Maximizing User Experience with Research in UI/UX Design
Photography has the capability to tell a story, and many micro-stories within that larger one. Whether for marketing, branding, or design purposes, if photos feel inauthentic, your users take notice. The debate of whether brands should utilize stock images has long been a tug and pull between inauthenticity and relatability. Stock images can be a great tool in your toolkit, however, to make it feel much more authentic to your users, it has to be utilized with the right eye. How then, can designers utilize stock photos to feel organic and catered to their specific needs/brand?
Balancing Act
In an ideal world, a website's media library would be rich with photography that came specifically from the brand itself, with amazing shots of team members, candid action shots, and brand-focused details. However, the world moves at a quick pace, and oftentimes, that expectation isn’t always realistic. Although there is no harm in utilizing stock photography, of course with the right free licensing in mind, there should still remain a level of photography that comes straight from the source. When users see photos of the actual company and specific brand assets, it feels much more authentic and in turn creates user trust. When a website is overpopulated with stock photos, it can diminish the human aspect of your brand and can connote your brand to an impersonal experience. This isn’t to say that stock photography should never be utilized, rather, it is about balancing the right amount of stock and company photos.
User Contextually
In an ideal world, a website's media library would be rich with photography that came specifically from the brand itself, with amazing shots of team members, candid action shots, and brand-focused details. However, the world moves at a quick pace, and oftentimes, that expectation isn’t always realistic. Although there is no harm in utilizing stock photography, of course with the right free licensing in mind, there should still remain a level of photography that comes straight from the source. When users see photos of the actual company and specific brand assets, it feels much more authentic and in turn creates user trust. When a website is overpopulated with stock photos, it can diminish the human aspect of your brand and can connote your brand to an impersonal experience. This isn’t to say that stock photography should never be utilized, rather, it is about balancing the right amount of stock and company photos.
- Branding
- Graphic Design
- photography
- Product Photography
- Web Design
