There are many different flows in design, and each has its purpose. This blog post will look at various flows and discuss how to use them effectively in your designs. We’ll also provide examples of each flow type to see them in action. By understanding these different flows, you’ll be better equipped to create beautiful and effective designs that communicate your message clearly. Let’s get started!
What is UX Design?
Before looking at the different kinds of flow in design and how they can be used, it’s important to understand where they slot into the UX design process, and the best way to do that is to understand exactly what UX design is.
In a nutshell, UX design means user experience design that relates to anything that helps the user have a meaningful and relevant experience. This covers aspects including function design, usability, and branding. When most people think of UX design, they often only think of either usability or user interface design, but UX design goes much further than this.
What is User Flow?
This brings us to a user flow. A user flow, in its most simple definition, is essentially the pathway that a user would most likely take when they make use of a product or service. Many people make the mistake of assuming that user flows are only usable for websites or apps, but this is not the case and can also be used for physical items or services.
The main function of a user flow would be to anticipate how the user will interact with the product and what steps they will take when interacting with said product. By using the user flow, you can evaluate the existing interfaces that your products already use. You can create an intuitive interface, making it a lot easier to present your product to colleagues or clients. That said, there isn’t just one type of user flow; there are three.
Task Flow
The first type of user flow is the task flow, which is the most simplistic of the user flows. This is because task flows don’t focus on the various decisions or actions a user can make. Instead, they focus on single pathways that need to be taken for a task to be completed.
For example, a task flow on a doctor’s website would look something like this; website is load -> make appointment -> select available date -> confirm date selection -> select available time -> confirm data selection -> enter contact details -> confirm contact details -> page loads to confirmation page for the booking of appointment.
Wire Flow
The next stage in the user flow is the wire flow, a slightly more evolved version of the task flow. Where the task flow only shows a very simplified version of the pathways usable to complete a task, the wire flow gives context to the various UI design elements being used. In other words, you might think of the wire flow as a very low-fidelity mock-up of what the apple or product would look like.
Wire flows are very convenient since it allows the UX designer to get a better idea of what the final interactions the user has might look like. More importantly, it also gives a better idea of the various choices the user could make during the interaction.
Screen Flow
Finally, the last type of user flow is the screen flow, and this is a more advanced and evolved version of the wire flow. Screen flows give a complete idea of what the interaction would look like, along with complete and high-fidelity versions of the application or website.
Screen flows are usually the last stage in the user flow journey since this will allow clients, the design team, or users to see what the app or website will look like in all its complexity and size.
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