Jared M. Spool's recent article, The True Power of UX Goes Beyond Digital, reminded me of my time at St John New Zealand as his discussion points mirrored what I had continually sought to imprint on our directors down to developers.
It was that despite how we were working in a "Digital Programme" and leading a charity-wide "Digital Transformation", we needed to be collectively considering far more than what would appear on the front-end of our revamped website.
Words are powerful, and when you get the right combination in the right order, sometimes all it may take to spark that lightbulb moment of realisation is a simple quote like, "Experiences happen before and after the transaction."
This line spoke such an all-powerful truth in me to the point that I've just decided to make it my latest email signature. Now there’s an awareness cause I can stand behind! [tongue enter cheek. your move]
Anyways, understanding that your product or service isn't the end all be all of your customer's day is what removes the metaphorical blinders from your eyes that would have otherwise kept you and your team from seeing all of the surrounding, yet hidden business opportunities available.
No matter where you work, from a charity to a bank or a hospital to software supplier, people don't want what you're offering in isolation. It’s a business-mindfulness mantra worth repeating.
Nobody makes an important cash deposit into an ATM and then immediately walks away going, "Well that's that!” If the machine literally did nothing more than meet the requirement of consuming inserted cash, it would be far less frequented. They wanted something more from this transaction.
Was their deposit successfully received with the right amount?
Why did they want the money in this particular account? This bank?
When do they plan on using it, and what for?
How do we ensure we’re enabling this in the most effective, efficient, and satisfactory way possible so they’ll choose us again next time they have the same need?
I don’t feel like one example is sufficient—mostly because I wrote two and, dammit, I’m going to explore them!
Nobody fills up their car at the pump, then leaves it and walks home. They needed a full tank, whether it was because they were running on empty or had plans for the week ahead. But what else might they want whilst they’re here? Are they in a rush? What if they didn’t need to get out to pay?
I wish all my petrol station visits were more like pit stops in a race. Just think of the time saved!
And here we begin to see that their world doesn't start and stop with their offerings on tap. The machinery is there, but the underlying needs might not be met.
Our everyday, end-to-end experiences become so much more detailed and connected the more we zoom out and the deeper we dive in. Don’t let a tight scope today keep you from discovering trade-offs tomorrow.
Define your customers’ needs and expectations. Create time for empathetic research undertakings. There's a whole world of business opportunities just waiting to be unearthed by someone willing to pay a little more attention to their surroundings.
.jpg)
Horse blinders / blinkers (Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons by Alex Proimos)