Who should design the GUI of an online store or app?
GUI (Graphical User Interface), often used interchangeably with UI, is — simply put — the graphical layer of our online store, application, or service. It's especially critical in industries like beauty or fashion, where not only usability and functionality matter, but also the visual side and conveying the brand's character.
When building an e-store, GUI design can run in different models:
Each option has pros and cons; to make the right choice it's worth answering a few key questions:
From experience we know that the GUI stage can cause many problems, including significant delays to the whole schedule or higher development cost. Most often this stems from focusing on the answer to the first question only, when in fact the next three are critical. If the designer doesn't know the technical aspects of design, the final design often turns out to need many modifications to be implementable, or significantly raises the cost of building the store.
It's of course easiest to manage a project where one party owns the entire process, including the GUI stage. If, however, we deliberately decide to split these competencies among different parties, good cooperation and ongoing communication between them is critical, so that visual designs are continuously consulted with the UX designer or front-end developer.
When building an e-store, GUI design can run in different models:
- 2. The software house owns the entire store creation, including the GUI stage,
- 3. GUI and implementation are handled by two external companies — for example when the client wants to entrust the visual side to their creative agency, which owns brand communication.
Each option has pros and cons; to make the right choice it's worth answering a few key questions:
- 1. Are we comfortable with the designer / design team's style? Do they have experience designing for our industry?
- 2. Do they specialize in interfaces for online stores or apps?
- 3. Do they know at least the basics of UX, front-end development, and SEO?
- 4. Do they understand the specifics of designing for a given e-commerce platform or operating system (e.g. a Magento store or apps for iOS and Android)?
From experience we know that the GUI stage can cause many problems, including significant delays to the whole schedule or higher development cost. Most often this stems from focusing on the answer to the first question only, when in fact the next three are critical. If the designer doesn't know the technical aspects of design, the final design often turns out to need many modifications to be implementable, or significantly raises the cost of building the store.
It's of course easiest to manage a project where one party owns the entire process, including the GUI stage. If, however, we deliberately decide to split these competencies among different parties, good cooperation and ongoing communication between them is critical, so that visual designs are continuously consulted with the UX designer or front-end developer.