I was tempted to comment on a post today which showed an 'Ad' experience across Mobile, TV and Print media that proclaimed as Mixed Reality like experience. These days due to over advertising, I am blinded to full page ads on newspapers! The experience started from you scanning a QR code from an image from News Paper, opening on mobile that opens the camera and viewing the Ad as video on the real news paper. Looked cool!
But as I wear my UX hat, it just breaks down!. First the blinding of the big half page Ad on the news paper as content was not exciting > Discovering the QR code > Having to look for mobile to scan >Scanning if I find my mobile which I hate to keep while I read a news paper, the opening of their app > giving access to camera > aiming to adjust get newspaper correctly placed to view the Ad, video has to open and run, controlling my hand movements to view the video, viewing the full video > understand the offer! Phew!
The above innovation used a Hack approach. This made me curious that why are people so excited about hacks? Why does it show a promise of innovation? How long does it last? How is it different from creating a robust end to end UX?. What is its true value in business?
While designing, two distinct approaches often emerge when creating new features: the hacking approach and the end-to-end user experience approach. Each method carries its own set of advantages and drawbacks, shaping the way products are developed and perceived by users. Let's delve into these contrasting methodologies through real-world examples to understand their implications.
The Hacking Approach:
The hacking approach focuses on quickly prototyping and implementing features to address immediate needs or solve specific problems. It prioritizes speed and agility over comprehensive user experience design. Here's how it works:
Facebook's "Move Fast and Break Things"
Facebook famously adopted a hacking culture in its early days, epitomized by the mantra "Move Fast and Break Things." This approach enabled rapid feature deployment and experimentation, leading to frequent updates and innovations. However, it also resulted in occasional user experience glitches and privacy concerns.
Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)
Startups often embrace the hacking approach by releasing MVPs—bare-bones versions of their products—to gauge user interest and collect feedback. Companies like Dropbox and Airbnb initially launched with simple features that addressed core user needs before gradually expanding their offerings based on user feedback and market demand.
WhatsApp's Lean Development
WhatsApp started as a simple messaging app with a focus on speed and reliability. Its lean development approach allowed it to quickly gain traction and evolve into a global communication platform. However, this rapid growth sometimes led to scalability issues and occasional service outages.
Snapchat's Iterative Innovation
Snapchat is known for its continuous experimentation with new features and filters. Its agile development process enables rapid iteration based on user feedback. However, this approach can also lead to feature overload and a cluttered user experience, as seen with the app's numerous UI changes over the years.
Critique
The hacking approach excels in fostering the perception of innovation and responsiveness to user needs but often prioritises short-term gains over long-term sustainability. Rapid iterations may result in inconsistent user experiences, technical debt, and security vulnerabilities if not managed carefully.
The hacking approach prioritizes rapid prototyping and iteration, enabling quick feature deployment and experimentation. This agility allows companies to respond swiftly to market changes and user feedback, accelerating the innovation cycle.
Hacking often involves lean development practices, minimizing upfront investment and reducing development costs. By focusing on essential features and leveraging existing resources, companies can achieve cost efficiencies and mitigate financial risks.
Rapid iteration and experimentation facilitate value creation by addressing immediate user needs and capturing market opportunities. By releasing minimum viable products (MVPs) and iterating based on user feedback, companies can efficiently validate product concepts and drive user adoption.
The End-to-End User Experience Approach
In contrast, the end-to-end user experience approach prioritizes holistic design principles, aiming to create seamless, intuitive, and delightful experiences for users. It involves thorough research, prototyping, and iteration to ensure every aspect of the product aligns with user needs and expectations.
Apple's Product Ecosystem
Apple is renowned for its meticulous attention to detail and commitment to delivering exceptional user experiences across its product ecosystem. From hardware design to software interfaces, every element is carefully crafted to provide a cohesive and intuitive user experience. Features are seamlessly integrated, creating a sense of harmony and simplicity for users.
Google's Material Design
Google's Material Design philosophy emphasizes consistent design principles and visual cues across its products and platforms. By adhering to a unified design language, Google ensures that users can seamlessly navigate through different applications and services while maintaining a familiar and intuitive experience.
Tesla's Seamless Integration:
Tesla's electric vehicles offer a seamless end-to-end experience, from browsing and purchasing online to driving and accessing over-the-air software updates. The company's focus on user-centric design and software-driven features has garnered praise for its innovation and user satisfaction. However, Tesla's reliance on over-the-air updates has also led to concerns about data privacy and security vulnerabilities.
Netflix's Personalized Recommendations:
Netflix employs sophisticated algorithms to deliver personalised content recommendations based on user preferences and viewing history. This personalized approach enhances user engagement and satisfaction. However, it also raises concerns about data privacy and the potential for algorithmic bias, as highlighted by controversies surrounding Netflix's recommendation algorithms.
AirBnb's user centric design approach
Airbnb conducts in-depth research to understand the needs, preferences, and pain points of hosts and guests. This qualitative and quantitative data informs their design decisions and helps identify opportunities for innovation. Airbnb iterates rapidly through prototyping and testing phases to gather feedback and validate design assumptions. They use techniques like user interviews, usability testing, and A/B testing to refine their product features and user interfaces. Airbnb embraces a culture of continuous improvement, where design decisions are based on data-driven insights and user feedback. They monitor key metrics and user satisfaction scores to identify areas for enhancement and prioritize feature development accordingly.
Critique
The end-to-end user experience approach typically involves thorough research, prototyping, and testing, which may result in longer development cycles. However, investing time upfront in comprehensive design processes can lead to more robust and polished products in the long run.
While the initial investment in user experience design may be higher, the end-to-end approach can yield cost savings over time by reducing rework, support costs, and user churn. By delivering intuitive and seamless experiences, companies can enhance user satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving revenue growth
The end-to-end user experience approach focuses on creating value through holistic and user-centric design principles. By prioritizing quality, coherence, and user satisfaction, companies can differentiate themselves in the market, foster brand loyalty, and command premium pricing.
To conclude
While the hacking approach excels in speed and agility, it may sacrifice long-term value and user satisfaction if not complemented by a strategic vision and holistic design principles. Conversely, while the end-to-end user experience approach prioritises quality and coherence, it may encounter challenges in terms of production speed and upfront investment.
In navigating the trade-offs between speed, cost, and value creation, companies must carefully evaluate the context and objectives of their projects. By leveraging the strengths of both hacking and end-to-end user experience approaches and finding the right balance between agility and quality, companies can create meaningful and impactful experiences that resonate with users and drive sustainable business growth.
PS :* I have used chatgpt to polish my core points for this post
Cover image created using Midjourney
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