Why design is necessary for the success of your digital product
Steve Jobs said:
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works”
This is why Beech has expanded its services to include expertise in UX Design. "So what is UX Design?!" I hear you thinking.
ChatGPT says:
"A UX Designer ensures the optimal balance between user and business objectives by understanding user behaviour and needs and translating them into intuitive interfaces. This leads to increased user satisfaction, engagement and loyalty, contributing to business goals and higher profitability."
In other words, everything is where it should be and is clear, so people don't drop out when using your product.
The UX Designer focuses specifically on the "end user" group. Why? Because, after all, the end user determines the success of your product:
- an increased conversion rate on your website or webshop because the shopping process runs smoothly
- the launch of your B2C app is accepted by your target group, because your app offers user value
- increased satisfaction of your employees by the B2B software, because it meets their needs and makes their work easier.
In this series of blog posts, we explore how user needs and business objectives should come together to increase business results. Also what role design plays in the different stages of product development to achieve success.
Phase 1: developing a new idea
You experience a problem in your organisation and see opportunities to improve business objectives. The decision is made internally that automation could be a possible solution. There are many factors that may or may not make the product a success. In fact, developing a new idea involves many risks. After all, the product does not have to have proven itself in a similar environment. People often think in ready-made solutions that seem to be in line with business objectives, but in this process there are often 2 things that are not given enough attention:
1. Creating value for the user
Software is used by your end users, these can be colleagues, customers or individuals. However, this end user is often not involved in the development process. This can have several reasons:
- getting to know the end user involves extra work, is difficult to reach and is therefore seen as less important work.
- The company thinks it does know the end user (= target group?) so it is not necessary.
The end user of the product determines the success of your product so it is a weak link if it is not included in the development process of your new product.
Take as an example the introduction of the cap attached to the bottle in fight against plastic waste. The EU measure has stipulated that this must be done, but a quick look around the internet shows that not everyone is enamoured with this. So on one side is the EU and environmental organisations, the former of which says, "Here the end justifies the means" and on the other is the consumer who doesn't like this at all. One dairy learned this the hard way when they experimented with the old pack and then concluded, "Then suddenly we saw the customer grabbing at the competitor. People want a cap."
Source: nu.nl (Dutch)
Software is often the same as the cap stuck to the bottle: companies act on profit and keeping various stakeholders happy, but the user experience is less of a priority. This is because too many IT projects do not include the end user in the development process. The delivered product meets the customer's requirements, but not the customer's end-user which means there is a chance that the product will not achieve its goals and will not be a success.
2. Steer for results, not for as many features as possible
People think in solutions. However, too little thought is often given to whether the solution offers the right result. This is often unknown at the start of most software projects. Because this is still unknown, the company often starts building all kinds of functionalities as much and as quickly as possible, in the hope of achieving success. In other words, shooting with hail in the hope of hitting something. This can involve high risks and possibly high costs. Adjustments after the product is delivered are often costly.
How to do it
- Involve the end user in the design and development process at every stage. This can be done by conducting end-user research to identify end-user problems and needs and then using prototypes to validate possible solutions even before development has started writing software. A small investment at the beginning can save a lot of costs in the long run.
- Set goals. Our UX Designer will help you identify business goals and user needs. Once these are known, the current situation is mapped and goals are set, insight is provided into how goals are achieved step by step and where corrections need to be made.
Questions or interest?
Do you want to know how we can successfully tailor your product to your end-user, or did you not understand any of the above, but would you like to know more about how we can make your product successful? Then contact us and we will be happy to help you.
info@beech.it
+31(0)77 30 30 30