Users = Sharks
June 2, 2022
2 min read
The following piece has been written to convey some basics of delivering a good design. Having said that, let’s try to understand some aspects which helps one to do so.
“Making things self-evident just makes experiences better”.
It is just like having a good lighting in the store, it feels good to be present there.
While we’re at it, let’s start by saying that it is important to deliver a design that evidently shows how to interact with it or is self explanatory.
The difference between both of these is this-
Self-Evident Design shows the user “what I want you to do with me” while
Self-Explanatory Design shows the user “we’ll slowly try to understand what I want you to do with me”.
Simple!
Let’s consider a situation- when you are walking on an unknown street and you have a clue about why you have taken that street & your preferred destination is clear in your mind, there are 2 possibilities of what you will come across.
You either see clear sign boards that guide you right were you want to go
or
you get some indicators of how to head towards the destination.
In the first case, you’re more likely to reach ASAP, while in the 2nd case, it might take a little longer. This is because when you as a traveler has to think less about the navigation and that the path has clearly been paved for you,
you are more likely to head towards your destination quickly.
But, in the second case, since you’re made to ‘figure it out’ with the help present around, you are more likely to reach a little later as compared to first situation.
The case is that of Self-evident design, while the second one is that of self explanatory design.
We then move on the next important thing i.e
Don’t build question marks around the head of the user
Don’t keep them guessing
When all of users' questions about what your design is, are solved, only then will they be able to interact with your product.
Yes! Don’t let the notion of ‘Keep it simple’ go in vain.
Users= Sharks
And no! This is not in reference with the Shark Tank show (if that is what it sounds like) Sharks, the majestic mammals are said the have one important quality, they cannot stay still.Sharks need to keep moving, to stay alive. Now, what does this have to do with the users? Why should one compare the users (of digital products) with the sharks?
Well, here are some answers! It is important to understand that when a user arrives at your product, they must see some activity happening, and it doesn't mean that your product must overload the user with a lot of information, or have 10 different moving visuals spread out on the homepage or even for that matter scattered information throughout the page so as to engage them further. No!
It simply means that the users need to have enough segments so as to have them scanning and moving through all of those. Avoid stagnancy and forced stickiness. This might also cause boredom or frustration. Empower the users to take decisions quickly and you can do so by enabling them to scanning through the options and heading right towards their destination
We thus can see that it is important to be clear about the kind of experience you want to deliver to the users.
For doing so- Understand your users perfectly, know their needs, and then deliver.
Remember, simplicity is the key
Ref. 'Don't make me think' by Steve Krug & Laws of UX
gif credits- gipher.com
