Lots of people think about UX as something that just adds a thin veil of “prettiness” on top of existing apps and systems — something that you worry about once you have the tech working, if there’s time. But UX is (or should be) about conceiving and creating user experiences. UX can help you decide what you should actually build, not just how it should look. And that’s not just a veneer, it really changes what users do.
Some examples of great (and hugely successful) UX:
Interacting with Data: Dropbox was the original cloud-storage service that came with the "Public Folder" option, but GoogleDrive is servicing the same user needs: easily “cloudify” all sorts of programs such as Zotero libraries and Eclipse workspaces. Even though those two provide their own storage options, but it’s so much easier to just use one place/service.
Mobile Banking: this is increasingly becoming a basic banking need. US banks have started offering mobile deposits, and mobile transfers, so that ATMs will (hopefully) one day become obsolete. PayPal was the leader in online money transfer, and with new services like Paypal Credit, is also driving the ATM-less banking trend.
Online Customized Food: If only more food services could be like Dominos. While taste-wise, their pizza is basically the same as that of other competitors, their ordering interface and easy customizing made users fall in love with Domino's. Plus, being able to to see the preparation process and interact with staff working on your pizza - it's just the experience of being able to think about my pizza-providers as real people can change customers' relationship to pizza.
What all of these sites and services have in common is that they’re not about cutting-edge technologies, and their UX isn't about the color of the buttons, or layout of the page, or anything else that can be A/B tested. They are about combining common tech capabilities and great user experiences.
Some examples of great (and hugely successful) UX:
Interacting with Data: Dropbox was the original cloud-storage service that came with the "Public Folder" option, but GoogleDrive is servicing the same user needs: easily “cloudify” all sorts of programs such as Zotero libraries and Eclipse workspaces. Even though those two provide their own storage options, but it’s so much easier to just use one place/service.
Mobile Banking: this is increasingly becoming a basic banking need. US banks have started offering mobile deposits, and mobile transfers, so that ATMs will (hopefully) one day become obsolete. PayPal was the leader in online money transfer, and with new services like Paypal Credit, is also driving the ATM-less banking trend.
Online Customized Food: If only more food services could be like Dominos. While taste-wise, their pizza is basically the same as that of other competitors, their ordering interface and easy customizing made users fall in love with Domino's. Plus, being able to to see the preparation process and interact with staff working on your pizza - it's just the experience of being able to think about my pizza-providers as real people can change customers' relationship to pizza.
What all of these sites and services have in common is that they’re not about cutting-edge technologies, and their UX isn't about the color of the buttons, or layout of the page, or anything else that can be A/B tested. They are about combining common tech capabilities and great user experiences.
