What is UX design and how does it reduce friction in user journeys?

UX design, or user experience design, is the practice of structuring how a user moves through a website to complete a goal with the least possible friction. It encompasses information architecture, user research, journey mapping, wireframing, and usability testing to ensure every interaction is intuitive and purposeful.

Friction reduction happens when UX design eliminates unnecessary steps, clarifies confusing labels, shortens forms to only essential fields, and ensures error messages are helpful rather than generic. User testing with real audience segments using tools like Maze or UserTesting.com identifies where journeys break down before a site goes live. The result is measurably lower drop-off rates and higher task completion across the flows that matter most to the business.