Watch out for buzzwords: UX without properly involving people is not UX
UX in the sales meeting
Using the term UX (User eXperience) in a sales pitch as a digital agency, design company or consultant is making use of a strong tool right now. UX has generated a lot of buzz over the last couple of years, resulting in the term becoming a bigger part of a lot of sales meetings. But as a buzzword it is being thrown around in a lot of different contexts. Particularly in sales situations, UX is used by people who are not designers and in the wrong way.
A lot of companies know that building a strong user experience means good business and that UX can help create products that are meaningful for people. That is also why it makes sense to mention the term UX in sales meetings.
But the term UX has gradually become so overused and diluted that its real meaning is sometimes forgotten or overlooked. We need to remember that UX is not just…
- Doing wireframes.
- Working with an iterative process
- Making a lot prototypes
- Doing graphic design
- Building design guidelines
UX is a process and a mindset that requires the involvement of real people. So, the next time you are in a meeting and UX is mentioned, ask:
What is the plan for involving people from our target group in this project?
UX involving people
The involvement of people is critical for a good user experience. Therefore, we must support design decisions based on real people data, not our own experiences or preferences. When user-centred practices are executed, designers and researchers can make business needs and user needs overlap and this is where the magic happens.
Don’t be the company that ships products or services without knowing their true value to the customer. It doesn’t matter how many products are released — if they’re junk, we’re simply shipping a lot more of it.
After seeing the pain that sometimes customers go through, it shouldn’t be difficult to challenge best practices instead of continuing to design blindly without involving users.
If you what to read more this is a funny take on the same issue:
For more inspiration on how to do it: 10 essentials for successful user involvement
