ATTENTION: this approach triggers every CEO…
ATTENTION: this approach triggers every CEO…
Dear CEO,
I understand that you have encountered impressive concepts elsewhere, and now as we meet, it seems we share a common understanding of what you expect. You believe that our software requires an immediate transformation in that one specific space for the new feature.
We will leave out every software development step that makes sense and implement your cool, new feature immediately, and BAM. You saved development costs and can sell our product for twice the price, right?
Allow me to shed light on the perspective of our product designer, who sees the vision through a slightly different lens…
Listen, please…
Let's consider a more deliberate approach that aligns with common software development practices. We can achieve a significant impact by carefully following the approach of slow changes. This will enhance the product and provide an opportunity for market expansion and increased value.
Why?
User Familiarity: Users have become accustomed to the current layout and are familiar with its elements and functionality. Making drastic changes simultaneously can disorient and confuse them, leading to a negative user experience.
Learning Curve: Introducing a completely new layout overnight would require users to invest significant time and effort into relearning the system. This can be burdensome and may result in frustration, leading to resistance to adopting the updated version.
User Confidence: By gradually evolving the interface, users can adapt to changes more easily, increasing their confidence and comfort with the system. This can promote a smoother transition and minimize the negative impact on user productivity.
Minimizing Disruption: Sudden and radical layout changes can disrupt established workflows and processes, causing productivity setbacks and potential errors. Gradual updates allow users to gradually adjust their habits and routines, reducing disruption and potential downtime.
User Feedback and Iteration: Implementing changes gradually allows for iterative improvements based on user feedback. By incrementally releasing new features and design updates, you can gather valuable insights and make adjustments along the way, ensuring a more user-centered and refined final product.
Consistency: Gradual layout changes help maintain consistency across the user interface. By preserving familiar elements and gradually introducing new ones, the overall user experience remains coherent and avoids jarring inconsistencies that could hinder usability and comprehension.
Thank you!
"Thank you!" - Not only do I express this sentiment, but your users also share the same perspective.
In the visuals provided, you can observe our deliberate approach of gradually modifying functionalities and their appearance, prioritizing user experience over solely pursuing the most visually appealing ideas we initially had.
FUN FACT
Are you curious why people still hold a fondness for outdated and unattractive software, despite scientific findings that humans are more receptive to learning, understanding, and actively using visually appealing interfaces? (Source: Helo-Effect etc.- do a Google Scholar Search, and you will find many sources.)
Watch Andrew Schmidts (UX writing god at Figma) presentation at ConFig 2023
https://youtu.be/Bir6IayQ-Bw?t=1555 (RECOMMENDED) - It's worth watching it, I swear!
Hire me.
Do you need some design updates, too? - Hire me. (recommended)
Cheers, your smart future coworker Franzi 🥂