Uxcam, the app experience analytics firm, reveals that 88% of users are unlikely to return to a digital product after a poor user experience.
This statistic underscores the critical importance of embracing the powerful approach of user-centred design (UCD), which places the experience of the end user at the forefront.
Here is a more detailed overview of the reasons why every successful design agency like Widelab places significant emphasis on UCD.
Digital Product Offering Enhanced User Satisfaction
UCD revolves around your potential users. This approach to digital product design aligns the product’s components and features with users’ needs, goals, preferences, and behaviour.
Core components of UCD also include accessibility and inclusivity, in line with ethical design principles.
Furthermore, UCD is a responsive design approach that relies on user feedback for ongoing enhancements.
Altogether, these factors enable a design agency to craft an intuitive digital product that is not only functional but also enjoyable to use.
Competitive Advantage
Providing a superior user experience is a highly effective strategy to solidify and improve your product’s position on the market.
The comfort and delight derived from using a digital product are compelling reasons for many customers to choose it over alternatives.
Moreover, the UCD approach to digital product design not only emphasises user comfort but also encourages companies to cultivate an innovative mindset.
This mindset is instrumental in developing cutting-edge solutions that allow the brand to meet the ever-evolving needs of its customers.
The satisfaction derived from using a product establishes a profound connection with its brand, nurturing customer loyalty and substantially minimising friction.
Digital Product Design For Increased Profit
While increasing customer satisfaction, the UCD approach also helps to boost the company’s profit in numerous ways.
One such benefit is the substantial cost savings that are available to a company at each step of the product creation.
By conducting a thorough analysis of customer expectations and incorporating regular feedback, firms can avoid costly errors, such as poor design choices or the addition of expensive yet redundant features.
This proactive approach prevents the need for costly redesigns and redevelopment expenses.
A focused approach to designing exactly what is needed also accelerates product launches, reducing the overall creation costs and enabling the company to monetise the digital product more quickly.
User-centred Design Best Practices
As mentioned earlier, the needs of a user are a focal point for a design agency that has employed the UCD approach.
This means that the purpose of a digital product is viewed not only through the business goals of a company but also through the needs of a target audience.
For that reason, it is necessary to conduct thorough user research, including surveys and interviews, to align business objectives with the preferences of the future users of a digital product.
Some other best practices for user-centred design include:
Empathy For The Target Audience
An empathic attitude towards potential users of a digital product goes beyond the search for customer needs that can be satisfied to generate profit since it also helps gain a deeper understanding of the possibilities to bring a valuable contribution to the target audience.
Viewing potential users as human beings rather than just customers is a powerful source of inspiration that can result in innovative and effective solutions for a digital product.
Iterative Design
As discussed before, a design agency working according to UCD should be responsive to the feedback of potential customers.
To make this possible, an iterative workflow is useful, involving regular usability testing with real users who can provide valuable reviews of the product and identify problems early.
Creating interactive prototypes for different stages of the product design also helps support the iterative process of creation.
Collaboration Across Disciplines
It is rather challenging to craft an effective design if a design team does not collaborate with other specialists, including marketers, developers, and other experts.
Professionals from disparate sectors see the product from different angles, and their collaboration contributes to the success of the final product.
Leveraging The Competency Of A Design Agency
Collaborating with a design agency, while entailing a certain investment, can prove highly advantageous.
An experienced team, like Widelab, can create an efficient user-centered design, which can significantly cut development costs and increase profits through enhanced conversion rates, as mentioned earlier.
Meanwhile, a well-crafted design will not only satisfy your customers but also draw in more of them.