User Interface Design
Published on the 25 May 2022 by Mireia Olaria Pisa
As the last project of the Creative Digital and Graphic Design BA (Hons) top-up degree, I am going to be working on digital User-Experience design. I will chose a brand that has a digital user
experience that I feel can be improved and I will develop a self-directed creative brief to redesign this UE for the better.
While User Interface deals with the point of interaction between the user and a digital device or product, User Experience is the process of developing and improving the quality of interaction between a user and all elements of a company or system. UX design focuses on the overall feel of the experience while UI also considers the look, feel and interactivity to make it as intuitive and responsive as possible.
To put those concepts into practice, the brand I chose to redesign the digital user experience of is CeX. CeX was founded in London in 1992, and it is a physical and online store where you can buy, sell and exchange a range of technology and entertainment products including mobile phones, video games, DVDs and Blu-ray movies, computers, digital electronics, TVs and monitors, and music CDs. I find CeX to
be a great brand, as there are many benefits of buying second hand products, such as saving money, helping the environment and preserving natural resources. That is why I think that it is such a shame that their website has such a disappointing User Interface design.
The truth is that you only need to have a quick look at the homepage of CeX to find out why I chose to redesign their website. The overall design is cluttered and messy, and each element of the web page gets lost in the design.
Even though the logo of CeX is easy enough to recognise, the header uses all the colours of the rainbow, and it is difficult to differentiate the main menu on the background image. The top menu is way too long with unnecessary sections to choose from, which could just be placed at the footer of the website. The “sub-menu”, which indicated the types of products they sell, has been designed with every colour of the rainbow, which doesn’t tie in with the colour scheme of the logo – red, black and white. Under the header, there are three images that look like adverts from different companies that are sponsoring CeX. However, these images are part of Cex’s self-promotion.
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One of the most important elements of an online store is the search button, as that allows users that have a certain product in mind to quickly find it by typing it themselves. However, the search button on the CeX homepage took me a few seconds to find. There is no use of white space in between each element, which doesn’t facilitate a good user experience. Moreover, the basket or cart is extremely difficult to find as it does not appear in the usual place and there is no symbol to identify it with. As for the footer of the website, they have chosen a golden background, which doesn’t go with the rest of the website’s aesthetics.
To create a redesign of the CeX website, I used Adobe XD, which is a vector-based experience design platform. This was my first time using this program, so I had to take some time to learn it beforehand. The CeX logo is white, black and red, so I decided to use only these colours to redesign the website. The great thing about the logo is that is incorporates red, which is a colour symbolises energy and passion, and it can be used in the design to excite the target audience of CeX. A technology and entertainment products-based website should have exciting imagery that incorporates interesting colours and lights, so it is important to keep the
rest of the design minimal in colour.
My intention with this redesign was to make a concise header that includes the logo, a short menu and three symbols that represent a cart, an account, and a wish list. CeX allows the user to either buy or sell a product on their website, so I chose to do a simple menu with the buttons BUY and SELL. The next most important thing is the search button, so I wanted to place that right under the header. I also created an eye-catching banner that would draw the user in and would let them know about any deals or important information about CeX. The rest of the home page is clean and clear,
showcasing the product categories and highlighting the best sellers of CeX. The footer also incorporates a clean design and includes all the other pages of CeX such as terms and conditions, about CeX, additional services, stores and other support information. I also decided to display the social media platforms where the user can find CeX at the footer. Additionally, using the same design principles, I created dropdown menus for the header, a products page, a cart overlay, an account overlay with a log-in and sign-up options, a checkout page and a thank you page.
Published on the 25 May 2022 by Mireia Olaria Pisa
At the end of the academic year of 2021 and 2022, the creative arts students of the University Centre Somerset and Bridgwater and Taunton College are creating an End of Year Show to exhibit the work that has been done. Therefore, my class and I, along with the foundation degree students, have been tasked with the visual design of the show.
The show has been named the Here show and it is a great opportunity for us, students, to have our work seen in our chosen industry. A foundation degree student designed the poster for the end of year show, and I collaborated with the Here exhibition by designing the signage that will be placed throughout the building.
