Where Does Good UX Come From?

While the User Experience (UX) design process is highly scientific and data driven, marketers need to remember that good UX comes from people putting people first. Although the ultimate goal is to make systems or experiences accessible and engaging, the user is at the center of every operation within a system

Successful UX design happens when research and data work in concert with emotion and empathy. Every piece of marketing collateral that a person touches needs to consider the user experience. User experience applies to every interaction a person has within a project or campaign, being online or off. To accomplish a seamless brand experience, a well-blended strategy of understanding, compassion and confidence are all necessary.

Good UX Comes from: Understanding

Understanding the problem you are trying to solve before actually attempting to solve it is key for good UX design. Whether you are creating a new system or improving an existing one, it is critical to gain a deep understanding of all the jobs and their interactions within that system.

Immerse yourself in observation and research. Looking at all of the functions in a system will reveal what it does well and where there is room for improvement. With this level of understanding we can uncover problems and interactions to begin delivering solutions with maximum impact on the experience.

Good UX Comes from: Compassion

Compassion comes from genuinely caring about the individuals who play a part in the system. After gaining an intimate understanding of how a system works, examine the needs of the individuals within that system. Be compassionate to their needs and pain points, and ultimately be the advocate for creating a positive experience.

Truly caring about the individual’s experience:

• helps us comprehend what their goals are.
• identifies pain points.
• keeps us open to their feedback.
• provides multiple perspectives.

Being compassionate toward the desires of every individual reveals the roadblocks and triumphs experienced at a human level. Paired with the deep understanding of the system overall, we can begin to propose impactful solutions.

Good UX Comes from: Confidence

Confident solutions are born through testing and feedback. Before implementing a solution we need to continually test and validate with users, allowing us to gain confidence that our suggestions are actually impactful. The more we test and inquire, the more confident we will become in our solutions.

As qualitative and quantitative improvements begin, not only are we confident in advocating for the user, but solutions can be presented to stakeholders that are backed by research and data.

Respecting the system enough to engage it deeply, caring enough about your users to treat them with compassion, testing your solutions enough to issue them in confidence are all traits that are needed (and dependent on each other) to produce great UX design.