One of the most challenging parts of creating and understanding UX (user experience) is determining and measuring success. Using a Design Thinking Methodology, Philip Wallage of btng.studio shares the Double Diamond Design Framework to establish data points through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research. UX Design always begins with research!
After the discovery and exploration stages, which are quite fluid and client-specific as well, a hypothesis is made to start the execution process on the second diamond, called development and delivery.
“At the end of the day, it’s really about understanding who your customers are, how are they interacting with your product, business, or service, and how can you make that experience as pleasant as possible. And the whole digital landscape plays a big part in that and how they (people) interact.” ~Philip Wallage, UX Design Specialist
Creating concepts and prototypes is a step requiring further testing. It’s okay to try many iterations to find the right fit for any particular business and its audience, Philip reminds. He relays that no amount of experience guarantees how a concept may need refining for best results. Changing and evolving with experimentation and data collection/analysis is one of the benefits of digital. Hmm. Maybe that’s why they go with “development” for this stage over “execution.”
It’s all very malleable, fitting for the speed of digital it seems! But also because goals and objectives change over time in a business. Or in some cases, they change to emphasize individual campaigns, or adjustments that are necessary and helpful.
Data, Data, Data People
Data compliments creativity, Philip shares, and I find this a huge relief! You know I worry that the data will override creativity and I’m not okay with that at all. But, Philip Wallage is perfect at explaining each concept with great stories and examples to go along with them.
Watch the full video below for all the fun and deets. ⬇️🎬⬇️🎬⬇️
He talks about UX Repositories. Many companies have them with tons of data stashed inside. But often, businesses overlook analyzing these important customer details from multiple company sources. The question Philip poses is, “How well do you focus on customers within your business?”
One of the easiest ways to learn about how your customers feel and experience your brand is to simply ask them. Direct interviews with those you serve are powerful tools for solving customer problems or needs and fulfilling their desires.
Thomas Watson, Jr., past president of IBM and one of Time Magazine’s “100 most influential businessmen of the 20th century” famously said, “Good design is good business.”
But the thing about good design is it’s often silently at work in the background, seamlessly performing in diligent rhythm.
Therefore, talking to people is an enormously helpful exercise in understanding the experience people have— the feeling they get— in experiencing your brand. The more you can communicate the voice of your brand, the style, and tone in a way that customers feel and experience it when interacting with you, physically or digitally, the more likely you are to leverage feedback effectively. Make this an ongoing process for your business with scheduled evaluations.
Adopt a UX Mindset for Your Business
User-centric design is human-first and aligns business goals and objectives with customer needs, but you have to start somewhere. It’s difficult to get things right on the first try, but looking for incremental improvements grows your impact over time, Philip explains.
Think about UX at every level in your marketing and business strategies. Remember that the user experience or customer journey extends outside of your digital design. Additionally, emphasis on how customers find the interactions and exchanges with your business/brand after the action (click, signup, buy, etc.) is most significant! Look at this opportunity as the most powerful part of loyalty building.
Company size and industry impact how design fit works best for you, especially for gaining leads and business goals. First, establish the business metric you want to reach and make sure you can quantify it to measure, analyze, and reiterate for continuous improvement.
Philip says to identify your business problem first. Then weigh it against current customer preferences to match solutions for them with business goals in tandem.
Getting this alignment right in serving both your customer and business well is the key.
One idea Philip shares is the milkshake story. And, it’s about what job the milkshake has, or what problem it solves for people. The point here is that context is everything! Figuring out where customers come from and where they want to get to with your solution is imperative to plotting a successful experience path for UX Design.
Knowing thy customer, even within the customer group or type, is another perceptive tip I think you’ll love from this insightful interview with Philip Wallage of btng.studio. Focusing on only one customer persona at a time, however, is most effective.
Philip Wallage Brings 20 Years to UX Design Know-How
As I mention in the interview, I met Philip via the Castmagic Slack Community. And then, we connected on LinkedIn. So, I thought I’d use the Castmagic App, a favorite tool these days, to create a summary about Philip simply by uploading the YouTube link into the software. Oh, and waiting a couple of minutes.
THIS IS AN EXPERIMENT for you to see exactly what Castmagic {affiliate link} produces from the original content on the The Marketing Mirror’s YouTube interview. So, PLEASE NOTE THIS NEXT PART IS AI WRITTEN (a first on the Write Mix for Business Blog!) as a demonstration for you. Remember, this is derived ONLY from my original content, run through the magic wand 🪄 of Castmagic.
Philip’s Guest Bio:
“Philip Wallage’s professional journey began in the fertile fields of web design and digital product creation, united by a common thread—the undeniable significance of user experience (UX). This early exposure to the crucial role of UX not only shaped his design philosophy but also became a vital component he carried over into his entrepreneurial ventures.
Now 37, Philip calls the Netherlands home and takes pride in the self-awareness and problem-solving skills honed through years of placing users at the forefront of his work. His story is one of integrating personal growth with professional expertise, ensuring his business is not just about innovation but is deeply rooted in understanding and meeting user needs. Recognized for his ability to blend technical acumen with empathetic design, Philip remains a passionate advocate for the transformative power of thoughtful UX.”
Anyway, a little UX for you to see the output from the magical tool I’ve been talking about a LOT lately!
Human-Centered Design for a Powerful UX
Meanwhile, I don’t know about you, but talking to Philip only has my mind thinking more about UX, Design Thinking, and more. How can we delight clients and visitors alike and offer frictionless, pleasurable interactions with our brand?
Further, how do we establish a cohesive organizational plan allowing human-centered design to have an impact over simple efficiency? Can creativity enhance the knowledge data data data lends us for bigger growth with stronger human connection? Emotional connection?
Also, what about the ability to connect at a core level, encouraging humans to take action by studying and understanding human behavioral psychology? What motivates people to act?
In an upcoming video (in editing now), I’m going to introduce world renown and respected gamification expert Yu-kai Chou’s Octalysis Principle. In this framework, he identifies eight core drives that motivate a person to take action. Yu-kai contends that at least one of these core drives must be tickled to trigger any action.
This is interesting stuff and I’ve been studying it for many years after discovering Yu-kai, initially with an interest in Instructional Design using gamification and game design techniques to create a better user experience for course-takers and better engagement and completion rates, too.
I always keep Yu-kai’s Octalysis Framework in the back of my mind when creating any content assets that need to better connect with people in a way that matters to them. Or, that requires (or encourages) them to take an action. Doing so allows me to keep a human-centered focus in all of my content projects.
What do you think?
Crystal:
Thanks for checking it and taking time to comment, too! Hope you had a wonderful family weekend and catch up soon… Best, Sue-Ann
Great info! Thanks for sharing.