What does “holistic design” have to do with UX? Is it the future of UX?
In a nutshell, holistic design is a way of thinking about design that considers the entire user experience, from the moment they first hear about your product to long after they’ve stopped using it.
It’s a way of looking at the big picture, something that increasingly companies are starting to realize is important. Why? Because users today expect a seamless, intuitive experience no matter where they are or what they’re doing. They don’t want to think about how to use your product—they just want to be able to use it.
And that’s where holistic design comes in. By taking a holistic approach, you can create a user experience that’s seamless and intuitive from start to finish. It’s the future of UX, and you will be left behind if you’re not on board yet.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at holistic design, how to incorporate it into your UX strategy and how it can benefit your business.
What is holistic (graphic) design?
Let’s start with the basics. The holistic design embraces a more complete and total approach to design, considering the entire user’s experience and the product’s environmental and social impact.
It’s not just about the interface or the visuals but considers everything from the user’s point of view. With the holistic design, designers aim to design for a flourishing UX ecosystem. UX, or user experience, is the process of designing products and services that are easy and enjoyable to use. Simply put, it’s all about ensuring that the people using your products have a good experience.
The holistic design applies not only in digital/product design but also on some other fronts like architecture and interior design, but it’s only recently started to be used in UX. And that’s because designers realize that users don’t interact with digital products in a vacuum. They use them as part of their everyday lives in the context of their homes, workplaces, and social lives.
The holistic design takes all of those factors into account. It understands that users are more than just a collection of screens and buttons. Designing a product for users is more than just putting together a bunch of pretty pixels.
When incorporating holistic design into your UX strategy, you’re not just thinking about the user’s interaction with the product. You’re also thinking about their experience before and after they use the product. This is what’s known as a user-centered design approach, and it’s something that can really help you improve your overall strategy.
What is user-centered design?
UX designers should always be looking for ways to improve the user experience. One way to do that is by using holistic design principles to create a more user-centered design, a crucial part of holistic design.
User-centered design is a process of incorporating the user’s needs into the design of a product or service. It’s about taking a holistic approach to designing for the user, and it’s one of the key principles of UX design that starts with understanding the users and their needs.
You need to know who your target audience is and what their wants and needs are. Only then can you start designing for them.
User-centered design is all about creating a user-friendly experience, and it’s one of the most important principles of UX design. It’s essential to understand your users if you want to create a successful product or service.
How can holistic design be used in UX strategy?
You can use holistic design to enhance your UX strategy by taking a more comprehensive view of your users and their needs. A holistic approach can help you to identify the connections between different aspects of your users’ lives and how your product or service interacts with them.
When you start to think about things in this way, you can begin to see how your product or service might be able to improve users’ lives in a more meaningful way. You can also start to see the potential impact of your product on other areas of their lives, such as their work or personal relationships.
This is a critical perspective when designing your user experience, as it can help you create a more well-rounded and effective strategy.
How to create a holistic design
Here are a few tips for creating a holistic design that will indeed have a wow effect on your users:
1. Collaborate with your team. The best way to create a successful holistic design strategy is by collaborating with your team members and soliciting their input. The strategy requires buy-in from everyone on your team. If people aren’t on board, it will be tough to make it work.
2. Think about the user’s experience from start to finish. Every design aspect should be considered, from the initial interaction to the final product.
3. Use a variety of media. A holistic design isn’t limited to just one type of media. Combine text, graphics, video, and audio to create a truly immersive experience.
4. Stay focused on the big picture. It can be tempting to get lost in the details, but remember that the goal is to create a cohesive and unified design. When designing a user experience, it’s essential to consider the project’s overall goal and how each component contributes to that goal.
What are the benefits of a holistic design approach?
When taking a holistic approach to design, you’re looking at the big picture – considering how all the different pieces of the puzzle fit together and how they can be improved to create a better experience for the user. This way of thinking can help you develop some great ideas you might have yet to think of.
Designers who use a holistic approach can create a more seamless experience for their users, which people are starting to appreciate. Holistic design is becoming one of the most important factors when choosing a product or service.
So what can you expect from a holistic design? Here are just a few of the benefits:
1. A more intuitive interface
2. Improved customer satisfaction
3. Enhanced user engagement
“For me, holistic UX design is a complete end user’s journey because it refers to every touchpoint user has with the final product or service. It’s not just about user experience with the product or service itself but the overall impact of that product or service on the end user”, Iris Kodelja, our Digital Designer.
Pro tips for incorporating holistic design into your UX strategy
The holistic design considers the whole user experience, not just individual interactions. By incorporating holism into your UX strategy, you can create a more intuitive and satisfying user experience. Start by understanding your users and their needs, then design solutions that meet those needs. You’ll be surprised at the results.
So how can you start incorporating holistic design into your UX strategy? Here are a few tips:
1. Consider all aspects of the user journey. From research and planning to testing and optimization, ensure you pay attention to every step of the user journey.
2. Don’t just focus on the here and now. It’s essential to think about the future of your product and how users might interact with it.
3. Use data to inform your decisions. Data is a valuable tool when making decisions about your UX strategy. Use it to help you make informed decisions about best serving your users.
4. Be open to change. When working on a UX strategy, it’s essential to be open to change. UX is constantly evolving, and things will always come up that you didn’t plan for, so be prepared to adapt as needed.
By taking these steps, you can create a UX strategy that is holistic and user-centric, and that will provide a better experience for your users.
Takeaway
Holistic design is the idea that every design aspect should work harmoniously. When creating holistically, you’re thinking about the user experience from start to finish.
You’re not just designing individual screens or pages—you’re creating a system that real people will use. And that’s why it’s essential to think about the whole user experience, not just one isolated part.
Keep in mind when creating a holistic design:
- Always start with the user in mind.
- Think about the big picture first, then dive into the details.
- Make sure all your designs work together as a system.
Holistic design isn’t about focusing on one aspect of the user experience at the expense of others. It’s not enough to focus on the interface or the function of an app or website – you have to consider the user’s needs and wishes and how your design will meet them. It is about looking at the user experience and ensuring that all the pieces work together.
If you’re looking to create a successful product, you need to think holistically. By incorporating holistic design into your workflow, you can create a better user experience that meets and exceeds your customers’ expectations.