How do you explain UX innovations to clients?

When discussing UX innovations with decision-makers, it's vital to frame them within the broader perspective of "value-centered design." This approach doesn't just focus on the user experience; it's about designing solutions highlighting the shared benefits for individuals and organizations. Simply put, delivering value that aligns with personal and business objectives.

Effectively presenting UX innovations involves aligning client visions with user needs to create impactful solutions. By embedding client goals within design, a resonant user experience emerges, fostering brand loyalty and user adoption. A profound understanding of user pain points and preferences is crucial, ensuring innovations are experience-centric. Success is gauged through sustainable customer acquisition, user retention, and revenue growth, meticulously aligned with client objectives and market evolution.

One point to add to this is tbd need to speak the same language as your clients. Consider not giving them a matrix when they just need a simple example. Avoid Figma flows if they need to see a pie chart. The point is that sometimes the innovations are irrelevant if that’s not what they care about. Our job in UX is to speak a language users understand. It’s no different for clients.

Always lead with data. Innovation without tested data is simply a hypothetical concept. Discussions need to move away from taste and toward real insights.

Start with goals and why. Why are they doing this? Who is it for? Why do they need it? Using a who-what-where-when framework to clarify goals early will help frame how you explain UX innovations to clients.

Research and user feedback can be one of the quickest ways to validate your approach. A single line from a user can do the trick. A real-life example I’ve had was a research participant saying things like, “None of your competitors are doing this.” “This is a game changer.” “You’re leading the market with this.” Tie this back to business goals and it’s about all you need to validate your approach.

Conveying UX innovations is about showcasing the transformation from challenge to solution. Detail existing user frustrations and contrast this with the ease your innovation provides. Employ engaging visuals or prototypes to make abstract concepts tangible, allowing clients to witness the innovation's impact firsthand. This approach highlights the solution's transformative potential and practicality in addressing user challenges, offering a compelling and insightful perspective.

UX is always there to fix a problem, even if it is a “tiny” problem of product not being delightful enough. I use customer feedback and analytics to find problems, then innovate on possible solutions, draw quick mockups and validate with a few key people. Once we are all aboard it’s time to show that process E2E to the decision makers

A strategy that yields client buy-in is incorporating competitor analysis insights in this stage. When they can see how your proposal aligns with or strategically doesn’t align with competitor features, you not only gain trust but also provide clients with a glimpse into how your solutions were brainstormed, researched, and tested.

Use visuals to demonstrate the user problem and how your solution solves it. For example, "Users are telling us that they find X difficult to do", and then present the concept solution.

Explaining UX innovations effectively means spotlighting the benefits they bring, not just the features they have. It’s crucial to show how they boost user satisfaction and loyalty, make your client stand out, and align with their brand values. Using clear, real-world examples or data makes your points more convincing and relatable. This way, you help clients see the real and tangible value in what you’re offering, focusing on real-world impact over technical details.

Depending on the team, it can be difficult for XD to tie their work back to KPIs. Depending on your teams structure, one method I’ve found is to go to your epics (if your on a scrum team) and find the reason you’re working on a given project. Then you can champion your work based on those goals.

Don’t just address concerns, but lead with them. This might feel backwards, but it actually plays into a psychological advantage. It’s human nature to look for risk. If you address the risk yourself, this builds confidence with your audience that you can be trusted.

Innovation isn’t always the right choice. Sometimes we give users shiny when they needed subtle. Always validate innovation with the good hard work of UX rigor. Investigate, test, validate, refine. The age-old principals apply to anything new we wish to contribute. So don’t rush innovation, otherwise it might just be flash without substance.

1. Keep the User in Focus: Anchor your innovations in user needs and experiences. User-centric solutions resonate more and drive engagement and loyalty. 2. Iterative Testing: Regularly test and refine your innovations. Continuous feedback refines the user experience, ensuring relevance and effectiveness. 3. Communicate with Clarity: Articulate the benefits of your innovations succinctly and clearly, focusing on value and impact over features, making the abstract tangible for clients.