When we say “Uber” what do you picture?
Their custom typeface, Uber Move? Their brand vision statement “We reimagine the way the world moves for better?” Chances are, no. Most likely, you imagined their mobile app experience of ordering a ride or watching the arrival progress on a map. In other words, you “saw” their user experience (UX) first.
You experienced UX as a brand differentiator.
What is the difference between “brand” and “user experience”? These days, when done right, they are intertwined. In the strictest sense, a brand is a business’s purpose, vision and visual identity while UX “encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products” (Norman/Nielsen).
But really, they are better together.
At Pattern, we consider UX as much of a brand differentiator as visual design, voice or mission. If a customer does not feel engaged or “good” while shopping, then that hurts brand perception. Conversely, experiences that bring ease (DoorDash) or joy (TikTok), boost not just brand perception but also business results be it sales, engagement or loyalty.
But how do we create a user experience that is so good it is a differentiator?
Emotion as a KPI
At Pattern, we continually design and measure for standard KPIs such as engagement, conversion, average order value, repeat visits and more. But we also design for a less quantifiable but clear indicator of success - the customer’s emotion.
At the onset of a project, when we dig into the brand and mission, we consider how a customer should feel. Should they feel inspired? Joyful? Pampered? Smart? This feeling will be different for every brand.
It’s ironic that the industry acknowledges that user experience is about how a customer feels, but very few brands consider emotion as a KPI. Designing for an emotion, as well as quantifiable results, guides the team to unique solutions that stand out and connect with customers on a deeper level.
We Talk With Customers A Lot
We have an excellent gauge of how to design for emotion because we go straight to the source: the customers.
Conducting user research at the onset of a project gives us invaluable insight into the specific target segment. We design for real people and get to know them as just that. What are their days like? What do they love? What are their icks? How do they feel about shopping for a specific product? What features matter and which ones don’t? What parts of an experience engage them and which elements do not?
In addition to 1:1 interviews, we leverage extensive customer and market research to inform user experience decisions. But it is the 1:1 interviews that give us a visceral understanding of customers and ensure that we are designing for real people, not demographics, every step of the way.
Every Page, Every Step Is A Chance To Stand Out
Most brands focus on their homepage design but many visitors never even see the homepage and go directly to a product page. That is why we are obsessive about product pages - and every step of the user journey. Every element, not just the homepage, is a chance to express the brand and connect with the customer on an emotional level.
Even a funny 404 message or an easy cart update feature can make a difference in a customer’s day.
And while every step is important, product pages are perhaps the best example of fusing utility (color/size selection) and emotion (story, benefits, differentiation and social proof). When product pages are about more than the product, they convert better because they are striking a chord with the customer.
Your customers are not only "buying" a product, they're "buying in" to a deeper connection.
To some degree, differentiating your brand with user experience may break certain “best practices.” We say great. Best practices can be helpful but they were developed for a general vertical, not your brand. They often lead to cookie cutter approaches that don’t convey the brand. Create best practices for your brand instead of following some other business blueprint.
User Experience Doesn’t Start or Stop At The Site
While the focus of this article has been digital sites, it is important to note that user experience applies to any way in which your customer experiences your brand - be it product, store, social, customer service, ads or a site.
These insights can be applied across your brand ecosystem. Furthermore, they should be applied to movement across the ecosystem to ensure the journey is as seamless as possible. For example, a design should dynamically accommodate a visit from a specific social post so the customer does not have to search for the product once on site. Another example of enabling continuity is having universal access to order history and rewards.
Your brand and products deserve the lift a stellar user experience provides - and so do your customers.
About The Author
Michael Janiak is the co-founder and Executive Creative Director of Pattern. With a long history of working with brands ranging from pre-launch startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, Michael's mission is to continually harness the power of good design to help founders, disruptors and visionaries find their place at the intersection of culture, community & commerce. A creative director, designer and artist, Michael has been working across interactive design, graphic design, motion graphics, video & integrated campaigns for over 20 years. A lifelong surfer, snowboarder and skater, Michael likes to spend his free time outdoors, creating graphic art & typography experiments, minting NFTs and traveling with his family to new & exciting places around the world.
About Pattern
Pattern helps brands unlock their next catalyst moment through experience-driven eCommerce. We design modern brands, eCommerce experiences, products & platforms that help founders, disruptors and visionaries find their place at the intersection of culture, community & commerce.
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