The importance of customer centricity: centralize the user for the most optimal design
The importance of customer centricity: centralize the user for the most optimal design
User research has become crucial to deliver high quality in the current digital landscape. It all starts with the user: how does he move around on an online platform and what does he consider pleasant?
Due to the high focus on the customer in the B2C world, expectations around user experience get elevated in B2B as well. This is because us consumers have gotten used to fast and personal service, service we start to expect in a professional context as well. This customer focused approach is also known as customer centricity. However, what does it mean? And what is the best way to apply this to your business?
The importance of customer centricity
As the name already indicates, a customer centric approach focuses on the end-user of the product. This means centralizing the user in both your company’s vision and the company’s daily processes.
When manufacturing a product, it’s important to actively think about the user’s value. This is a different perspective from the traditional one, in which the emphasis was on the best way to sell a product.
In the user experience field user friendliness isn’t considered to be the same as pleasant and meaningful use. A product can be easy to use but that doesn’t mean that it’s relevant for the user. Therefore, user friendliness is considered as a basis for pleasant and meaningful use. Adding additional value to a product for the end-user requires active and critical thinking. In this way a product is manufactured which the end-user doesn’t only want to use, but also likes to use!
Involve the user in the design process
The problem is: how do you centralize the user, and how can you serve the user in the best possible way? The short answer: by involving the user as much as possible in the design process. The next four steps will help you to do this:
- Specify the context in which your product is used
The context in which your product is used can be describe in relationship to the value the product adds for the users. This value determines where, when, and how much the product is used. The product’s goal partly determines where and how it will be used. Based on this a choice can be made whether to make a product available on a certain platform or not, which ultimately influences the design.
- Identify the business’ and end-user’s demands
It often happens that the business’ demands don’t fully match the demands of the user. In business the focus is mostly on the possible functionalities. Insights in motivations and preferences with regards to use can help to find a middle ground between the wishes of the business and the user’s wishes.
To get to know these preferences interviews are being held. This method neatly fits in the beginning of the design process of a product, because it can tell us if the product can add value. This prevents a business from releasing a product for which there is very little interest.
- Come up with a thorough design solution
When the initial demands and context of use are mapped out the design can be made. In this stage demands and usage information can be translated to a design. Often the demands are described in user stories. They specify which functions are relevant for the user and how those functions should work to optimally serve the user.
- Evaluate the design-solution with the end user
Once a prototype works, users are asked to test the product in a usability test. Such a test contains observations and interviews which helps to test the ease of use end the usage experience. The test helps to identify limitations and difficulties regarding the design. This makes it possible to formulate improvements that match the demands of the business and the user.
These four steps are continuously repeated to find a good solution for the design and to keep optimizing. This means constant revision takes place of the user’s needs and if your product still matches those needs.
Quantitative usage data can generate extra knowledge, because it displays the actual use of the product. It allows you to clearly see how the users navigate through the product. This real-life data offers insight in the use of the product and can help with further improvements.
Want to know more?
So, it is extremely important to involve the user during the entire design process, to achieve a better result. Curious how to realize a customer centric approach in your organization? Contact us!