It really doesn't matter if you''re designing an application for mobile devices, an e-commerce website, or even the latest cooking widget that is sure to take the infomercial world by storm. You still need to implement great UX design for it to be successful. Having said all that, a first draft of any of these items is normally just that, a rough sketch of what you ultimately want the end result to look like. Often times, this first draft is lacking in one or more areas of user experience. Fret not, however, because that just means there''s plenty of room to improve, which can be done with any number of effective strategies. The following is just a list of three to keep in mind.

Identify Your Unique User First – Don't just take a Joe Schmoe persona with all the average likes and dislikes of the general American public and center your design around that. Discover who your unique user by constructing story maps, using card sorting techniques, and apply existing relevant data from your current user base. Take the time to develop carefully crafted personas from that existing data that accurately represent individual traits of your user. This may provide valuable insight on how you can develop niche tools to most effectively target their needs.

Center Your Design Around The User, Not The Other Way Around – Your user needs to be at the very center of every design element, not a mere afterthought. Some designers make the mistake of creating a design concept and then figuring out how the user can assimilate to it. Instead, keep the users wants and needs at the forefront. Then, incorporate design elements that speak to those particular wants and needs.

Substance over Artistic Value - As designers, we all want to create something uniquely beautiful and visually striking. Minimalist design really is the way to go, however, because it is usually what the user desperately wants. They want to be able to view something quickly, learn how to use it without a steep learning curve (preferably without any learning curve at all), and be able to return to it without any re-learning involved. Beauty and inspiration need to take a backseat, so the user can be best served. If you take care of the user first and then your design just happens to be memorable and distinctive, then all the better!

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