Sometimes, you can detect an organization’s design maturity by the sort of language you hear in design reviews. When you’re hearing a lot of use of the word “I”–phrases like “I wouldn’t do that” or “I prefer this option”– it’s a tell that the organization is not yet steeped in user insight.
Once, we were hired to rename and rebrand a software product, as a part of a larger redesign. The name was timestamped because it included a pop culture reference to a popular early 90s movie. The logo was colorful and playful.
The executives were embarrassed by all of it. They thought that a sleek, techier vibe would help the product and parent company lay claim to its value.
We set out to understand who was buying and using the product, and we quickly learned that this product was winning with a particular type of user–one who was intimidated by the other offers out there, and greatly appreciated the product’s friendliness.
From the way that their support team never made customers feel embarrassed for asking basic questions, to the industry-appropriate labeling inside the product, to the carefully curated feature set, to the helpful newsletters they sent each week... to, yes, even the cheeky 90s reference in the name and the brand’s colorful palette. The product already had a vibe, and the fact that it wasn’t sleek or techie was what was attracting the customer.
Experienced product leaders know that what they like, what they would do, and what they prefer really don’t matter. Know your users well enough that you can speak from their perspective and not your own in design critiques.
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