Importance of UX design
In today’s digital age, UX design has become a crucial aspect of product and service thinking. UX, or user experience, refers to the overall experience that a user has while interacting with a product or service. This can include everything from the design and layout of a website to the ease of use of a mobile app, or the full end-to-end experience of a service.
No product is an island. A product is more than the product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service — from initial intentions through final reflections, from first usage to help, service, and maintenance. Make them all work together seamlessly.
Don Norman, inventor of the term “User Experience”
Why is UX important?
“64% of companies with a customer-focused CEO believe they are more profitable than their competitors” – 19th Annual Global CEO Survey / January 2016
In today’s market, where there are often many similar products or services available, a good user experience can be a key differentiator. A product or service that is easy to use and provides a positive experience is more likely to stand out and attract users, resulting in user loyalty and revenue growth.
So for all these benefits, its seems like any business would surely want to make UX a part of their design process. But here is a short story from Tropicana at the risk of not doing so.
Topicana: a story of a rebrand
Tropicana set out to rebrand their bottles and after 5 months of design work, launch planning and a rather hefty budget of $35 million marketing spend budget.
On the old packaging, the logo was bold and written over the top of an image of an orange displaying what the product had inside. It also described product features such as “pulp-free” across the top of the bottle.
After the rebrand, the font was thinner, the same colour as the body copy, pushed to the side and vertically up the side of the bottle,and yes, you would have to turn your head to read this. The image depicted half a cup of orange juice that wrapped around the bottle, with no pulp in the description.
The new packaging tried to be clever. “Let’s put the glass across two sides. Nice visual effect!” The problem with visual effects is: If my perspective isn’t perfectly adjusted to the right angle, I can’t see it.
Peter Arnell, was majorly involved in the rebrand. He said “We thought it would be important to take this brand and bring it or evolve it into a more current or modern state.”
But none of these design decisions considered seemed to consider what a user might need.
After all that marketing spend and design time, the product was launched to the supermarket shelves. The results were astounding:
- 20% loss in sales
- $20 million total in missed sales
- Less than 30 days after launch it was pulled
Beautiful design is important, but if it’s not functional, it won’t matter. In Tropicana’s case, customers literally couldn’t find the product they already wanted to buy on the shelves. Showing users where you are thinking about going, understanding the context of where the product will be seen, and understanding what users are looking for could help avoid design decisions that cost the business money.
At Code Computerlove we assess good UX using the following factors:
1. Usability
Usability is the key to a good UX design, ensuring users can complete their tasks quickly and easily. A product that is difficult to use or confusing will lead to user frustration and potentially abandonment.
2. Trust
Trust is another crucial element of UX design, as it ensures that users have confidence that it is safe and secure to complete their tasks. A trustworthy product or service will encourage users to engage with it, while a lack of trust will discourage engagement.
3. Emotion
Emotion is also crucial in UX design, as it can influence whether or not users want to complete their tasks. A product that evokes positive emotions, such as joy or satisfaction, is more likely to be successful than one that evokes negative emotions, such as frustration or anger.
4. Trigger
Trigger is the element of UX design that encourages users to complete their tasks. A product or service that is designed to persuade users to take action is more likely to be successful than one that does not.
5. Accessibility
Finally, accessibility is another important aspect of UX design, as it ensures that all users with any ability can understand and complete their tasks using assisted technology. Products designed with accessibility in mind are more likely to be successful and inclusive.
In conclusion, UX design is critical to creating products and services that meet the needs and expectations of users, so that businesses can continue to grow.