UX design in Outsystems: how it works

UX design isn’t static; it is always evolving just like the demands of the digital world.
Can low-code help brands stay up-to-date? How do we apply UX design in Outsystems?

They say good design is invisible. When app design is executed flawlessly, and works just as it is expected to, it certainly feels that way. When it is executed poorly, however, it can steal the focus of even the most powerful apps. Staying up to date with the latest UX/UI trends is no small feat. Changes in user expectations, steep competition and an endless stream of new design tools, programming languages and technology breakthroughs such as generative AI mean that to stay ahead of the game, designers are pushed to a permanent state of creative destruction. Can low-code help?

• UX/UI design: when functionality meets aesthetics
• How is done in Outsystems
• How is done in Outsystems

UX/UI design: when functionality meets aesthetics

As you’ve probably noticed, UX and UI are often associated – and styled as UX/UI. This is because they are both needed for a successful product but are not the same thing. UX comprises the whole experience a user has with a (digital) product or service. UI stands for User Interface and refers to the visual and functional bits that a user interacts with, such as buttons, drop-down menus, colours, shapes, icons, fonts, and more, all being part of a Design System.

So why do we see UX/UI all the time, rather than one or the other? Well, the way we see it, you cannot have one without the other. While UI is primarily focused on the visual side of things, if an app looks great but doesn’t really work well, that is a failure of both UX and UI.

So, whether we say UI is contained inside the realm of UX, a carefully planned and executed UX is essential to create a seamless UI. Both UI and UX are, then, part of a much larger Customer Experience (CX).

UX design in Outsystems

To deliver a great UX design in Outsystems, there are several points to be considered:

• Beautiful UI: the “look and feel” of your app must be on point. Designing a beautiful UI is essential for a well succeeded UX.
• Multi-touchpoint: to build an engaging experience, you want to deliver a product that is available in any device.
• Immersive experiences: incorporate AI/ML intelligence and AR or VR to create immersive experiences on web, mobile, and wearables.
• Offline experience: apps that are reliable offline without data loss and security breaches contribute to richer experiences.

Fortunately, Outsystems – a leading low-code provider – has just the right tool to achieve a flawless UI design, that also allows for reactive web apps and accessibility customisations from an intuitive low-code approach.

How is done in Outsystems

Outsystems UI is a low code UI platform for web and mobile applications, with significant changes brewing. For instance, Outsystems UI is taking its steps to steadily replace the Silk UI platform. While Silk UI was a game changer for UI/UX design in Outsystems, nowadays, the emergence of Reactive Web apps demands better performance, asynchronous data fetching, and less latency. And these are just some of the points Outsystems UI is capable of delivering.

The main features of the framework for UI/UX in Outsystems are:

• One single platform: with only one platform Outsystems you can create both reactive web applications and native mobile applications.
• Extensive pattern library: the pre-built UI patterns and components for UI/UX design in OutSystems cover the most used interactions in mobile and web apps, removing the need for CSS programming. These patterns include column or grid distribution, floating content, lists, carousels, dropdown menus, sidebars, checkboxes, popups, etc.
• Screen templates for web or mobile: just like the pattern library, Outsystems UI platform provides various screen templates instead of a blank canvas to get started. You can choose from dashboards, directories, lists, galleries, forms, etc, and then use your own data and info to customise the page.
• Theme editor: the theme editor allows you to customise fonts, sizes, colours, backgrounds, headers, and overall styles from one single place, and ensure these customisations are applied consistently throughout the whole application.
• Accessibility: OutSystems UI components are accessible and compliant with WCAG 2.1 standards for creating accessible web content for people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities.
• Responsiveness: creating UI elements that work on different devices is easily attainable through the Outsystems classes – “.desktop”, “.phone”, and “.tablet”– without the need for CSS code.
• Total customisation: although Outsystems UI is a low-code UI platform, it also offers the possibility to add custom CSS, HTML and JavaScript code to the elements, in order to extend the capabilities or functions of pre-built components.

Beyond standard UX design in Outsystems with Near Partner

UX design is a passion of ours at Near Partner, and so is Outsystems. We strive to deliver customised solutions to our clients, and help businesses achieve their goals beyond their potential. Whether you are interested in migration, building from scratch or improving your UX design in Outsystems, Near Partner is the right partner for you. Our incredible team – did you know we have a Champion in our midst? – is here to help and guide you in your endeavour.

Curious about our Outsystems services? Get in touch with Near Partner and let us brainstorm about the best solution for your business’ needs.