It’s not only an User Experience Problem

Let’s start the New Year with a complaint! Research has proven that cribbing is better out than in.
Don’t ask me for the URL for the above research. I just want to make a strong point here 🙂

I strongly believe that at the start of 2019, User Experience is still not mapped into the DNA of many well known organizations. As much as it’s easy and humanly possible to make the team understand the value of UX in a small and well organized team, it becomes consistently tougher for large team in larger organizations. Organizations often tend to follow a peak-end rule to showcase their UX achievements, but that glory is diminutive where, day in day out, UX decisions are manipulated by bigger forces (the demons are commonly named “Time” and “Budget”).

Let’s look at this conversation.

— Hi, I’m Sam, UX designer starting today on this project.

— Cool, I’m Leo, project manager. Glad to have you on the team.

— Glad to be here. How can I help?

— So… We have designed a first version of our app, but we’re now planning of doing the UX to improve a few things… People are using the app, using it once, but not really completing the task or coming back to it over time.

“Do” the UX!

What it usually means: Can you help us think through the app’s interaction design, structure and navigation?

Common misconception is: One single person is responsible for successfully conceiving, designing, implementing and validating the user’s experience without properly understanding the business rules and user needs.

A good user experience (for a user) consists of many factors like:

• Organized information architecture and navigation flows;
• Compelling and engaging visual design;
• Thoughtful transitions and animations;
• Great copy and tone of voice;
• App’s performance and speed;
• Mobile Compatibility and ability to adapt in mobile environment
• The user’s device and internet speed;
• How the product addressing needs of the user;
• A clear understanding by the user of what the product does;
• How accessible the product is;
• The user’s social, cultural and demographic context;
• Where the user is, at the time they engage with the app;
• User’s level of knowledge and understanding of the way things work;
• How the user is feeling that particular day they use the product;

In this case “Sure, I can do the UX for you.” is the answer the project manager is expecting.

“I love the UX you did for that mobile app”

What they meant: I love the user interface you designed.

Common misconception is: Repeat the same thing here and we’re good to go!

Simple math: Sam has 8 UXs in their bag and gives 3 to Leo. How many UXs does John have left?

Improving User experience for a product or service requires an entire team effort. It consists of User Understanding (Translates to Ethnographic Research, User Journey Mapping), Business Need Understanding(What the Business wants) , Technology Understanding (What are possible and what are constraints) even Understanding the criticality of time and budget and tailor- make what’s possible and what goes into the back-burner.

So where should Business start and where do UX designers start? To be accurate, they all start at the same place, Requirement Gathering Sessions. Everybody in the room should start with a blank slate with only one intention: “To serve users better.” The path is not easy and, often times Biz Analysts take up the job as they are generally better at documenting. That’s not how it should be and in the age of Digital, UX guys should collaborate with Biz Analysts more than ever before. Being part of a conversation means UXDs need to be vocal and if someone thinks he is shy or introvert or lack communication skills, he/she should seriously thinking of pursuing a an alternate career path may be in Interaction Design or Visual Design.. Remember, a UXD’s role is similar to a Consultant: “Ask silly question”.

Asking silly questions: How silly it should be?

You have heard the phrase before. Here “silly” means “Well researched & Prepared Common Questions.” Your questions might sound silly, but your intention or understanding should be at the level of “silly”. If a UX Designer starts asking literally “silly” questions at the starting of discussion, possibilities are high that, they will lose respect both from the Biz and their fellow Biz Analysts and it will be very difficult to recuperate from that situation. So, preparation is the key.

Power to convince is the power to build

It’s not easy to convince, in fact it requires a lot of fight with the Senior Stakeholders who believes they know their business better than you, which is also a fact. But it’s silly to go without a fight. As a UX designer I may sound arrogant when I am asking to fight, but it is what it is. A better diplomatic word can be “Difference of Opinion”. When you are working in a developer- driver environment, it’s easy to succumb into the pressure. The pressure is creating something “easy”, which is easy to implement. Then, that is not what you are there for. Designers are like doctors. A patient will always cry and shout in pain, but you can’t afford to leave everything in the world and try to cure him/her. Simply put, our universe is not designed that way. Working as a UX, you are trying to use worldly metaphors into digital applications and the more you can do, the more fine bridge you will create for the users. It’s a happy experience when you can perform a task without learning anything new. Again, you might think I am underestimating the power of Gamification. No, but that’s for another day.

In crux, as a UXD, it’s more work than visual design a prototype. A successful user experience may have no interface design at all (e.g. No UI where user simply mails to a certain mail address and gets their work done, for example blog posting, receipt submission for expense report). UX Design is advocating for the user. That requires a lot of understanding and empathy. A UXD is perhaps the only one in the War Room with his/her feet in both the boats (Users and Business). It’s no surprise that there’s going to be difference in opinions. Let that happen. A word of caution: do not play personal. Ego is the number one enemy for a designer. Nobody is your friend, and like the lawyers (remember, I already designated you as Advocates!), you are not here to make friends from either side. Trust your research and user testament to decide what you decide. Creating a satisfied user is your number one priority.

I don’t believe Steve Jobs didn’t do user testing. It’s a statement. In reality, Apple fixes it’s user problem much faster than most of it’s competitor if they feel there’s a need (though I can’t say the same for iTunes). So, go ahead and engage in a healthy difference of opinions, play the devil and his advocate. If your voice is true and you are true to the research data, there’s no way your ideas will be turned down. It might be shelved, I agree, but it will always come back.

UX and Business and Technology can not thrive in an organization if they work in silos. As more and more organizations of any scale are embracing UX and finding value in it, my advice to the Businesses would be:

1. UXDs are not here to make things pretty, but useful.
2. Respect their maturity, give them insight into every aspect of business.
3. Do not avoid questions from UXDs which you might think unnecessary.
4. UX and Biz Analysts’ roles are overlapping. Accept that.
5. Include them into as many meetings as possible, let them be a fly on the wall.
6. Allow them some free time to think, creatives often need a bit more time and space.
7. Appreciate their contribution, motivation is what makes creatives run.

And, to the UX Designers would be:

1. Improve your skills: Read more, Write more, Earn Respect.
2. Do not hesitate to improvise: What you knew yesterday might be changed because you know better today
3. Ask intelligent questions, “Silly” included
4. Simplify but do not over-simplify: Respect the difference between Simple and Ordinary.
5. Think beyond successful completion of tasks. Make them promoters.
6. Try something different: Even change in font gives a different perspective.
   And, lastly and most importantly,
7. Your design is not for your portfolio only. It’s out there to address user needs.
8. Your design is not just there to solve for user problems. It’s also for your portfolio.

As always, would like to know what you think of this article, writing a comment is good and highly appreciated! Have a happy New year!