Understanding User Needs and Goals
Iâve lost count of the number of times Iâve seen products built for the needs and goals of the people designing them, rather than those who will eventually use them. Itâs as if we all have a secret project in our heads called âApp For Meâ. Maybe itâs some lingering expectation that there are more people like us, or perhaps itâs simply the lack of effort needed to understand what the user wants. But while building products for our own wants and needs can be fun, itâs not always effective.
User-centric design is more important today than ever. As users grow more and more spoilt for choice, any product that doesnât fit their needs is likely to be thrown out with yesterdayâs trash. This is why understanding your user is at the heart of mapping a smooth user journey. This means looking beyond their basic demographic information and really taking the time to learn what motivates them, what struggles they face, what needs they have, and how your product can help them solve them.
A user flow should never just be about getting someone from point A to point B in a linear sequence. It should account for their possible wants at each step, and make sure theyâre able to meet them with ease before moving on to the next step. This may involve giving users multiple options - so long as there isnât too much choice - so you know that youâre not forcing them down a path that feels unnatural. The best user journeys feel as if theyâve been mapped around the userâs needs.
The way I see it, it can be tempting to focus on other things such as your business goals, your product roadmap, or even how your favourite competitor is doing things. But nothing will serve your long-term growth like spending the time to understand what your user wants and giving it to them seamlessly.
Analyzing Current User Flows
You know, I often find that designers focus far too much on what they want users to do - and not nearly enough on what users are actually doing. Maybe itâs ego, maybe itâs time pressure, or maybe itâs just hard to see something youâve worked on through the lens of someone elseâs experience. Or perhaps theyâre afraid to really face the music. But paying close attention to your existing user flows - as opposed to your intended ones - can be a little confronting, but infinitely valuable.
It can be tempting to brush off user data as âjust a glitchâ or âan exceptionâ, and sometimes maybe that is the case. But more often than not, itâs an accurate representation of where your product is excelling or falling short. Looking at user flows provides insight into real friction points within your website or app experience, often in surprising places. Sometimes it might even show that features you thought were indispensable arenât even being used at all.
But hereâs the kicker - data isnât always enough. Numbers might tell you what but only people will tell you why. Combining empirical evidence with qualitative research like interviews or surveys will provide context for behaviours like rage clicking or missing steps entirely.
Pairing both is the best way to get a holistic view of your usersâ experiences because, after all, digital products are built by people for people. So, remember: if you want to create successful digital products then obsessing over real user flows (rather than ideal ones) is the best way forward. And if youâre brave enough to take a good hard look at what users are up to when left to their own devices, then youâll have a solid starting point for user-driven changes that make everyoneâs lives easier and better - well, mostly everyoneâs anyway.
Identifying Pain Points and Opportunities
I think one of the most awkward moments in anyoneâs journey with a business is when they realise somethingâs not right. Could be a small bump that makes them hesitate, or it could be a gaping sinkhole that swallows their interest whole. More or less. There are plenty of those for users trying to interact with businesses today, and each one has the power to push them away and into a competitorâs arms.
This is why Iâve always thought that understanding a userâs pain points is essential to making their experience worthwhile. With so many different options available, people are looking for brands that âgetâ them and what they need. Sort of. And if it means mapping out every little step of their journey to understand what exactly makes them tick, then so be it.
Thatâs the most surefire way to create experiences that are memorable for all the right reasons. It would also help us identify areas where we can go above and beyond what users expect. I donât mean offering something unprecedented or revolutionary here - although that works too. - but rather finding that special something that would make each person feel seen and heard.
Itâs not enough to just fix problems; we also have to constantly find ways to surprise and delight. Looking for issues in user journeys isnât enough anymore; itâs time for businesses to push past pain points and look at opportunities for growth. No matter how optimised or put-together an experience might seem, it can presumably always be improved with a human touch.
Thatâs what will keep customers coming back, time after time after time.
Designing Optimal User Pathways
I Reckon ever noticed how walking into a supermarket with a shopping list makes the trip so much easier. It takes away the guesswork, helps you avoid distractions, and ensures you buy what you need. Designing user pathways is like creating that shopping list for your website or app.
I think this is quite an undervalued step in product development because without this, users feel lost. Itâs like walking into a new country without a map or Google Translate. You want to make things easy for people.
And when it comes to designing optimal user pathways, itâs important to remember that youâre dealing with different humans - not everything will be a straight line from the homepage to checkout. You want to give them some freedom while also holding their hand so theyâre not left in the middle of nowhere trying to figure out how they got there. This is where user personas really help. By mapping out who uses your product and why, it becomes easier to chart multiple paths for them based on what outcome each of them is looking for.
At this stage, youâll find 10-15 different avenues that people could take but not all are necessary and many have elements that can be merged into one journey so declutter your whiteboard till only 3-4 clean pathways remain. Then give these paths visual context by building prototypes. These donât have to be expertly designed yet as long as they give stakeholders an idea of how buttons work and interactions look at each stage of the journey from start to finish.
Test these builds with actual users after checking internally first. Sometimes what works for us doesnât work for customers which is why I think iterations are an important part of designing anything - even user flows. I believe a seamless experience is crafted by people who understand both what theyâre building and who theyâre building it for so take the time here because if you donât, unhappy customers will let you know anyway⌠but in reviews instead of surveys.
Testing and Iterating User Flows
If youâre anything like me, youâve got an insatiable hunger for the next shiny thing. But sadly, not all new apps and websites lead to a delightful discovery, more often than not, they leave us (especially women) high and dry when it comes to actually using them. More often than not, this is because of a lack of a well-designed user flow. One of the simplest things you can do to ensure your user flow hits the mark is by testing and iterating it based on user feedback.
Think about it like shopping for that perfect pair of shoes - you donât go with the first one you see, right. You try on a couple till youâre sure which oneâs right for you. Conducting usability tests and gathering feedback from real users can give you insight into how your product actually works, allowing you to identify where they struggle and improve the process. Donât expect it to be a one-off process; make sure you listen closely to what users are saying at every step of the journey.
You may have to let go of some preconceived notions in order to move towards something that gives your audience what they need. But thatâs the point of building an effective user flow - asking yourself tough questions that truly put users first.
It will definitely take time, but involving real users in regular testing sessions can help create more accessible digital products that work for everyone. Donât ignore the importance of usability testing when it comes to creating something people enjoy using. If you make iterations based on feedback and data rather than guesses, thereâs no way your product wonât be as close to perfect as possible.
Testing and iterating based on what users want makes sure your product is apparently ready for launch and always relevant as trends change.
Measuring Success and Making Adjustments
There are usually people who donât like to measure everything - they think things should be more spontaneous. But if youâre someone who enjoys seeing if something is working, then data is your friend. So, once youâve invested all that time and effort in a user journey, youâll want to know how itâs doing. And if you notice certain steps creating friction or drop-offs, itâs time to do something about it.
The best part. You have a treasure-trove of information to figure out whatâs working.
I think this approach of constant iteration and prioritising honesty with yourself makes for a fantastic way to ensure your product is delivering and delighting users. If the users arenât happy, why does the product even exist. This way, even when improvements are suggested, you can be excited about taking on what users have to say because it ultimately adds so much value to their lives.
It seems like one thing people often get wrong is believing that making something successful means it will work consistently throughout its life cycle. But Iâve found that making minor tweaks, especially if you know whatâs good and what isnât, can really take things up a notch. It appears most people just want to be seen and validated for their opinions on how they use the internet - and I canât say theyâre entirely wrong for feeling this way. So, once you have all this data at hand, why not use it to keep refining and polishing the product.
Even if it is successful, thereâs something rather noble about wanting to further improve it, donât you think.