15 principles for designing services that work
As someone who works within and leads a user experience team, I’m always looking to develop my understanding of how to improve user experiences so that we can design excellent services.
Recently I stumbled upon a great book ‘Good Service — How to design services that work’ — by Lou Downe. A book I highly recommend reading for anyone building products and services.
The book maps out 15 principles that can help build good design. But before we jump into those principles, let’s get a better understanding of the meaning of ‘good service.’
As Lou Downe conveys it:
“Good service is something that helps someone to do something.”
While a simple and straightforward statement. It’s good to point out that good service is designed so that it(‘s)
- Does what the user needs in a way that works for them
- Great for the business as it’s easy to maintain and run
- Has a positive impact on society in a meaningful way
So let’s explore these 15 principles.
#1 Make your service easy to find
Your user should be able to find your service. Even when they don’t realise that they’re looking for it. Building a good service isn’t like a game of peek-a-boo. Be accessible.
Guaranteed almost all user journeys start with a Google search of some kind. Your will user type in a question, to a problem they’re looking to solve. So you’ll want your service to appear in that search.
Describe your service in the most simplified way, using simple descriptive words. It will help your success rate of being found
#2 Explain the purpose of your service
Why does your service exist? What’s its purpose? Is the purpose of the service clear to the user?
Don’t assume that your users will have prior knowledge of your service and what you offer. A user should be able to instantly understand your service, what it can do for them and how it works.
The key here is getting across what your service does, so communicate this clearly through the product description and throughout the user journey. The value of your content is key here. It has the power to draw in a user and have a positive impact or turn them away.
#3 Set clear expectations
What do you need from a user so that they can lavish in your service? What can a user expect when they use your service?
Set the scene and paint a clear picture. Be upfront and transparent. Set the user to have a positive experience by guiding them through your service and telling them how long something might take.
Once you have a clear understanding of what the user’s expectations are of your service. You can then work on meeting those expectations. And if you can’t be upfront, tell the user why not.
#4 Let users complete the task they set out to do
Build your service, so it helps the user achieve what they set out to do with little effort.
Look at your journey end-to-end and understand the pain points. And look at what incremental improvements you can make to improve the user experience.
As soon as your user starts interacting with your service, use your brand’s tone of voice to guide and support the user. Help them when they stumble. Celebrate in their successes. Make them feel that they’re in safe hands.
#5 Build something familiar
Your service isn’t about reinventing the wheel. Our understanding of how the world works is based on past experiences.
If there’s an established way for how your service works, then do yourself a favour and set your service up to work in that way. But be mindful, sometimes a service can be set up to benefit the business needs and not the user’s needs, which is terrible. Build your service so that it doesn’t negatively impact the user experience.
If you are looking to reinvent the wheel, look at your competition and benchmark your service against them and improve on it, to give you the edge. Then test it to understand how this might differ from the user’s pre-existing expectations.
#6 Your user shouldn’t need prior knowledge to use your service
When a user doesn’t know how your service works, they’ll either give up. Or worse, they’ll find another service.
You want to make your service easy to use. So, remove any friction points. You want a user to find you. Make it easy to be found. And clear so that your user knows what your service is for.
#7 Build a good structure
Navigating your service should be one of the easiest things your user can do. They should experience a seamless service that’s consistent and secure.
By recognising any potential silos within your organisation that may deliver a service that looks and feels different. And breaking them down will help improve a consistent brand. Share and document best practises so that you’re all working toward the same objective.
#8 Reduce the number of steps
Your user should have as little interaction as possible to achieve the task they set out to do.
Proactively give the user the right information they need to make a clear and informed decision, without reaching out for help. Don’t rush the experience. Let the user focus on one task at a time. If something is worth doing, then the user will do it.
#9 Make your service consistent
Whatever platform or channel your user is using to interact with your service, it should all look and feel unified. From the words on the screen to the visuals and overall design, your service should strive to deliver a consistent user experience.
Each break in consistency is a break in the user’s trust. And your service is only as good as the weakest link.
#10 Leave no user behind
All users should have a clear outcome. Your service shouldn’t leave anyone isolated, without knowing what to do next.
If your user is unable to continue with their journey for whatever reason, then give them a supportive nudge to help them on their way.
By understanding what all your users are able to do. Removing all obstacles, asking for the minimum, and building alternative options for those who can’t do something or don’t have the right access. You’ll be able to create a service that caters for all.
#11 Make your service useable by all
There is no such thing as a ‘normal’ user. So make your service usable by everyone that needs it regardless of their capability.
“Inclusion is a necessity, not an enhancement. — Lou Downe”
You want to make sure your service is safe, understandable, operable, robust and equal for all.
“A lack of diversity in your team = a lack of inclusion in your service. — Lou Downe”
#12 Encourage the right behaviours
In the eyes of the user, your service should not introduce actions that may put them in harm’s way — such as asking the user for data, without telling them what the data is being used for.
And in the eyes of your colleagues, your service should not incentivise them to produce terrible user experiences — through UX hacks and growth targets.
To encourage the right behaviours, remember what you’re trying to achieve. And balance those behaviours out.
“A good service is good for everyone. The user, staff, your organisation. The world. — Lou Downe”
#13 Respond quickly to change
If a user’s circumstances change, then your service should be able to adapt rapidly. And echoed throughout your service.
#14 Explain why decisions have been made
Be transparent. If your service has made a clear decision not to offer something, then explain why. Make it obvious, so your user understands why this decision has been made and communicate it well.
#15 Make it easy to get help
Whether human, chatbot or well-structured help articles. Your service should prove an easy option to allow your user to get the help they need.
Make your help accessible when the user needs it.
There’s a lot to take away here, and I’ll be looking at how I carry some of these principles forward when developing new user journeys or launching new variations of our products.
What principle will you use to help you build a better service?
