10 things every CEO needs to know about UX

10 things every CEOneeds to know about UX

Eric Reiss@elreiss

Keikendo UX SummitAugust 28, 2013

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Why do you have a website ?

“Because everyone has one.”

Why do you have a telephone ?

“Because everyone has one.”

“Because we can’t do business without one”

Why do you have a website ?

“Because we can’t do business without one”

Fact #1

The majority of business leadersturn to the internet as theirfirst source of information.

(And this has been true since 2007!)

Source: Gartner Group

Fact #2

B2B is the fastest-growinginternet segment

Source: IDG

Fact #3

Over 50 billion searches for commercial information are made each month

Source: SEMPO

Fact #4

Argentina has the highest rate ofinternet penetration in South America

(even higher than Spain)

Source: Internet World Statistics

So, what is UX?

us·ernoun1: a person who makes use of a thing;someone who uses or employs something

2: a person who uses something or someone selfishly or unethically

3: a person who takes drugs

ex·per·i·ence noun1: having been affected by or learnedthrough observation or participation

2: the length of such participation

Eric’s 1st Law of UX:

If a site does not solve youruser’s problems, it will notsolve your company’s either.

So, let’s start with the user

When would you use (simultaneously):� An ergonomic seat designed for one person� Optical lenses invented by Benjamin Franklin� Alcoholic mixture invented by Dr. Iain Marshall � Incandescent device invented by Thomas Edison� Fabric made on a loom invented by JM Jacquard� Rouge Royale (marble)� Baskerville Light (typography)� Domesticated mammal

(This is often how our clients look at their content)

When would you use (in simpler terms):� Armchair� Bifocal eyeglasses� Manhattan Cocktail� Lightbulb� Wool pullover� Tabletop� Book� Cat

(This is an easier way to look at content)

Eyeglasses

Wool pullover

Lightbulb

Marble tabletop

Armchair

Book

Gus the Cat

Manhattan Cocktail

Sensory assistance

Warmth/comfort

Sensory assistance

Convenience/comfort

Convenience/comfort

Education/information

Companionship

Chemical stimuli

Needs are always situational !

Eric’s 2nd Law of UX:

User experience is the sum ofa series of interactions betweenpeople, devices, and events.

Eric’s 3rd Law of UX:

There are three types of interaction:active, passive and secondary

Eric’s 4th Law of UX:

UX design represents the consciousact of coordinating interactions,acknowledging interactions, andreducing negative interactions.

Three types of interaction:� Active (things we control)� Passive (things we don’t control)� Secondary (things that have indirect influence)

Active interaction

Photo courtesy of: musthavemenus.com

Active interaction

Copyright could not be traced. Used for educational purposes only.

Passive interaction (partly)

Photo courtesy of: johnmariani.com

Passive interaction

Photo by Massimiliano Uccelletti, photonet.com

Secondary interaction

Photo courtesy of: koit.radiotown.com

Secondary interaction

Photo courtesy of: tomatolover.com

UX design combines all three activites

� Coordinating interactions that we can control� Acknowledging interactions beyond our control� Reducing negative interactions

Coordinating interactions

Photos courtesy of: Brooklyn Public Library, shipwrightsarms.com.au

Coordinating interactions

Photo courtesy of: capetownwineblog.com

Coordinating interactions

Photo courtesy of: Rootology under Wikipedia Commons License

Acknowledging interactions

Photo courtesy of: TinyFarmBlog.com

Reducing negative interactions

Photo courtesty of: kenlevine.blogspot.com

Reducing negative interactions

Photo courtesy of: marchedimanche.typepad.com

Reducing negative interactions

Photo courtesy of Andrew Sullivan

Now, let’s talk with those CEOs

1. Don’t confuse marketing with communication.

1.

Awareness

Interest

Desire

Action

AIDA

Make your online presence part of your total customer-service package

Off-line On-lineCEM

Customer Experience Management

10 things customers will tell you1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!2. Go the extra mile.3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave. 7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?9. Don’t make me feel stupid.10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

Sources: Paco Underhill, Eric Reiss

10 things customers will tell you1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!2. Go the extra mile.3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave. 7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?9. Don’t make me feel stupid.10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

10 things customers will tell you1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!2. Go the extra mile.3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave. 7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?9. Don’t make me feel stupid.10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

10 things customers will tell you1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!2. Go the extra mile.3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave. 7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?9. Don’t make me feel stupid.10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

10 things customers will tell you1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!2. Go the extra mile.3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave. 7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?9. Don’t make me feel stupid.10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

10 things customers will tell you1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!2. Go the extra mile.3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave. 7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?9. Don’t make me feel stupid.10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

1. Don’t view your website as a software development project.

2.

Click to add man-walks-into-bar joke

� Click to add punch line

Dell specifications� 3.6 GHz processor� 256 Gb RAM� CD/DVD writer/reader� 15” screen� Built-in speakers� 6 hour battery life� Portable

> >

Whenever possible, purchase softwarefrom single-focus vendors

1. Don’t couple unrelated initiatives.

3.

CMSCRMERPDMKM

CMS = Content Management SystemPublish to the Web

CRM = Customer Relationship Mgt.Track, use, and maintain customer data

ERP = Enterprise Resource PlanningOptimize use of people and materials

DM = Document ManagementElectronic filing system

KM = Knowledge ManagementShare expertise internally

Deal with just one project(and just your project).

Then take care of the other stuff.

(and stick to single-focus vendors)

1. Don’t be afraid to set measurable goals for yourUX initiatives.

4.

“If you build it,

they will come...”

What are the customer service metrics

for an airline?

“Flying on time.”

What passengers say:� “Why publish schedules if I can’t use them?”� “I plan my meetings according to arrival times”� “I book connecting flights based on your promises.”� “I have people waiting to pick me up when I land.”

� “Faster check-in. Now that’s service!”� “Better food. I’d like that.”� “More legroom. I’ll pay extra for that.”� “On time? That’s your job! So do it!”

Three awful metrics� We want more hits� We want folks to spend more time on our site� We want people to write to us

What are the “right” metrics?� Better lead qualification� Shortened sales process� Streamlined logistics� Increased conversion, conversion, conversion

Insist that UX becomes anintegrated part of your company’s

business activities

1. Don’t confuse your personal needs with those of your visitors.

5.

Five common errors� “We need pictures of ducks. I like ducks.”

(Executive ego)� “Look what they just did”’

(Competitor envy)

� “We should talk about ‘innovation’”(Strategy by buzzword)

� “We need an app”(Tech over tactics)

� “That change doesn’t fit our standard design”(Form over function)

The Creation(of a meaningful experience)

Owner-visitor relationships

We want tobuild loyalty

We want to tellour story

I got whatI came for

I got themessage

I think it soundsreasonable

I’m ready todeal with them

I will come back

We want to beunderstood

We want to bebelieved

We want to betrusted

Valuableexperience

Fact #5

If you do not meet the needs of your visitors ,you will never meet your own business needs.

Encourage research. Accept surprises thatgo against your basic assumptions.

1. Don’t view UX as afixed -term project.

6.

Allocate > Analyze > Architect > Apply > Accumulate > Assemble > Adjust

7 A’s

Once you start the process ,make sure to keep it going .

1. Don’t confuse print design with online design.

7.

Brand

Content Function

(What we want them to remember)

(What we want them to know) (What we want them to do)

”Borrowed” from Dan Roam

“Do you want art?Or do you want yoursales to go up?”

Rosser Reeves

Acknowledge and embrace best-practicesthat run counter to your design guide.

1. Don’t let your personal opinion cloud your focus.

8.

Seek out proven experts andsupport their work.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions.

9.

Fact #6

There are no stupid questions ...the first time you ask them.

Fact #7

But there are lots of stupid answers ...the ones you don’t understand .

„Es hört jeder doch nur,was er versteht.“

Goethe

“He hears only thatwhich he understands”

Goethe

XML„Es hört jeder doch nur,was er versteht.“

Goethe

CMSUX

UCDCMUxDCSS

Fact #8

Two-way communicationmust work two ways .

“He hears only thatwhich he understands”IRR

Goethe

TCO PP

DFDCOQBPREBIT

If in doubt, ask. Always.

1. Don’t hide in your office.10.

Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge

A British Airways timeline

Colin Marshalljoins BA

1983 1986

BA named“Airline of the Year”

2004

Colin retires

2009

Willie Walshcan’t meet

payroll

1999

BA has world’slargest fleet of Boeing

747-400s

Demonstrate youractive support for the project.Keep the whole team inspired .

Forever.

Muchas gracias!

You can (usually) find Eric at:The FatDUX Group ApSStrandøre 15DK-2100 CopenhagenDenmarkwww.fatdux.com

Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44er@fatdux.comskype: ericreisstwitter: @elreiss