Twitter Chat Reveals Different Takes on User Needs and Business Goals

Which comes first: the business or the user?

On Friday we hosted our first #uxchat, a weekly discussion on Twitter about an issue in UX/UI design. The topic pitted businesses goals against user needs and explored instances where they overlap.

Exhibit A: the instant pop-up modal. Most readers don’t take well to having their reading interrupted after they’ve only seen a sentence or two. Email subscription modals may actually prevent people from signing up if the content doesn’t have a chance to hook them first.

@addClass_Sister @uxpin User first, but what happens when user isn't signing purchase order-how to reconcile buyer goals too? #uxchat #UXPin

— Jaye Brown (@jaye_brown1) March 4, 2016

I see Business needs as those necessary design constraints on user solutions. @uxpin #uxchat #uxpin

— Danelle Bailey (@danellesheree) March 4, 2016

Try to understand the reason behind the change and do your best to achieve the goal. #uxchat #UXPin

— Marcin Treder (@marcintreder) March 4, 2016

A2 – Understand your users. Business goals should come from end user needs #uxchat #uxpin

— Kelly Whelan (@KellyLWhelan) March 4, 2016

.@addClass_Sister @uxpin If you put users at the heart of your business, then user and business goals should align. #uxchat #UXPin

— Ryan Thomas Riddle (@ryantriddle) March 4, 2016

In-depth: Understanding Users

One thing everyone seemed to agree on was understanding your users. After all, aren’t we solving problems for our users? Logic would dictate that we get to know them a bit. Or else we’d be designing in an echo chamber. As we outlined in The Guide to UX Design Process and Documentation, great product experiences begin and end with understanding your users’ needs. There are a couple ways that you can do that. Let’s take a quick look at them.

Personas

Who is your audience? What do they want? What are they hoping to accomplish? Answering those questions are at the heart of creating a user persona.

Photo Credit: UXPin

Personas can focus your vital decisions because they add a layer of real-world consideration. However, they aren’t meant to represent everyone — just the most important user groups. It’s almost as if you’re outlining the perfect user. You can do this by:

Give the persona a name. Make it real, personal. You can also label it by segment, such as “Peter the Pensive Product Manager.”
Outline job roles and responsibilities. Why does this persona need to use your product? What does it help them accomplish in their role? What are the outcomes they will achieve?
Age, gender and social security number. Ok, not the last one. But describe all the other vital information, such as age, gender and device. You also have to dive deep into their psychology — fears and aspirations.

Personas aren’t the only way to delve into your users’ mindset.

User Stories … or Flows

Outlining the path your user will take can give you a clearer picture of how he or she would use your product. This will help you ensure that the experience is smooth as possible. UX and Product Designer Marek Bowers states that your product is tied directly to whether the flow meets the needs of your users, as well as your business. Personas can get you started here, and you can use them to map out what the user will accomplish. It’ll give you clearer idea of where they need to start and where they need to end up. Think of it like putting together a quest — the ultimate user journey.

To learn more on user stories, check out the free e-book UX Design Process Best Practices.

Aligning User Needs and Business Needs

Of course, putting users at the heart of your business is a just sensible business practices. And that seems to be the consensus of our Twitter chat. But how do you ensure that the user is a consideration in the business plans? One way is to make sure there’s a market for your product. That takes some upfront research. This will help inform not only who your users are, but whether you’re building a product that they actually need.

As outlined by Rebecca Bagley, CEO of Nortech, you’ll want to figure out what the revenue opportunity is for your product. More than that, you’ll want to know what is the serviceable available market (read: people who will use it and pay for it). You can also interview stakeholders to gain perspective on what they view as the ultimate business goals. This will give you insight into what the business side of things, especially if that’s not your speciality.

But here’s a piece of non-textbook advice: be the advocate for your users if no one else will. As the designer on the team, you’ll have insight into your users that others might not have. Be their voice. And if you can, pair up with those who work in customer service, as they are on the front lines with users. They know their pain, probably better than you do. Seek their wisdom. In the end, who comes first — the business or the user? It’s the chicken and the egg. They’re both important. And they both need to work together.

Conclusion

So not every design technique is best practice. In fact, some are downright deceptive. Join us next Friday at 11am PST when we’ll chat about dark patterns in web design. And you can always hit us up with questions on Twitter @uxpin.

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