Unsurprisingly, as a user experience consultant, I spend a lot of time talking about users. I tell my clients that they should think about who their users are, what they do, what they think and what they want.
But I am concerned that “customer-centric” thinking is giving businesses licence to forget about creativity. I am worried if we doggedly focus on where the journey takes a user, we don’t allow them to enjoy the trip.
Don’t be so literal
There is a TV ad in the UK for a powdered baby milk product. The voiceover reads something like “We know that breast milk is important to a baby’s development but for when your child is ready to move on, there’s our product”.
I have two small children, and I know only too well that breast-feeding versus bottle-feeding is a hugely emotive subject; you only have to visit Mumsnet to see the endless stream of discussion on the subject.
The general sentiment is that “breast is best” but this creates a lot of negative feeling and guilt for those who prefer to bottle-feed. So, as I said, it’s a touchy subject.
With that in mind, I understand the need for the baby milk company to talk about it in a balanced way – they don’t want to upset potential customers – but do they have to be so obvious? You can almost imagine the conversation when they commissioned the advert:
“We sell baby milk but our customer research shows that some people prefer to breast feed.”
“OK, let’s say breast-feeding is important but we can help too.”
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this but it feels so literal; it’s lazy; it lacks any real creative thought.
Missing a beat
They seem to have gone straight from research to a tactical solution without thinking about what the objective might be and what other tactical solutions are open to them.
The issue here is how you present the product as a viable alternative, and they don’t just have to say “It’s a viable alternative”.
Grow some cojones
I understand it’s a touchy subject, but why not have a bit of fun with it? Why not tackle the Breast versus bottle war head on and create a bit of awareness and discussion about it? Why not have the guts to say “Listen here Nipple Nazis, stop peddling your guilt, you are not always right!”
Sure, some potential customers may view them as a protagonist and decide to steer well clear of their brand but maybe, just maybe, others will actually appreciate, even enjoy what they say.
Clearly I am being inflammatory, but at least I’m thinking where they could go. I’m not just thinking how to keep everybody happy and, as a result, offering something insipid, uninspiring and patronising.
What does this have to do with UX?
We must remember UX is only part of the mix; there are business, technical and creative considerations that should all be thrown into the same pot.
Just because the research tells us something, doesn’t mean we should do exactly what it says without any further thought. We should not settle for the first, most obvious interpretation. We should spend at least some time exploring the alternatives.
We are not the bosses of everything and we should always talk to others about how we can turn our research into something usable AND creative.
Remember, UX is about delivering something that is:
- Effective (users can do what they want to)
- Efficient (they do it with the minimum of fuss and time)
- Rewarding (they are left feeling positive about the experience)
Surely, we can’t deliver a rewarding experience without thinking about how to make the user smile.
