User Experience (UX)

User experience (UX) describes the entire experience a person has with a digital product — website, app, software, service. UX covers much more than the visible surface (that would be UI): it starts at the first contact (ad, Google result), extends through navigation, search, forms, payment, delivery, and ends in the post-purchase support experience. UX is the sum of all impressions, emotions, and friction points. The five planes after Jesse James Garrett: strategy (audience, business goals), scope (features, content), structure (information architecture, interactions), skeleton (wireframes, navigation), surface (visual design). A UX project typically runs through: user research (interviews, surveys, analytics review), persona and journey mapping, information architecture, low-fidelity wireframes, prototyping, usability testing (with real users, 5–7 suffice for 80% of problems), high-fidelity design, development, and iterative measurement after launch. Core principles: Don't make me think (Steve Krug) — every page must be immediately understandable. Consistency across flows. Feedback on every action (button states, loading spinners, error messages). Mobile-first because 60–70% of traffic is mobile. Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) is mandatory in the EU since 2025 for commercial websites — barrier-free UX is no longer optional. The business impact is measurable: Forrester studies show 100:1 ROI on UX investments. Every lost second of load time costs 7% conversion. Trust signals (testimonials, certificates, GDPR notices) can increase form completion by 40–60%. The most common UX mistakes: too many form fields, hidden costs in checkout, unclear value proposition, missing mobile design, cookie banners blocking half the screen. For Vienna agency projects: UX testing with 5 real users before launch saves 80% in subsequent redesign costs.