What is user flow and why is it important? A user flow is a visual representation, either written out or made digitally, of the many avenues that can be taken when using an app or website. The flowchart begins with the consumer’s entry point on the product, like an onboarding screen or homepage, and ends with the final action or outcome, like purchasing a product or signing up for an account. User flow is the path taken by a prototypical user on a website or app to complete a task. The user flow takes them from their entry point through a set of steps towards a successful outcome and final action, such as purchasing a product.
It is used as supplemental information during the visual design process. A user flow is a visual representation, either written out or made digitally, of the many avenues that can be taken when using an app or website. The flowchart begins with the consumer’s entry point on the product, like an onboarding screen or homepage, and ends with the final action or outcome, like purchasing a product or signing up for an account. User flow is the path taken by a prototypical user on a website or app to complete a task. The user flow takes them from their entry point through a set of steps towards a successful outcome and final action, such as purchasing a product.
On the other hand, workflows can help streamline and automate repeatable business tasks, minimising room for errors and increasing overall efficiency. Depicting this process allows designers to evaluate and optimise the user experience and therefore increase client conversion rates.
- Device an intuitive and user-friendly interface. The goal is to bring users to get “in the zone” quickly and to increase the probability of a user purchasing or signing up for the client’s product. Also, user flow aims to enhance the ease of movement through your platform, making sure the user’s time isn’t being wasted looking for what to do next. User flows portray these possible patterns in a way that makes it easy for designers to assess the efficiency of the interface they are creating.
- Compare and contrast existing interfaces. User flow charts help determine what’s working, what’s not, and what areas need improvement. It helps to identify why users might be stalling at a certain point and what you can do to fix it. Does one screen flow into the next? Does the pattern of the screens make sense? Mapping out the movement within an interface in a blueprint type fashion helps you see what options the user has on each page and if the routes available help the user accomplish a task innately and without wasting time.
- Exhibit your product to team members and clients. User flows also easily communicate the flow of the product to your stakeholders and clients. They provide a step-by-step breakdown of what the customer will see and do in order to purchase, log in, sign up, etc. Helping your design team visualize how users will move through the product ensures everyone is on the same page—which allows for a more productive and rewarding work environment.
- User Flows are fast and efficient. User Flows are the fastest way to visualise the process. You may even create them directly in your design tool. There is no need to jump between other applications.
- More than mockups and prototypes. The exported set of mockups is not the best way to show the process. The application is more than a set of screens. It is about interactions. You should not think of your solution as a set of screens, because they are all tasks/processes that users want to complete. If you share the prototype, you cannot be sure that everyone checks all the included paths. User Flows reveals all the paths in a single picture.
- Well-thought out user- interface. You may visualise all tasks before you even start making mockups. UI should be the result of this thoughtful process. Some User Flow Kits allow you to use built-in templates to visualise UI before you make your own.
7. User-friendly and easy to understand UI. Everyone understands block mockups with arrows. It is a magical deliverable that easily explains relations in the designed solution. User Flows with included mockups make everything understandable to clients or your team.