Designing a digital product involves a delicate balancing act while keeping the interest of teammates, clients and users in mind. Specific design principles can help makers reach their goals without much hassle, considering its functionality, aesthetics and usability. With the effective use of different tools, designers can start their projects on the right foot. From coming up with the concept to the entire journey, there are some rules that a designer must remember to succeed at their job, so we have simplified those rules into five tips for you.

Focus on the user’s journey

A well-designed digital product must put user needs at the forefront. The designer must keep the user in mind while creating such products for the best results. This means they should fully know the users’ expectations and demands, from designing a technology logo to a website wireframe. It can be done well by understanding the product’s target audience, what problems they face, what is possible to help solve them and what results they expect.

Choosing who to involve in the decision-making process about design is an integral part of a designer’s job. They need to seek advice from experts in the project and implement their feedback on procedures. First, the creator must involve the client in the process, as the client and their team will have a lot of background information about the product and its users, which can benefit the designer.

The purpose of involving the client is also to ensure that most details about the user can be learned, as research about the user will always be the backbone of any digital product design.

Simplicity is key

Users always appreciate simple designs. Users expect to see instant results whenever they load a website. Given the limitless number of choices that users have when it comes to digital products, they prefer products that are easy to use and require minimal effort.

Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing platform to a formidable social commerce juggernaut. Its AI-enabled ‘Shop’ feature personalizes shopping by recommending products based on users’ activity. The integrated checkout feature makes the purchasing process a breeze.

Pinterest

Pinterest has leveraged AI in numerous ways. The ‘Shop the Look’ feature lets users buy products directly from Pins, combining visual search with social commerce, and Pinterest’s AI algorithms also suggest products tailored to user preferences and behaviors.

Facebook marketplace

Facebook Marketplace harnesses AI to deliver a unique shopping experience. AI helps with product categorization, image quality improvement, and personalized product suggestions based on user behavior. AI-enabled chatbots offer real-time customer service.

TikTok

TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform, has ventured into social commerce, offering a seamless shopping experience. It uses AI to personalize shopping experiences and refine its ‘Shop Now’ buttons and in-app stores.

Snapchat

Snapchat uses AR to offer ‘Shoppable AR’ experiences. Users can virtually try out products using Snapchat lenses, bridging the gap between social media and online shopping. AI-powered visual search aids in product discovery and purchasing.

The future of online shopping: the perfect blend of AI and human touch

As AI advances, its impact on social commerce will continue to grow. Highly personalized shopping experiences, predictive analytics that foresee consumer needs—the line between browsing and shopping will soon blur. Yet, it’s essential to remember the importance of the human touch. Successful social commerce brands will find a balance between AI automation and truly understanding their customers’ desires.

In short, AI is more than just transforming social commerce. It’s setting the stage for a more intuitive, personalized, and engaging shopping experience. It’s evident that the future of retail lies in the sweet spot where technology meets social interaction.

Farlyn Lucas is a freelance writer and communications manager for several clients, mostly early startups and SMBs. Thank you, Farlyn!