User experience
Define your user
Develop the user flow
Develop the product in stages
Integrate aesthetic
Be consistent
Put yourself in the user’s shoes
Test and iterate
Understand the project constraints
1) Define your user. A clear definition establishes the key benefits of the product. This sets limits which guard against spiraling development. In order to set these limits, it helps to have a deep understanding of the customer motivations. To do this, separate potential users into groups. Then test each group for value, usability, adoptability, desirability, and ease of use. It helps to ask yourself what do they want to do and how they do it now. When collecting information, be sure to focus on personal experiences, as customers can misrepresent their problems and solutions. Listen to ideas but dig down to needs.
2) Develop the user flow. Creating a flow enables you to break up complicated tasks. This reduces reliance on a user's memory and brainpower. Bear in mind that an interaction doesn’t start with a click or touch. It starts with a desire to act, and the understanding that something can be acted on. The purpose of each page should be obvious at first glance and pull the user through to the next stage. It’s best to avoid dead ends, or the impression of them so provide visual cues. However, the longer the flow the less likely someone is to get to the bottom. Flow needs development and maintenance. This requires a clear set of goals, a balance between challenges and skillset, and clear feedback as they perform the activity.
3) Develop the product in stages. Issues are cheaper to fix when discovered early. So it helps to break product development up into a series of small proofs of concept. A good place to start is by drawing user flows. These can be as simple as text boxes with arrows. A simple and visual way to display the different paths that users will take as they progress through the site. The next step is to draw pen and paper sketches which reflect the start of the design process. Wireframes codify the results, applications like balsamic and sketchapp are useful here. Then prototyping enables more interactive feedback. You’re then ready to develop and start all over again.
4) Integrate aesthetic. People perceive the overall look and feel before they see individual parts. Furthermore, effective visual design helps users understand value, relevance, and importance of features. Without making conscious judgments about the product. Aesthetic is therefore influential in affecting a user's first impression. To create a positive impression, personalise the product as much as possible, use bold colours and simple ergonomics. This will increase a user’s understanding of its brand and often affects the trust placed in the product. For example, slick and intuitive user manuals reflect well on the appliance.
5) Be consistent. Powerful usability conventions are consistency, familiarity, expectation, trust, and simplicity. These save time save time for everyone. The software industry has developed a set of practices which are best to stick to where possible. For example, blue is for links, calls to action are in a single colour, and there are commonly used metaphors such as tabs and buttons. You can’t really sift through a folder or press a button online. But associations with these objects in the physical world provide a clear understanding of how they should work digitally. Hierarchy, dominance and grouping are further natural indicators.
6) Put yourself in the user’s shoes. Your user is always a human. Although digital products are not tactile, perceptions can elicit physical responses. The product may feel fast or slow, smooth or clunky. These interpretations may not be objectively accurate. But empathy is essential to improve the product. For example, it helps to communicate movement when a page is loading, using ‘you’ in copy captures attention and providing feedback to all actions provides a sense of progress. This helps users feel in safe and in control.
7) Test and iterate. As your user’s expectations change so does their experience. So it's important to always stay relevant and look for improvements. Effective measurement is essential. This requires a clear, quantifiable objective. For example reducing errors, increasing NPS, or decreasing task time. It’s also important to keep the context in mind. Mitigate for environmental factors such as need, access, cost and moderation. Ensuing debates can then center on data rather than opinions which feeds back to effective product development.
8) Understand the project constraints. To be successful, the user experience design of these products must take into account its context. The business objectives of the project, the needs of the product’s users, and any technical limitations or constraints. To get everyone on board, clarify why is the project important to the company. How to determine if the project is a success. What approach or methodology the project will follow. And any major dates or milestones.
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