Design & user experience in startups: How to make your idea tangible and convincing

You have a strong product, an innovative business model and a clear vision - but first impressions count. In the digital world, the design and the User Experience (UX) whether interested parties stay, click through - or bounce. In this article, we show you how good design and a well thought-out UX can help your startup build trust, Conversion rates and inspire users in the long term.

Design is not just "making things pretty". It is the visual expression of your brand, your values and your product promise. Especially in the early start-up phase, good design contributes to this:

• • Building trust - through clarity, professionalism and consistency
  • To emphasise your positioning - Are you more progressive, minimalist, playful or technical?
  • Create recognition - through colours, shapes, typography and tonality
  • Reduce complexity - by making functions visually and intuitively tangible

Tip: Design is not an end in itself. It should always serve the users - not the ego of the team.

User Experience encompasses the entire user experience - from the first interaction to daily use. A good UX is simple, clear, logical and emotionally pleasing.

The most important principles:

1. usability (user-friendliness)
Your users should find their way around quickly, need no instructions and reach their goal intuitively.

2. clarity
Less is more. Reduce distractions and focus your attention.

3. consistency
Use recurring patterns, colours, icons - and stick to your design systems.

4. feedback (feedback)
Show when something happens (e.g. button pressed, form successfully sent).

5. delight (joy)
Small details such as animations, micro-interactions or personalised greetings make all the difference.

Practical example: A loading animation with subtle movement can arouse curiosity instead of frustration. A personal progress bar in onboarding motivates you to keep going.

A well thought out Corporate Design is your visual identity - and central to recognisability and professionalism.

Elements of a strong corporate design:

• • Logo: Memorable, scalable, also recognisable in monochrome
  • Colour scheme: 2-3 main colours plus accent colours, with attention to contrast and accessibility
  • Typography: Easy-to-read fonts that match your style (e.g. modern, classic, techy)
  • Visual language: Standardised style for photos, icons, illustrations
  • design system: Standardised components (buttons, forms, headings, etc.) for all touchpoints

Tip: Create a brand style guide - even if it's only 2 pages. It helps you and all partners to work consistently.

Startups need to be efficient - and make design decisions that scale to many channels.

• • Mobile First: Start with the mobile version. Not only because of SEO - but because it is often the most important platform.
  • Accessibility: Think about all users - even those with disabilities. Contrasts, screen reader friendliness and keyboard navigation make your product more inclusive.

Speed & Performance: Loading times are UX. Every additional second increases the bounce rate.

Good UX is not created in a quiet room, but in dialogue with real users. Use tests and feedback early and continuously:

• • User interviews - to understand expectations and problems
  • Prototyping with Figma or Adobe XD - for early tests, without code
  • Usability tests (remote or live) - Watch real users navigate
  • Heatmaps & Session Recordings - to analyse click behaviour
  • A/B testing - to compare design variants based on data

Tip: UX is never "finished". Plan time and resources for continuous improvement.

Good design creates trust. A strong UX guides users intuitively to their goal. Together, they form the basis for higher Conversion ratesstronger customer loyalty and a positive brand image - especially in the early phase of a start-up.

Do you want to know how convincing your UX really is? Then take advantage of our free open pitch! Present your startup to investors and UX experts - and get direct feedback, valuable contacts and the chance to participate.