Design thinking is an ideology centered around a user-centric approach to developing products and services. Often misunderstood, the term “design” means more than making things look good. Usually, design has been an afterthought in the business world, applied only to touch up a product’s esthetics. Conversely, designers tend to start the creative process before developing a product.
Design Thinking can integrate a framework for using innovative design to create better solutions within all businesses. Design elements are important and meet the end user’s needs. They also allow us to build innovation and value to what we offer. Thus, we can design within the physical and digital arenas for both products and services.
A better design for a patient using an orthodontic appliance can reduce discomfort, improve compliance, and enhance outcomes. Improved website design can also mean improved digital marketing results for an orthodontic practice. As a result, design touches many areas of our practices.
UX Design
UX is a term for the user experience. It is a customer-first approach to design where testing and value to the end-user drive the patient experience. From a physical format, UX affects patient experience through the journey of orthodontic treatment. For example, how easy is it for patients to accomplish their goals? How do we remove points of friction in their journey through our practices? In digital terms, UX can relate to the seamless experience within your website or digital platform. In other words, you want it to attract the right consumer base and achieve the right results.
UI Design
User Interface (UI) design is concerned with esthetics and how our patients can interact with the product or service we provide. UI is the visual side of design. It creates an attractive interface, intuitive elements, and a natural flow that helps drive the positive UX. Many features become critical for the best UI. For example, the color palette, fonts, images, animations, graphics, button design, and many branding elements are a few key components to an effective UI.
The consumer and patient will interact with your product at some point, and UI design becomes important to develop a consistent brand message tied in with the attractive design features. We consider the UI for physical products you deliver during your treatment, but most commonly in digital resources in our practices such as software applications and web design.
