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Bringing UX principles into the day-to-day
UX, or user experience design, in short, is how it feels to use a product or service. Many people will associate this with digital products, but we can apply the ideas and principles to so many other areas. Physical products, customer experiences and brand activations can all benefit from a UX way of thinking. Crafting seamless, intuitive, memorable experiences can improve retention, create brand advocates and help build your reputation amongst your target audience. A good user experience, like good design, often goes unnoticed. But a bad one can quickly sour a customer’s perception of your service or brand. Ever had a poor retail experience or dealt with a rude member of staff? Most likely you then told friends and family about the experience – or worse, didn’t go back. In UX there are 10 principles we follow to ensure our product or service follows best practices and puts the user’s experience first. Below are the four with the best adaptability to other industries and disciplines. Some of the points may not be relevant or achievable in your situation and that’s ok. Even implementing one can make a difference.
Author
Karl Fry
Read Time
5 mins
1. Be interested in your user
Software, websites or services we use regularly shouldn’t treat us like strangers, and, over time, should learn our preferences and how we work. When sending emails, Gmail or Outlook will make suggestions as you type in the name of who you are sending the email to, based on past correspondence. This speeds up the process and makes it feel effortless.
Outside of digital, getting to know your customer will allow you to tailor the experience to their preferences. What form of communication do they use? Do they prefer a morning or afternoon meeting? Are they an analytical or creative thinker? How’s best to present information to them? Even down to how they have their coffee or tea. These types of details can help elevate and make the customer experience memorable.
2. Be forthcoming with information
Imagine you’re at your favourite restaurant. The waiter shows you to your table and hands out the menus. After extensively browsing the menu you’re ready to order. Notepad in hand the waiter begins taking your order, only to tell you they ran out of your chosen dish the day before. Prepare to panic order.
Unlike the waiter, our website or software should be forthcoming with information that could impact the users’ decisions. Any e-commerce website should tell users when an item of clothing is out of stock or unavailable. This could be a message in red or greying out the option.
When working with clients, be proactive and generous with information. No one likes to be left in the dark on projects. Being forthcoming with information allows us to pivot quickly if needed, save time and be collaborative.
3. Give visibility
Knowing where you are in a process, what progress has been made and the steps left to go is a great way to give a sense of control to users. This also helps demystify what’s to come and prevents any anxious feelings. If you’ve ever been on a long-haul flight, you’ll have seen a screen showing where the plane is in relation to the journey, along with the remaining journey time and expected arrival time. System feedback, progress bars and confirmation messages are all great ways to do this with a digital product.
At SANDBOX, this involves showing and referring back to process maps with clients, having regular check-ins and always being clear on the next steps for everyone that’s involved. That way, everyone knows what’s happening and the journey taken.
4. Be relatable
Where possible, always use terminology, standard conventions and reference points that your target audience is familiar with. This can help users understand how a product works or the sequence a task or process will be carried out. Everyone is familiar with the payment process, what information is needed and in what order, so why change it?
Clients won’t know the jargon within your industry or have the same knowledge as you. Be considerate with the language you use and get to know the client’s world so you can match them.
Whether you apply one or all four of these points, consider taking a UX approach and how you can shape the experience you offer.
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