Ricdes.io

Worked on user experience (UX) design and web development to create user-centered websites that drive conversions, simplify navigation, and enhance the user journey.

I found that UX connected me with clients and users more effectively than traditional web development. Understanding client profiles and user journeys became essential for designing meaningful websites.

• The gap I noticed was that people often asked me to develop websites that were disconnected from the users. To solve this, I sought out to learn UX design and applied these principles to my work.

• A key turning point was a property website project. Although the site was visually appealing, it didn’t drive conversions. I realized that how we present information matters more than aesthetics.
  Simplifying navigation and ensuring users could easily access the data they needed led to a significant increase in booked calls and conversions. This was huge for me and confirmed the importance of UX in web development.

My journey in UX and web design brought new challenges and insights:

• The biggest challenge was understanding the psychology behind design—how users behave on websites.
  Gestalt principles were a huge leap from my engineering mindset, which was more about input-output systems.

• One major lesson was that simplicity sells. Creating easy-to-use, conventional designs made it easier for users to take action or consume content.

• Perfectionism was another challenge; I learned that done is better than perfect.
  I also realized that good typography and layout design can drive traffic and improve usability. To this day, I still rank websites due to the clear design choices that make them easier to use.

The principles I learned through Ricdes.io shaped my current work and approach to business systems:

• UX taught me that design is about three core elements: constraint, affordance, and convention.
  I now approach design knowing that users are the focal point and make sure everything is easy to understand and simple. This directly influences how I approach sales funnels and web development.

• I now believe that conversion happens through conversation. Clear, user-friendly designs and adhering to conventions can increase visibility and engagement.

• This experience reinforced the idea of optimizing and standardizing processes before scaling.
  With VPS, I apply this philosophy by testing and improving systems with the customers we already have. Before scaling ads or funnels, I make sure that users aren’t facing friction and that the system is easy to use.