However bold the question may seem it is still valid since how many UX Pros we are out there do we really know things before we test on real users?
UX teams are responsible for creating desirable experiences for users. Yet many organizations fail to include users in the development process. Without customer input, organizations risk creating interfaces that fail, writes Hoa Loranger of the Nielsen Norman Group.
“User experience cannot exist without users. Creating user interfaces involves intricate and complex decisions. User research is a tool that can help you achieve your goals.
Even the most well thought out designs are assumptions until they are tested by real users. Different types of research can answer different types of questions. Know the tools and apply them accordingly. Leaving the user out is not an option.”
Ref: UX without users is not UX
So the question is: can UX live without users? Can UX without research be UX?
Answer
It is, of course, possible to produce a UI without involved the users. So yes, in a purely technical sense, you can create some kind of UX without directly involving the people who will actually use your product or service.
That said…
I've been involved with building software that people other than myself use since 1986. Nearly 30 years.
Every single time I've involved users in testing prototypes and products — we've ended up changing what we build to make it better. Every single time.
Every time I've talked to and observed users before we've started building — we've ended up changing the concepts behind what we're going to build, sometimes quite radically. Every single time.
So if you're not doing user research, you're not producing the best UX that you can. Which in the current climate is a dumb, dumb move.
No comments:
Post a Comment