I’m going to get straight to the point: user experience rules our lives and is universal in all westernized civilizations. Don’t believe me?
When you go to the grocery store, are the refrigerated foods thrown in bins with the laundry detergent? And what if the refrigerated food had no expiration date? Would you feel confident that the food you were buying would not get you sick?
At a restaurant, do you have a waiter that greets you and takes your beverage order before returning to tell you the specials-if they have any- and then takes your food order? Would you return if they took your dessert order first then appetizers then drinks then main course?
I could go on an on…
User experience rules aren’t just for digital marketing
In the digital world, analytics shows us a direct correlation between a user experience and design- also referred to as “data-driven design“. A good marketing firm will research and establish goals for the user experience before tactically delivering a website or marketing campaign. If you don’t do this, you may be widening the gap between your users and your company. However, user experience spans far beyond the digital world.
In our every day lives, user experience rules have provided us with consistency that we come to expect. When these norms aren’t present, psychology shows us that cognitive dissonance is so strong that we are more likely to shut down or run screaming when an experience doesn’t agree with our expectations. This is particularly prevalent in our perceptions and adoption of technology.
How does this resonate with you?
Regardless of your position or career, we all are masters of our own user experience domain. And we feel the direct impact of user experience neglect on our customers, employees, coworkers, friends, and even family; the inconsistency in user experience causes a gap that must be repaired and order to regain trust and move forward.
Today, I challenge you to think about the user experiences that you can impact in your life both professionally and personally. You can start by answering 2 basic questions:
- What kind of impressions are you leaving with your customers, workers or others who come into contact with you every day?
- How is that impression consistent with who you want to be?
- How can you leave a more consistent and impactful impression on your own user experience?
Thank you for taking the time to explore the the impact of user experience in our everyday lives. I look forward to hearing your stories about your own efforts to alter your own impact in user experience.
