UX Designers don’t Craft Incredible Experiences but rather Connections.
Product and user interface as a potential connection to relevant experiences
If somebody asks me to describe one incredible experience in a UX design conference, I would maybe try to remember about one very interesting app I used and break down the main and most interesting moments of interaction with this digital product. But if I’m with my friends camping in middle of nature, the answer to this same question would probably be something completely different. When I think about this I consider that the first case scenario answer is NOT genuine true. I mean, the fictional character just asked me about “one INCREDIBLE experience” it’s presumption to think that using an app would actually engage us into a truly incredible-super-cool-life-changing-experience. I can’t imagine using a digital product would be even slightly similar experience to swimming in a gorgeous sea or seeing the sunset with friends at top of a mountain.
But thing is we, UX designers can actually help connect people (not users) to remarkable experiences in developing a digital product’s interface, but that depends of course, of the product’s relevance.
A story to clarify an incredible experience
Once upon a time I planned to spend a day or two in middle of woods to connect with nature and wonder about life, maybe clarify mind or something like that. So, what did I do? I started browsing between accommodation options in Airbnb to understand if this idea was remotely feasible for a guy living in a big city or some idea that would vanish in a week or so. That exact moment was crucial and why? Because exactly then I discovered a very good looking tree house, for an affordable price and, (that is a super plus) actually just one hour drive from this metropolis I was living back then. This was connection that the app created for me, just there, this spark when I saw this accommodation option and I though, OK, maybe this idea is VERY feasible. So I rented the house and the experience in the woods was nothing short of an amazing experience, ironically, no internet there, so I really had a chance to disconnect from technology and engage in immersive nature experiences such as swimming at river, walking in trails , meditating and making a fire. Two days that I know I will never forget.
UX project for me is art of creating connections, as simple as that. The more you understand product, benefits, context, process, users, the better you can create connections between them and ultimately, value. But of course, ALL of them must actually be relevant otherwise, the result will probably be weak. Relevance is, of course, very subjective. How would you even measure this?
About relevance
One time at a pitch presentation event in Curitiba, I saw many people presenting their company idea (myself included) and after the audience would invest some make-pretend money to their favourite. An investment game. This activity was very interesting to understand that yes, at some point product or service relevance is measurable. Why? Because one awesome project about local food consumption aimed in connecting consumers and producers caught peoples’s hearts and minds and almost everybody without any doubt “invested” money in this project. At a simplistic level, the amount of people that chosen his project among others would probably be a measurement, but that’s not just it, it was about how passionate they were doing that, talking with the person who presented, curious to know more about it, cheering for it’s success. I also had opportunity to talk with presenter, a very friendly, passionate and ideologies guy. Yes, maybe relevance can be measured.
About connection
The connection that UX designer craft between the user interface and the desired experience is still in the theoretical level, is still not really there during project. To explain this I’ll give an example of a project I participated in Whirlpool Appliances. The project was a connected kitchen and the UX goal was to connect a set of tech appliances products interface with the cooking experience, in an attempt to enhance something that for itself is already great for some people (for me surely), cooking delicious meals. So we studied thoroughly the user journey, interview appliance users, analyse data, role played concepts, tests, test and more tests. All this to create a connection between product and desired experience. This is first level or creating connections, the theoretical one, the one that UX designers in all their effort can create. Is not only about creating an incredible UI experience (that, of course, is part of job), is allowing and enhancing whatever person who is using to get there, to have in this case, a great social, tasteful, joyful cooking experience.
The second level, the practical level, happens when people will use this product or service. In this moment two basic things would be validated:
- Is the experience intended from product is meaningful and awesome. It consider people, happiness, context, production, environment? Some incredible outcome can come out of this? How this would improve people’s life, making it healthier, body and mind? Or benefit the environment?
- The UI must be the perfect vehicle to this experience. It is easy to use? Fast? Consider all variants and scenarios that user may face?
If all those two variants are great, than yeah! This is something that people actually need to improve their life’s or environment or both. And let incredible experiences happen. Your product? In best case scenario, just a incredible tool.
