Nuances of Data driven design.
I happened to visit the art museum once and if i recall correctly, i spent good ten minutes staring dumbfoundedly at an art piece which was the highlight of the gallery. I had absolutely no idea why that art piece was put there and what was so special about it.
May be a group of art oracles thought that this was a great idea but because you don't get it, their expertise has not impact on your user experience.
Drawing an analogy, same holds true for any software design. Attractive UI/UX wont matter if users don't like it. #Designers are not users!
Best Practice 101 - Data driven Design
Fortunately, designers can bridge the gap with user testing. Sampling a typically demograph and having them interact with the product and voice their thoughts, helps design teams empathize, relate to, and better understand their users. It also helps designers combat their assumptions and allows them to move beyond best practices
One needs to appreciate the uniqueness of each business vertical and thus making their respective users unique. This forms the center of any design experience you plan to build in the system. Following latest trends instead will only lead to cookie cutter solution which does not resonate with anyone.
A quintessential example of this is the hamburger icon debate. A mobile app users would be very much aware of the icon which represents the menu and what function it performs. But if your users don’t understand 3 horizontal lines equal “menu,” they’ll be left confused and frustrated. Instead you can perform user interviews, track mouse movements, and view screen activity.
Tailoring your products to your user’s preferences, goals, and behaviors make them far more engaging and lead to higher conversions.
Till next time..