Mindset that fuels good "user" experience
Karen Chong, PMP, Certified Scrum Prod Owner
People-centric project management professional making dreams come true.
Having been with a company that specializes in solving business problems through redefining experience, I have spent a lot of time with researchers and experience designers. The way they approach problems has rubbed off on me. I am increasingly looking at everyday scenarios and evaluating them through the lens of "experience".
For anyone less familiar with the kind of “experience” I am referring to, let me explain it a little. Largely speaking, it is closer to user experience than what we list on our resumes and CVs.
User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products
according to Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen in The Definition of User Experience (UX). Now, what makes up user experience and how you go about creating good user experience is an entirely different topic and I won't cover in this article. However, I can summarize "experience" into:
Good user experience makes the whole interaction smooth, addresses the needs of your users without them having to put in a ton of effort.
Everybody is happy. Think of Apple products or hotels that just seem to know what you will need without having to ask. There is very little friction in their experience using the products or services.
Bad user experience is when the users are so frustrated using your services or products that they just want to throw it out the window or walk out immediately.
It can be long wait time, or users having to repeat themselves and still not get what they were asking. Think of trying to cancel an insurance policy, or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the United States. (Fun fact, I was amazed to find that even people not in the US know that DMV is bad, thanks to all the American TV shows and movies.)
In my day-to-day interaction with my “users” (i.e. stakeholders, teammates, anyone who interacts with me basically), I have found that the approach in creating a good user experience can apply equally to what I do. Who wouldn’t love a world with happy teams and no frustrations?
Here are some typical things companies would do to improve the user experience of their products or services:
Research – deeply understanding their users’ needs and wants
Research analysis – translating findings about their users into insights to guide their actions
Experience design – applying the user insights to how they create or improve their products and services
User testing – observe how users interact with their products and services
Iteration – based on all the above, continue to fine-tune their products and services
As you can see, all these revolve around "users" - the people interacting with your services. In my case, they may not even need to be project stakeholders. They can just be a colleague asking a question. Often, I find that not enough consideration is put into your “users” in our everyday life.
What do they want or need? And why?
How can they treat the information you give them?
What do they need to do next?
How do your actions affect them?
Not considering these often leads to moments where you get answers that are not useful, requests that are not actionable, or simply frustrated because that person just does not get it. Wouldn't the world be a happier place if we can minimize situations like these?
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Taking your "users" into consideration - the concept of Omoiyari
Let me share an interesting moment from when I was living in Japan. I bought a soft serve ice cream from a convenient store once. The cashier asked me, "Is it for takeaway?" I said yes but then thought:
Wait, why did he ask, what's the difference? Don't you just carry the soft serve in your hand and start eating?
What he did next I will forever remember. He put the soft serve into a stand with a hole to hold the cone stable. Then he put this "lid" made of the same ingredient as the cone on top of the soft serve to protect it. Lastly, he bagged this package handed it to me.
This is how that soft serve looked like. It was perfectly preserved.
Is that amazing user experience or what?
The company has thought this through! The customer said it is for takeaway. So they will need to carry it somewhere. It can be near or far. They can be taking the super packed train. We need to put efforts into making sure they can enjoy it the way the soft serve is meant to be enjoyed.
And that was an example of Omoiyari (思いやり). According to Tokhimo,
Omoi (思い) is thought. Yari is derived from yaru (やる), which means give or send. So, it literally means to give your thoughts to others. Omoiyari is the sympathy and empathy for others that leads to thoughtful action. The key points are anticipating someone's needs and providing for them in advance.
The Japanese culture is deeply rooted in Omoiyari. They take others' experience heavily into their considerations. I think few will disagree that Japan is one of the leaders in superb hospitality and elegant practical product designs. And Omoiyari is what fuels their attitude towards providing service and producing products.
Have you seen those Japanese rice balls where they separate the seaweed from the rice to keep it crisp, then when you open the packaging it will naturally rewrap the seaweed around the rice? If you haven't, this video shows you how it works.
No matter who you interact with, this concept of "giving consideration" can help minimize unnecessary friction. Rethink those points I listed above (What they want and need and why; How can they treat the information you give them; What they need to do next; How your actions affect them). Apply more consideration into your answers and how you help them. You may find that your conversations become a little smoother, and everyone is a little happier.
I will finish this article with a snippet of this story in Dubai by comedian Russell Peters. To be accurate, giving consideration to others isn't exactly the point Russell was trying to make. However, this conversation illustrates perfectly how the lack thereof can cause frustrations.
[RP] = Russell Peters [S] = Security
[RP] So, I'm in Bloomingdale's-- I'm looking to leave the store. I'm looking for an escalator, I see a security guy, standing there, I walk up, and I go, "Hi, is there an escalator in here?"
[RP] Yes.
[RP] Uh, do you know where it is?
[S] Yes, of course.
[RP] Do you think you could tell me, where it is?
[S] Yes.
[RP] ***** tell me then!
There was more to this story but I think you get it.
I would love to hear your stories about great and bad experiences when interacting with others. How would things be changed by giving more considerations to your "users"? Share them in the comments.
People-centric project management professional making dreams come true.
11 个月My Japanese friend gave me an even more interesting perspective after reading my article. She pointed out that when the people around you are more homogenous, you have a common baseline. It's easier to put yourself in their shoes and to anticipate the response or how something affect them. When the group of people are very diverse, there is no common baseline. It is much harder to imagine how something affect others and how they will react. Japan is still very homogeneous, whereas the United States or parts of Europe, are so diverse that it is much more difficult to anticipate how others will react or how something will affect them.
I'm retired!
1 年Very thoughtful perepective. Your global life experience certainly lends itself well to customer experience and navigating multiple cultures on a team. Well said.
Marketing Executive
1 年Thank you for sharing this with me. And yes, I can relate. Good work!
Driving Business Success with AI-Powered Cloud Communications | Senior Sales Engineer, Dialpad Australia & New Zealand | Innovating Customer Engagement with Expertise in Presales & Technology
1 年Karen, what a great write up! Like you, I often find myself subconsciously analyzing user experiences all the time. Perhaps having lived in Japan has permanently raised the bar for us both. One memory that still stands out vividly is from my time in Shinjuku. While browsing a department store (possibly Isetan), I unknowingly ventured out during a downpour. As I was leaving, the staff swiftly produced a thin plastic cover to shield my entire shopping bag – shoes and all – from the rain. While it wasn't a high-end purchase, this gesture resonated deeply. A friend who worked in retail at the time explained that this attentiveness stems from the concept of Ichigo Ichie (一期一会). As I understand it, Ichigo Ichie translates to "one time, one meeting," embodying the philosophy of treating every interaction, no matter how brief or seemingly insignificant, as a unique and precious encounter. This resonates deeply with the emphasis on exceptional customer service that I consistently experienced in Japan. This approach fosters a genuine connection and elevates the customer experience beyond a simple transaction. It's a philosophy worth remembering, not just in retail, but in all our interactions.