Integrating with Users

Somewhere along the line, to a greater or lesser extent, all software is integrated into some kind of front end to allow users to interact with it and benefit from the value it can provide.

Too often this value is masked under a shroud of a confusing UI, causing users to fail to see this value because of what they perceive as a bad experience using the software.

It isn't enough to create a well crafted, well engineered piece of software without also putting as much effort into how the final piece of integration will be achieved, integration with your users.

Don't Astonish

They're certain noises that you don't want users to make when they are using your software. Some of these are obvious, you don't want shouting, screaming or swearing to be heard, but we also don't want any kind of puzzlement or astonishment.

Users do have to go on a journey of discovery when using any new piece of software, they need to learn what its capabilities are and what value they can bring. But users should never need to be trained to use a piece of software, this process of discovery should be one of self discovery.

If you find yourself having to construct tutorials, FAQs and help sections to explain to users how to operate your software then your preventing them from going on this journey.

The majority of your users will not be prepared to put this level of effort into learning how to utilise what you've built, your hard work in developing features will simply never be discovered.

Instead we should simplify wherever we can and let users stumble across the value we can deliver without expending much effort of grey matter.  

Don't Reveal Detail

Writing software can be a difficult and complicated matter, sometimes we are faced with solving challenges related to systems integration, legacy code bases or sub optimal implementations.

All of these problems must exist in the shadows, users should never be expected to be part of the solution.

These complications of implementation shouldn't be allowed to affect user experience, if a feature cannot be implemented to provide an acceptable user journey then we should question whether it represents any value to the user.

Users can be very fickle and don't forgive valiant attempts by developers to implement a feature despite the technical challenges if it doesn't sit well with how they want to use the software.  

Don't Find a 3rd Way

Sometime there is what is correct and there is what people actually want or understand.

Users like familiarity with what they have seen and used before, it may be that what they are familiar with is in some way flawed.

Just about every platform that you will use to deliver your software to users will have these conventions and perceived wisdoms.

I would never want to discourage anyone from trying to innovate but to go against these conventions of how people expect to use software on a platform can be fraught with danger.

Even if you think your new way is an improvement in order for users to not be put off by the unfamiliarity of what your presenting to them it needs to be a significant improvement.

Be cautious when innovating with new ideas for user experience, users can all too quickly dismiss something new it it doesn't match their expectations based on what has gone before.

Users are often difficult things to predict and we can be left frustrated when something that we've put a lot of time into and believe is dismissed or misunderstood.

But ultimately the user is always right even if for no other reason then you can't force people to use your software.

As with most aspects of engineering simplicity should always be something to strive for.

We may inevitably have a certain amount of complication happening under the hood but our user experience should be an effective shield from the user ever being aware of any of this, and instead be impressed by the apparent magic we are able to produce.