As a UX designer, it is my job to make websites and apps as user-friendly as possible. There is one important skill that helps me understand the actual needs of users: empathy.
Empathy is the ability to empathize with other people's emotions, needs, and motivations. It comes first in the UX design process.
Although empathy varies among people, there are techniques that can be learned to achieve a clear vision through “user lenses”.
Basically, you have to answer three questions.
1. Who are the users?
Realistically speaking, we can't design a product that works perfectly for everyone in the world. Before the design process, we first have to find out who we are designing for in the first place by defining the target group.
By conducting user research we collect valuable information about the target group. Both interviewing real users and looking at user statistics, social media followers and customer service protocols help.
Based on the research results, we can elaborate on personas. Personas are profiles of potential target group representatives who help create a memorable and vivid presentation of the various user groups.
2. How do they use the product?
When the personas are created, we can send them on a user journey. In doing so, we put ourselves into the role of the individual personas one-by-one and imagine how they would act to achieve their goals.
As soon as the first prototypes are ready, we can conduct user testing to be carried out in the actual target group. This involves monitoring exactly what the test subjects are doing and how to achieve a given goal. These observations help us to understand real users even better and to correct incorrect assumptions in good time.
3. What are the problems?
The results of user journeys and user tests make it clear where the product works well and where there are obstacles. These points are called Gain Points and Pain Points.
While many gain points are an indicator of high usability, the number of pain points should be kept as low as possible. Since, in reality, not all problems can be solved immediately with existing resources, it makes sense to prioritize them.
User Lenses as a Tool
The insights we gain about our users are an important basis for all further steps in the design process. We should keep them in mind when designing and check whether we are still on the way to really solving problems.
With user lenses, we as designers can design products sustainably and effectively and ensure that both customers and users achieve their goals without detours and stumbling blocks.
This text was translated automatically.
