Posts in Service design

Customer Research: How much do you think you know your customers?

Product design Service design
Customer Research: How much do you think you know your customers?

We were designing a product for a particular customer segment when one of the technical “experts” decided to take one design direction because he knew better.

He said, “I have been doing this for many years, and I “know” what customers want.”

Forget the fact that he wasn’t a designer; he still thought he “knew better.”

Why?
Design is such a subjective topic. Everyone has a point of view. It’s not like you are engineering the system of an autonomous car, right? THAT for sure needs expertise. But design? Everyone can do design. Or so they think.

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7 Reasons to conduct usability testing

Customer experience Product design Service design
7 Reasons to conduct usability testing

In one of my previous posts, 6 Dimensions to measure usability, I explained what is usability and why it’s important to measure. 

But… 

More often than not, the budget wouldn’t allow it or the project timeline is just too tight. 

Usability testing then is put in a second priority. Worse, it could be forgotten.

… and so, I have decided to share with you 7 reasons you should conduct usability testing.

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6 Dimensions to measure usability

Customer experience Product design Service design 1 Comment
6 Dimensions to measure usability

Usability is one of the user experience design disciplines. Other disciplines include visual design, information architecture, and interaction design. 

Ignore it, and good luck having users “use” your product, whether that is a website, a mobile app, a system, or a device. 

What is usability?

In simple words, usability is how easy it is to use an interactive device, system, or website. 

When you decide to design a product, you are trying to solve your customer’s problem. You want to provide your customer with a functional product that is easy to use, and therefore useful.

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3 Product design principles that work for every customer

Customer experience Product design Service design
3 Product design principles that work for every customer

Emotions drive our decisions. 

They shape our pains, our joyful moments. If they are good, we keep using the same products or services, and if they are not, we simply stop and walk away.

There is no doubt that customer (or “user”) research is an essential activity to design products and services that truly meet your customer needs. 

We want to understand the challenges that our customers face in order to design products and services that deem helpful to them. 

If we don’t understand what jobs they are trying to do, what challenges they are facing, and what contributes to a better day for them, then what are we doing?

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What is experience design? Service design? What is the difference?

Customer experience Service design
What is experience design? Service design? What's the difference?

What is experience design? Service design? What is the difference? And what does your boyfriend has to do with it?

I will tell you.

You say experience design, they think of user experience (UX). They think about designing a new app, a new website. 

You say service design, they think the same, but that’s not it. 

A lot of people ask what is experience design, what is service design, and how are they different? 

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Do you get frustrated when you can’t open a jar?

Consumer Behavior Product design Service design 1 Comment
Do you get frustrated when you can't open a jar?

Don’t be that jar. 

I bet every designer out there is familiar with the value proposition canvas, on which you basically match how the product or service you are designing, is going to help your customers do the jobs they currently do. It helps you map how you are going to relieve their pains, and how you are going to alleviate their gains. 

It looks something like this.

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Here’s the secret to behavioral change

Consumer Behavior Product design Service design 1 Comment
Here's the secret to behavioral change

If you are creating a product that isn’t a necessity, you are competing on time. With so many distractions, simply, there isn’t enough time to do all the things we want to do. 

You are competing to convert customers from what they do now to what you want them to do. 

You are competing to convince them to go to Zumba classes instead of the gym. You are competing to influence them to eat gluten-free lactose-free sugar-free muffin instead of the muffin we grew up knowing. You are competing to persuade them to use Uber instead of the taxi. You are competing to have them book airbnb instead of a hotel. You are competing to make them view Instagram stories instead of Snapchat. 

But, hey, how can you do that?

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I can’t believe I never thought human interaction matters that much when buying coffee

Consumer Behavior Customer experience Product design Service design

It seems like in every ‘business’ discussion, there is no escape to mentioning the emergence of technology and how it is currently changing the customer experience, let alone the future experience. 

While I personally love technology and how it enabled me as a consumer, especially when it comes to saving my time, I still believe in the importance of the human factor. 

I love it when I complete all the services online, and God only knows how much I hate calling customer service. I love when I buy heavy items online but hate it when I can’t return them. 

I also love it when I interact with a friendly face, let’s say when buying coffee. Sometimes a simple hello, a smile and my misspelled name in a takeaway cup make my day. 

Which reminds me to ask you…

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