The more convenient, understandable, and more straightforward the content is, the more willing the user will be to utilize the product again. Cards allow you to retain more information in less time. To meet customers’ needs, user experience design services need to think through the design of this interface element.
What Are Cards And Why Are They Important
Cards can be represented as a kind of sticker on the container. This sign is a brief notifier for the user of what they will see when opening the case cover made by professional UX/UI designers. After reading the card's content, the person decides to study the range of the container more deeply or scroll further through the pages, searching for the necessary information.
The card has become an indispensable element of the interface and is very popular because it is intuitive to users. Everyone saw cards – discount, club, bank cards, so it is excellent they represent a way to interact with them.
The card can include the following elements:
• title with subheadings;
• drawing, photo, video, graphics;
• short text;
• comments;
• navigation controls.
The way the card is designed influences whether the user decides to open it, considers it too complex and tedious, and further watches the tape.
Cards are widely used in social networks, mobile apps, and online stores. To make this interface element as attractive as possible for the user, you must follow specific rules.
What To Consider When Creating A Card
First of all, the person looks at the image and then reads the text. Therefore, the content should be limited to 100-150 characters, providing the user with the card's basic information.
If the card involves differentiated actions, then you should separate them. For example, you can make the previous step a button and then present the following link. Content is perceived more easily if it has a hierarchy – titles, subheadings. Users’ cognitive load reduces, so it is easier for them to understand the information provided.
Visual design plays a significant role, so you should make sure the card looks attractive and tempting. It should round corners and a small shadow. The card will look convex and tangible, and this is especially noticeable on mobile devices. It will be easier to turn it over and read the contents. You can also apply animation and some elements of movement to avoid being distracted from the primary information.
A picture, a graph, or a photograph should give you a general idea of what you are dealing with and the user will be confronted by opening the card. The more informative and attractive the image is, the more interested the person is in this interface element. Therefore, you should pay more attention to the visual design of the card and carefully select media files. A large number of links on the card is an error since it is itself a link.
The fewer control elements, the easier it is for the user to focus on what they are doing. All cards in the app must be the same and have the same navigation system and obey the general rules. The card should be compact and convenient for thumb scrolling. The redesign should be done very carefully because users quickly get used to interaction patterns with the product. Drastic changes can cause annoyance, rejection of the app, and outflow of a significant part of the target audience. One idea – one card. It would help if you did not try to use several different ideas for one element; it is tiring, does not allow you to focus on the main thing, and reduces interest in the product.
When It Is Better Not To Use The Card
Despite the versatility, simplicity, and attractiveness of cards for users, the following situations are the ones when it is better not to use them:
• Uniform content. If there are many identical elements, then they are. It is better to place a list rather than trying to make a card for each of them. The user will get acquainted with the information provided faster if presented in a clear and convenient format.
• If there are variables with the same type of data, it is better to put them in a table. It will be easier for a person to compare the parameters and choose what is best for them.
• Image gallery. They are better represented as a grid with tiles.
• When the screen size is large. Cards are essential for mobile devices, but on the big screen, they turn into chaotic multicolored images that are difficult to read visual perception.
Final Thoughts On Card Design
When creating cards, you should always focus on the demand and needs of those who use them. Only then will the product become popular and relevant.
