We all know a great user interface when we see it. Brands are built in the mind, through repeated experiences over time. The technology experience that you create for your customers is one of the key experience points that your customers have with your brand. Beyond having an amazing product or service, your technology experiences are the best investment that you can make in building your brand in the minds of your consumers. It also happens to be the most scalable investment that you can make, as there is a negligible expense for each new person that you touch.

Below are three of the most basic principles for developing user interfaces. They are difficult to measure and somewhat subjective, but it is painfully obvious when they are not followed, even to the layman.

Rules:

1. Simplify. Remove as much as is possible from the basic interface. Every unnecessary image or text element that does not have a function must be eliminated. Be fascist about the need to remove every unnecessary click or swipe. If you need to write a manual, or create a tutorial – you have failed. Leverage modern on-boarding techniques to demonstrate the use of features for your users in the beginning stages of them interacting your systems.
2. Make it Human. People like to work with people. It is, in fact, in our nature. We do not like to interact with lifeless machines that do not have a personality or are all about the business. Find ways to liven up your user interfaces and give them a softer and more human feel. Choose fonts that convey meaning and passion. Create iconography that is intuitive and fun. Use language that conveys a sense of your company’s personality. Use thoughtful images that matter to the interface and create emotions. Engineer every communication that comes out of your systems, from error messages to automated emails or texts, to speak to the person that is reading them.
3. Be Optimistic. No one wants to do business with a cranky miser. Positivity breeds positivity and always leaves a good impression. Look for ways to gamify mundane processes and celebrate small successes with your users. Find ways to make each experience fun, interactive and rewarding.