back to the business ignite podcast, where we light the fire

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for business growth and marketing success.

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Your hosts, Ethan Walker, Samantha Reed,

bring you the latest trends, expert

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insights, and actionable strategies

to fuel your business journey.

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Let's ignite your potential.

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Samantha Reed: Okay.

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So we all have our

favorite websites, right?

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The ones that just make sense.

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You can find what you need like

instantly, but have you ever

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like stopped to think about.

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Why some sites just click and others

you're just clicking and clicking

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and clicking in frustration.

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Ethan Walker: Yeah.

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It's funny how good web design

can be almost invisible, right?

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When it's working, you

don't even notice it.

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You just seamlessly guide it to your goal.

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But bad design?

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Oof.

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You notice that right away.

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Samantha Reed: Sticks

out like a sore thumb.

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Ethan Walker: Yeah.

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Samantha Reed: And to help us decode the

DNA of effective design, we're taking a

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deep dive into an article from 95 Visual.

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Oh yeah.

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These are the Gurus of all things visual,

their piece, the benefits of reading good

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design articles really resonated with me.

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It's packed with insights that go way

beyond just making things look pretty.

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Ethan Walker: Absolutely.

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And I think one of the biggest

takeaways from it for me is

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that it's really about people.

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Right at, at its core web design

is about understanding people,

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your psychology, your behavior,

even your potential frustrations.

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Samantha Reed: So it's less about

the tech itself, more about.

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How we as humans experience that tech.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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And the article really

emphasizes user experience.

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It's about anticipating your

needs as a visitor, and then using

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design principles to guide you

effortlessly through the site.

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Samantha Reed: That makes me think

about those times I've landed on

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a website and Instantly felt lost.

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Like, where's the menu?

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How do I even find anything?

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Ethan Walker: Right.

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And that's a perfect example

of where design falls short.

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And the article actually gives some

specific examples, like confusing

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navigation or burying crucial

information deep within the site.

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These are the design sins that make

us want to hit that back button

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faster than you could say 404 error.

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Samantha Reed: Oh, I've been there.

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It almost feels like some websites

forget they're being designed for actual

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humans who need to, you know, use them.

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Ethan Walker: Yeah, and that's

precisely why understanding

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user psychology is so crucial.

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It's about empathy.

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A good designer puts themselves in

the visitor's shoes, anticipating

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their needs and potential pain points.

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It's about removing

obstacles, Not creating them.

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Samantha Reed: So it's

almost like good design.

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It's like a good host at a party.

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They make you feel welcome and

point you in the right direction

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and make sure you're having a good

time without even realizing they're

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orchestrating the whole thing.

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Ethan Walker: I love that analogy.

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Mm-Hmm, . And then on the flip side of

that bad design is like that awkward guest

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who blocks the snack table and talks your

ear off about their stamp collection.

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Samantha Reed: Ouch.

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I can practically feel the awkwardness.

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Ethan Walker: Yeah.

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Samantha Reed: Okay.

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So if those are the pitfalls.

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How do we design websites that

people actually enjoy using?

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Ethan Walker: So this is where the

article gets really interesting.

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It dives into the strategic thinking

behind good design and how understanding

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things like visual hierarchy can really

make or break the user experience.

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Samantha Reed: Visual hierarchy.

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Now that sounds a little intimidating.

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Is this where things start

getting too technical?

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Ethan Walker: Not at all.

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It's actually quite intuitive

once you understand the basics.

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Think of it like this.

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Samantha Reed: So about that visual

hierarchy thing, it still sounds

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a bit like design jargon to me.

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Break it down for us non designers.

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Ethan Walker: It's simpler than it sounds.

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Imagine walking into a room where

everything is the same size and color.

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Overwhelming.

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Every virtual hierarchy is about

creating order out of that chaos.

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Samantha Reed: Okay, so instead

of a room, it's a website.

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And instead of furniture, it's

headlines, images, buttons.

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Ethan Walker: You got it.

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It's about guiding your eye.

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Just like a museum curator

arranges exhibits to, like,

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lead you through a story.

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The article mentions techniques

like using size and placement.

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You got it.

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Larger elements, especially at the top,

naturally draw our attention first.

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Samantha Reed: So like those giant

hero images you see on some websites.

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The ones with the sweeping landscapes

or the product shots that make you

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want to reach out and touch them.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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They're using size to

immediately grab your attention.

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But it's not just about size,

it's also about using contrast.

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Ever noticed how important text is, often

in a, like, bold, contrasting color?

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That's not an accident.

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Samantha Reed: And don't forget

those strategically placed call

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to action buttons, the ones that

practically scream, Click me, click me.

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They always seem to be in a contrasting

color that pops off the page.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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They're using color to

subconsciously guide your actions.

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It's about making that desired action,

whether it's signing up for a newsletter

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or making a purchase impossible to miss.

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Samantha Reed: So there's actually

a whole science behind making

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those buttons irresistible.

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I've been manipulated by good design.

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Ethan Walker: We all have.

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But the article argues that this

influence could be a force for good.

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When used ethically, it enhances

usability, making it easier for us

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to find what we need and engage with

the content in a meaningful way.

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Samantha Reed: That makes sense.

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It's like the difference between

a cluttered store with products

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haphazardly thrown on shelves versus a

beautifully merchandised boutique where

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everything has its place and you're

naturally drawn to the key pieces.

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Ethan Walker: I love that comparison.

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You're welcome.

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And this brings us to another

crucial design principle highlighted

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in the article, simplicity.

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You know, in a world that's just

saturated with information, it's

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the simple things that stand out.

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Samantha Reed: So we're talking

about clean lines, uncluttered

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layouts, that kind of thing.

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Ethan Walker: Precisely.

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It's about giving your

content room to breathe.

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The article argues that simplicity

reduces what's known as cognitive load.

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Samantha Reed: Cognitive

load sounds heavy.

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Ethan Walker: It's actually about making

things feel lighter, mentally speaking.

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Think of it this way.

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Samantha Reed: Okay.

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So cognitive load is like that feeling

you get when you've been scrolling

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for hours and your brain is fried.

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Like it's information overload.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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And a cluttered.

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Poorly designed website just adds

to that cognitive overload, but

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a simple, well organized site

feels like a breath of fresh air.

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It actually reduces stress and

allows us to focus on the content.

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Samantha Reed: So it's like choosing

a quiet cafe over a noisy, crowded bar

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when you're trying to get some work done.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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It's about creating an environment

that's conducive to the task at hand.

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And in this case, that task is finding

information, making a purchase.

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Or simply enjoying the content.

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Samantha Reed: This has been eye opening.

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We've talked about user psychology, visual

hierarchy, the importance of simplicity.

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I feel like I'm seeing

websites with new eyes now.

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Ethan Walker: That's exactly what we want.

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This Deep Dive wasn't just about giving

you abstract design principles, it was

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about giving you a new perspective.

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A new lens through which

to view the online world.

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Samantha Reed: So it's less about

becoming design experts overnight,

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more about becoming more mindful.

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More discerning users.

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Ethan Walker: Precisely.

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As the article suggests, start paying

attention to the websites you visit.

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What design choices are they making,

what's working, what's not, and why.

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You might be surprised

by what you discover.

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Samantha Reed: You know, the article

itself mentions that 95 Visual finds

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inspiration in other online resources like

Creative Block Muesli and Red Lemon Club.

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Those are some great places

to start exploring design

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further, if you're interested.

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Ethan Walker: Absolutely.

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And I encourage you to approach these

resources, not just as a passive

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observer, but as a But as an active

participant in the design process,

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ask questions, challenge assumptions,

and most importantly, don't be

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afraid to develop your own opinions

about what makes good design work.

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Samantha Reed: This has been

a fascinating deep dive.

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It's amazing how much thought and

strategy goes into something we

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interact with every single day,

often without even realizing it.

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Ethan Walker: It's true.

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Good design has the power to

inform, engage, and even inspire us.

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And by understanding the principles

behind it, we can become more informed

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users, more discerning consumers,

and even more creative thinkers.

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Samantha Reed: So next time you're

browsing online, take a moment to

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appreciate the hidden language of design.

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You might be surprised

at what it's telling you.

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And on that note, thanks for

joining us on this deep dive

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into the world of web design.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for tuning

into the Business Ignite podcast,

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where we fuel your business

growth and marketing success.

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If you enjoyed today's episode,

be sure to rate and review us.

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It does help others find the show.

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Don't forget to follow us on social

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share this episode with a friend.

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Keep the fire burning and remember,

your success is just one strategy away.

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Until next time, stay ignited.