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Elements of UI Design

There are some essential elements in designing a user interface. I found that the following items are necessary to bring up a certain feeling, thought, or perspective for the user of our product.

Color

Color can shape a mood for the user. Combining multiple colors should be carefully picked to create a comfortable look. One of the tools available online to pick colors is here.

Positive and Negative Space

Positive space is the element containing the main content or information. Meanwhile, negative space is the distance between main elements or empty space around them. Each main element should have distance or space from each other to nicely navigate the focus of the users from one information to another.

Typography

Typography includes selecting appropriate fonts with good looks and aligning text content on the page.

Microcontent

We need to provide some short texts or content on a page to make it easy for the user to skim the information on the page. Microcontent may be a short description, caption, or representative illustration.

Shadows

Besides design purposes, shadows can help users identify whether they can interact with an element.

Motion

Motion can represent the progress or state of an element that interacts with a user.

Imagery

Images on a page may be used to build trust or provide a general view of the content on the page.

Icons

There are some notes to be considered when using icons. Firstly, use icons that are universally known by our users. Secondly, use a similar icon style for the entire pages or application. Last, do not use icons with complex shapes or too many lines.

Layout

Grids can be used to help us build a layout. Grids can divide the layout into several frames for different contents.

Component

In building a product, we may utilize similar elements in several different modules. In that case, a reusable component can be used to create a consistent design. A component can be constructed from several other individual components too.


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