User experience, or simply UX, came from Apple’s very own User Experience Architect ‘Don’ Norman in 1993. UX is nothing but determining the factors to monitor how the end-user interacts with a concerned service or product.

The sort of an invisible force that draws the consumer’s base to the platform whether digital or physical, is the ultimate UX design that works its way into the consumer’s mind on simply the way it ‘feels’.

Many companies are now employing and empowering user experience teams to transform their business. UX teams are responsible for shaping customer experiences and, to drive customer-centricity into the company.

The UX Process

UX process relies greatly on facts and data, backed by extensive research. Decision-making solely depends on rendered data managed by numbers. The initial step to improve UX to reap the benefits in the business is to conduct a product usability assessment that provides a birds-eye-view of the pain points that help the designer visualize a final design.

Be it an iPhone or a BMW; you are not simply buying a phone or a car, you are buying a brand, an identity and an entry to the platinum club. UX teams will work toward providing customer satisfaction beyond expectations by canvassing a journey of how the product will be used and showcasing experiences beyond just the product. Airbnb’s Mike Gebbia too agrees and credits the UX process for taking the brand to USD 10 billion.

UX Doesn’t Design Itself

Some interesting tried and tested strategies employed by UX teams are listed below:

• ‘Reliability’ and ‘delight’ are benchmarks for the ultimate user experience
• Interaction with users through the platform that promotes collaboration and eventually gets converted to sales
• The smart product description is as important as the product itself
• ‘Freebies’ during sale times are always a hit with the users
• Seamless checkout experience

Humans are Social Beings

• Audible’s Marcus Lofthouse says that customer-centricity is more than just corporate value. He vouches that the Audible’s user research team dedicated to customer insights provides real value.
• Develop personas for clients, customers and other prospects. Customer profiles and customized accounts create ownership and illustrate a holistic representation of the brand.
• KPIs or key performance indicators when connected to business metrics, provides journey maps to identify the relationship between customer experience and business impact.
• All research and data should be based on a company’s actual customers; there is no such thing as a generic customer.
• Project documentation should be living and breathing, meaning you should be able to evaluate and iterate the design, not just create it and leave it on a shelf.
• Create touch-point opportunities that connect customers to the purchase or the product itself like milestones.

Do you really need the right UX?

Try answering these questions.

• What does your UX design communicate? Does the tone represent the company’s goals?
• Will this communication make sense throughout the customer’s journey?
• Does the design represent a new model of user engagement, as an advisor on life and for the entire family?
• Will it address barriers and pain-points across the portal?

Streamline UX Research

People-centered user engagement models should be designed to ensure that the business, processes, communication and technology support the long-term goal of the company.

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