The concept of user experience (UX) is a good one, but many people try to position it as a role in an organization that helps make an app or website successful. In fact, UX is a shared goal among the entire company. If the team understands the customer's motivations, then they're able to use that knowledge to work toward its common goals. This is the way great products happen.
Understand Customer Intent
To nail down what motivates your customer, start by having clear and focused conversations. If you understand the intent of the customer, the conversation will eventually shift from why a feature is necessary to how a feature will get done. Both are equally important points, but people often get stuck in evolving a product and then spend endless time disagreeing about it. Once you understand the why behind a feature, you can always agree to disagree on the approach— the how— and move on.
Encourage Risk Taking
Next, encourage greater risk taking. Help team members brainstorm new ideas to solve common problems. Instead of copying a competitor, team members can visualize better solutions based on the understanding of what a product or website is suppose to accomplish. Understanding the motivations of the customer helps to create constraints— bookends in thinking, if you will— which is a critical part of brainstorming.
Three Key Customer Concepts
Finally, make sure to fully define the product. It helps to create solid definitions out of abstract problems, and is a key part of defining a features list. Consequently, it becomes easier to prioritize features when team members understand their value to the customer. Focusing your product around three key customer concepts helps your team innovate around features, especially when it understands how these concepts will benefit both the customer and business.
Creating great products is tricky, but getting your team rallied behind a set of customer motivations will help them stay focused without requiring heavy management. As an added bonus, a team working together toward common customer goals can't help but become more internally cohesive as a result. In the end, the customer and your company both win.
Bryan Zmijewski
Leading the charge at ZURB since 1998
Our fearless leader has been driving progressive design at ZURB since 1998. That makes him quite the instigator around the offices, consistently challenging both the team and our customers to strive to always do better and better.
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Follow him at @bryanzmijewski
