By Reinal Lauw
The School of Applied Creative Arts and Design (SACAD) at Han Chiang University College of Communication organized a live workshop on Facebook on January 22, 2021. The workshop explored the basics of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) of mobile applications.
The guest speaker of the webinar, Mr Reo Lim, and the moderator, Mr Eswandy Asre, lecturers from the School of Applied Creative Arts and Design, exuded passion about multimedia design as they explained the ins and outs of UI/UX, a common feature of the era of digital mainstream.
The workshop was organised in two sessions. The first session discussed the elements and concept of app interface. Next, the second session examined the technicalities of design using Adobe XD, a UI and UX prototyping tool for designing apps that allow downloads of the starter version which users can benefit for free.
Mr Reo added that User Interface concerns the appearances of buttons, the menu, colours, images, layout, and typography.
According to Mr Reo, interested beginners could learn to master the easiest coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
“There is not a day that passes by without us scrolling on our phones. When I visit Facebook, I could easily spend 10 minutes just watching a video, and most mobile users spend copious amounts of their time doing the same thing,” added Reo as he emphasised the attraction of mobile devices in the media-saturated era.
User Experience, on the other hand, is about retaining the lasting impression that an app has on its users. Mr Reo emphasised that User Interface is slightly easier to manage compared to User Experience, which involves a significant amount of research as attempts are made to retain user loyalty through the behavioural analysis of a target audience.
During the live demonstration session on Adobe XD, Reo made the fascinating observation that designers use rounded corners that are easier on the eyes compared to sharp edges.
Creating effective first impressions is important. On the other hand, the defining characteristics of a website (or an app) have a long-term impact on consumers. Mr Reo added that refining the skills of app design is an endless journey. The perfect app may not be possible, but designers should always strive to better themselves as they create apps that are user-friendly and serve humanity at large.
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