What does good UX design mean? Why is user centricity not just a nice-to-have, but essential? And how do personas help in the creative process? In conversation with Jenny, UX designer at DYADIC, Kai quickly realized that UX is more than just design—it’s an attitude.
UX design begins with understanding
Jenny, how did you get into UX design, and what still fascinates you about it today?
“As a communication designer, I automatically came into contact with UX – mainly through web design. What fascinates me is the diversity: UX design ranges from research and conception to visual design. And you can see the effects immediately – good UX is something users notice right away.”
For Jenny, UX design is more than just design, it’s a human-centered approach. “It’s about designing products and services that are useful, accessible, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing—with the goal of creating a positive user experience.”
Design ≠ UX – or is it?
What distinguishes good design from good UX design?
“Good design works – it is visually compelling and emotionally appealing. UX design goes deeper: it focuses on the needs of the user. A beautifully designed website is useless if it doesn’t work. Ideally, design and UX work together naturally.”
One key term keeps coming up: empathy.
“Empathy is central to the UX process—I need to understand how people think, feel, and act. Who are they, what do they need, what challenges do they face? This is the only way I can develop relevant solutions.”
Personas: “Please no fantasy characters”
Personas are a key tool in the UX process. AbeBut they are not an end in themselves.
When are personas really helpful? “When they are based on real data—interviews, usage statistics, observations. Good personas make target groups tangible and promote empathy within the team. It is important that they are relevant to the context of use.”
What is your most important tip for creating personas?
“Less is more. It’s better to have two or three clearly differentiated personas than ten fictional profiles. And personas should be lively but realistic – not superheroes with 20 hobbies and unusual favorite drinks.”
A successful example is a website where users can select which target group they belong to and are then shown only the content that is relevant to them. “This is not only efficient, but also a real plus for user satisfaction.”
UX methods: Research, test, iterate
GuteGood UX design requires user research. Jenny relies on a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods: interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, and data analysis.
How important is testing in the UX process?
“Extremely important. I prefer to test with click dummies or prototypes. User feedback quickly shows what works and what doesn’t. I draw concrete conclusions from this to improve the design in a targeted manner.”
Do heat maps and analytics also play a role?
“Yes, especially with existing products. I see where users click, where they drop out, where they hesitate. These are valuable clues for optimization.”
Information architecture is the basis of UX
How do you structure content for better UX?
“Information architecture is the foundation. Content must be structured logically, comprehensibly, and consistently. Only then can users find their way around—especially on complex websites or B2B products.”
Visual consistency also helps: recurring colors, font sizes, icons, or layouts provide orientation.
“But it’s also okay to break the rules deliberately – for example, to draw attention or to clearly indicate a change of context.”
Jenny's top 5 UX principles
User Centricity
Reduction
Consistency
Expectation Conformity
Fault Tolerance
Understanding needs and usage context
Only show what is really relevant
Uniform appearance and operating pattern
Use standards, don’t reinvent everything
Be user-friendly, don’t frustrate users
When UX works, you don't notice it right away – but you always notice it
How can you recognize good UX?
“Actually, it’s the fact that it doesn’t stand out. Users get where they want to go smoothly and feel comfortable—without having to think about it. Bad UX is immediately noticeable: frustration, abandonment, churn.”
What effect does UX have on user behavior?
“Huge. Whether someone buys something, registers, or leaves often depends on the UX. Good UX also strengthens trust in the brand.”
Jenny had an “aha” moment when she optimized a parking app for a transportation company:
“Thanks to new labels and clear instructions, we were able to significantly increase the number of users of the app – even though the app itself remained unchanged.”
UX is not a luxury – it's a competitive factor
Finally, Jenny makes a clear appeal to companies that still see UX as optional:
“UX is not a luxury, but a necessity. It reduces support costs, increases customer satisfaction, and improves conversion rates. Those who don’t think user-centrically today will lose touch tomorrow.”
Conclusion
Those who design products design experiences. And these experiences determine whether people find their way around, enjoy coming back, or leave frustrated. UX design means taking responsibility: for clarity, for accessibility, for genuine people-centeredness.
MA systematic UX process allows complex requirements to be translated into meaningful, intuitive solutions. That is precisely our approach at DYADIC.
Want to use UX as a strategic advantage?
Then let’s talk. GET IN TOUCH NOW!
Johanna Abendschein
Marketing Manager
+ 49 911 39 36 05 – 0
