Good SaaS design makes users feel they’re in the right place. It gives them an intuitive experience that makes them want to stay. Design isn’t just about making things look pretty. If your product is frustrating to use or difficult to navigate, your users won’t stick around to explore the features you’ve worked so hard to build.
At Naviu, we believe in building products that are intuitive and beautiful. In this guide, we’ll share our insights on key design trends, best practices, and a step-by-step guide on how to create SaaS designs that will help you retain users.
It’s difficult for SaaS products to win over an audience, but good design can help. Here are a few other ways it can help:
Designing a SaaS product isn’t easy, but following a methodical approach can make the process smoother. Here’s the breakdown of the steps to follow:
You need a thorough understanding of your target audience before you begin the design process. Conduct user research to identify user personas, preferences, and pain points. This is valuable data based on which you can create interfaces that will resonate with your users. When you design a product that solves their pain points, you’re more likely to acquire new users and retain the existing ones.
How you present information is just as important as what you present. A solid information architecture is the key to organizing and presenting information intuitively and logically. Use prototyping and wireframing to create a navigation that allows users to locate the functions and features they need effortlessly.
The next step is to create a prototype to test the flow and functionality before development. An iterative approach to interactive prototypes can help you meet user expectations, gather feedback early, and resolve any usability issues you recognize.
Once you get the structures and functionalities out of the way, it’s time to create a visually appealing interface. The key is to balance a user-centric approach with your brand identity. Some key areas to pay attention to here are the consistent use of imagery, typography, and colors.
The last step of the process is to test your SaaS design. Once your design is finalized, release it to a small set of users. Gather insights from interface navigation, feedback, and user interactions to identify and resolve any issues. Remember your final users while you solve each roadblock to get the maximum value from this stage.
SaaS products continue to evolve with shifting user expectations. The emerging trends point to the need for personalization, seamless integration, and greater flexibility. Here are the key SaaS design trends you should focus on in 2025.
Simple, approachable designs continue to win. Designs that have a direct focus on the needed functionality make it easier for users to understand it in a shorter time. Use a minimalist approach to colors and elements so users can focus on the necessary information. This can lead to higher acquisition and retention rates.
Over-the-top or busy color palettes are hard on the eyes. Color minimalism works well for users, so it’s best to stick to two primary colors that align with your brand and then use accent colors for navigation menus and call-to-action buttons.
Large, easy-to-read headings make for a logical and easier user experience. Important content should be highlighted to get the attention of users so they act quickly. Follow a visual hierarchy with blocks and sections.
Micro-interactions are fast, easy, and small user experiences, such as scrolling, swiping, or pressing a button. These interactions are fragments of longer user journeys. Show your existing features in short form so users will understand your main functional flows. There’s also room to add some fun elements here to make interactions more humane and delightful for the users.
Data visualization is an important part of SaaS design. Find more ways to simplify complex data with interactive infographics and charts. User satisfaction and conversion rates will be higher if users don’t have to put in a lot of effort to understand the data on the screen.
Along the same lines, adding graphics and illustrations can get the attention of users and allow you to reinforce your brand identity. Also, this allows users to understand important information quickly. This makes the user experience more convenient and increases brand trust.
Instead of drop-down menus, users can view the menus with products and service icons by hovering. The icons in index menus can also have a brief description of a product or service so users can decide if they want to click on it or stay where they are. Index menus make it easier to interact with your product and reduce the time to complete important actions.
You’ll be able to win more users if you first create a thoughtful environment for them to use. Use the best practices we’ve listed below to achieve this.
Make your signup process as easy and simple as possible. Instead of multiple forms and sheets, ask only for relevant data that’s enough to sign them up in a few moments. Consider adding signup features through Google, Apple, or Facebook so users can access your product instantly. Use a good call to action to encourage users to take action.
Your onboarding features have a huge impact on how users interact with your product. Make the process interactive, smooth, and fast. Use good design elements and simplify complex terms to hook your users from the beginning.
Elements like walkthrough guides, text hints, and button backlights are good examples of how you can make onboarding engaging.
Another example of a good SaaS design is an easy-to-navigate and intuitive platform. Create a local page hierarchy with different pagination layouts for different data. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that users have access to all the important features.
A well-designed dashboard allows users to access all the tools and features they need with minimal effort. Here’s how to design a functional and user-friendly dashboard:
Personalization is more of an expected functionality rather than an add-on. You’ll need to collect customer data and incorporate features like personalized notification preferences, themes, and dashboards. Another way to do this is by allowing users to remove or add features based on their needs. This will help increase the functionality of your platform and provide the best experience.
Even with a stellar SaaS design, some users may have questions or need help with their journey. Provide always-on customer support to help users make the most of the functionality your platform offers. This is especially helpful if you have a free trial.
A chatbot can solve the most common issues users may face, but your customer support team should also be easy to contact. Make sure to have an FAQ section on your website so users can solve some of the issues on their own if they prefer.
The trends and best practices in SaaS design are aimed at delivering a better user experience. Make your product as easy to use as possible, and users will gladly stay with you. Your conversion rates will be higher, and customer acquisition costs will be lower, which will ultimately help your business.
It’s best to partner with a professional team of product experts and designers to improve your final design and maximize efficiency. This will help you minimize the risk of wasting resources and time that come with redesigning. Naviu’s team can create a well-thought-out and clear design for your SaaS to increase retention and conversions. Get in touch with us to discuss your SaaS design needs.
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