Putting the U back into UX is it an Art or a Science? We believe it’s the perfect blend of both. Ultimately, it’s about making the design of the experience human-centred. It’s about enabling humans to do useful things easily. That’s what has made brands like Apple and Google the best.

An example of amazing UX

User experience can be described as the perfect intersect between Art and Science. The science is required in the technology and the art in the subtleties around human-behaviour.  A great example of this intersect is Nike’s new concept store in Los Angeles – Nike by Melrose. This is where the digital and physical converge. Nike has a 4557 square feet retail store that creates a brand experience by blending the convenience of a digital app with human connection.

As shoppers enter the store they receive personalised offers via the App. They can scan a QR code to summon a salesperson (they call them ‘athletes’) who can swop sizes and colours for them! Don’t we all know that when shopping alone this can be the biggest bugbear? Stuck in the change room having to get your kit back on just to swop sizes! Great UX thinking and understanding what consumers need.  Shoppers can schedule a 15-minute consultation with an athlete to get personal recommendations. They also have the opportunity to test out the gear in the Trial Zone on a treadmill.

Or they can skip the store and order gear via Swoosh Text SMS – have it stored in a locker or waiting for them curbside the next time they drive by. This is an experiment for the sportswear giant. They have plans to scale and replicate in new stores in New York, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Data-driven insights for apparel

Nike by Melrose will offer city-specific styles — all of which is determined by Nike digital commerce data (things like buying patterns, app usage, and engagement) to serve local NikePlus members exactly what they want when they want it. That means new apparel, footwear, and accessories — again, all specific to LA’s needs regardless of Nike’s broader seasonal priorities — will fill the store on a bi-weekly basis (a Nike first) and sometimes even exclusively.

Heidi O’Neill president of Nike Direct says this: “By harnessing the power of digital, able to make the customers experience easier and better. Leverage the data to determine the nuances in each neighbourhood and deliver on these. The core purpose is to deliver the best possible Nike experience.”

Putting the U into User Experience

Companies like Nike realise they aren’t making and marketing products – they are really in the business of crafting user experiences. The experience is the brand. In a world of multi-channels and multiple customer touchpoints – the user experience starts long before customers touches the product. It encompasses everything from advertising and web design to social media, retail displays, packaging, music playing in the store, the salesperson to the subject line in the email.

The challenges of ideal User Experience

This multi-channel management requires the coordination of multiple internal teams and external agencies. They are constantly needing to co-ordinate efforts and ensure they are synchronised. Everything needs to be aligned from the Instagram hashtag strategy to the retail point of purchase promotion to the website product page.

Another challenge is to always remember the end user experience and not get bogged down in the visual elements of the experience. Getting stuck on interface design like the colour of the buttons on the mobile app instead of remaining focused on the product being the best.  Then the evolution is so fast with things like voice augmentation and VR – difficult to say that everyone is doing a great job – amazing job – some are just getting parts of it right.

Human-centred design is UX

A UX designer by heart is a person passionate about making digital technology match the needs, behaviours, and motivations of people in real-world situations. They constantly ask themselves: Why do people do what they do? How are things organised? How do they feel as they use this product? How could we make it match the task better, so people can get the job done more easily and quickly?

Woolworths recently got the human-centred design concept spot on by adapting the way they label their spices. In the past spices were placed on kitchen shelves and consumers were able to identify the spice at eye-level. With the advent of spice racks in drawers, consumers now look down on their spices, which led their designers to write the name of the spice on the lid as well as on the front of the bottles. The result = happier customers.

Showing your customer the love

To conclude you have to continually work on showing your customers that you love them. Otherwise, you can be sure that they won’t love you back. So, the level of human-centred thinking and design invested into your product becomes your unique selling proposition and ensures that your product is loved, consumed and adored by your customers who keep coming back for more.

According to Phil Barrett, one of the executive design directors at Absa’s Africa Design Office, that “the most successful consumer-facing organisations in the world like Apple and Google have put human-centred design and customer centricity at the heart of what they do.”

That is, in Phil’s opinion, exactly what makes them so successful: The understanding of what humans choose to do and why they do it is at the heart of UX thinking but it’s really at the heart of successful business thinking. It can mean the difference between an organisation that fails and an organisation that thrives.

Creative Imagineering is a niche collective of geeks who talk in code and take our UX seriously.  We believe in blending the Art and the Science to create the best User Experience for your brand. This way we show your customers a lot of love so that they keep coming back for more. Email us. info@creativeimagineering.co.za

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Sources: Adweek.com