Web applications and software patterns - Sketch Tutorial

- [Narrator] Designing complex web applications and software can be daunting. However we can leverage common design patterns and paradigms to guide us to the complexities of application design. When designing web applications, the most important consideration is understanding your user's goals. Understanding how your user currently uses the product and how they want to use the product is essential, making sure you're designing for the right experience. While understanding your users is essential to all design problems, web application and software typically have a variety of different users with different goals and sometimes completely different workflows to consider. Some key principles to keep in mind when designing for complex applications are flexibility, productivity and customization. Flexibility is paramount when designing for multiple users types with varying workflows. For example, if you're only providing one way of completing a task, it may not match someone else's workflow and in fact make the product more difficult for them. Let's take an example of editing a photo. The workflow for editing a photo will differ from person to person. Some might import photos directly into their photo editing software from their camera. And still others might first edit on their phone, then import into the software on their desktop. If you are designing a photo editing software, all of these workflows need to be taken into consideration. Creating flexible experiences allow users with various workflows to complete their tasks without a rigid structure. The flexibility enables the product to accommodate multiple workflows and people. Web applications and software are typically used for work tasks or other activities requiring focus. So finding ways of speeding up workflow is essential to help users be more productive in their tasks. The last principle of customization is relating to users wanting to have control over their experience. Intermediate and expert users will want the ability to create and manage aspects of their workflow. This aids them in tailoring the application to meet the demands of their specific task. Some customization examples are the ability to rearrange tool bars or to set up your own workspace in keyboard shortcuts. Maybe some tools are used more than others, so you want your workspace to only show the tools you use rather than the default set. When designing applications and software, we have to consider the end in workflow, actions, commands and shortcuts that make up the overall experience and patterns can helps us with that.