Good UX is about integrity, not profitability

How businesses can seek pride in what they produce through humility and leadership

We engage with bad user experience (UX) every day. I believe the catalyst for most of these encounters is the result of a company’s obliviousness, ineffectualness, or a combination of both regarding their ability to empathize or be attentive to solving user needs. In their defense, it’s easy to ignore UX problems if you don’t know they exist in the first place.

However, ineptitude is not always the root cause of lousy UX. For example, some companies may have a grand vision that requires risky short-term user friction with the objective of a long-term user gain. If you own an Apple product, you know what I mean — I still miss my old headphone jack.

Then there are those businesses that understand the benefits of investing in UX methods and research but get stifled by technology, timing, or financial constraints. In this case, the expectation is that stakeholders and executives, at a minimum, adopt or integrate a user-centered philosophy or mindset into their business strategies when developing products or services.

However, from time to time, a company consciously favors profitability over a good user experience. In such a case, what does this practice say about a businesses ethics and leadership?

Thou shalt not deliver bad UX

Some people may think it’s wrong to recklessly produce a terrible user experience to meet a particular set of business objectives. I‘ve come across several articles that use phrases such as “Dark Patterns” to describe UX practices perceived as unscrupulous business models.

However, I believe it is within an organization’s rights to develop, market, and sell products and services how they see fit — as long as it does not break any laws, of course.

The benefit of capitalism is that a competitive company can come along and offer a similar product and service with a better user experience at any point — this is the beauty of a free market. And contrary to the claims of anti-capitalist ideologues, the system can and does reward transparent organizations that illustrate ethical values and authenticity.

It’s also important to point out that there is an abundance of subjectivity surrounding terms like ethics and moral behavior. However, most individuals have an abstract understanding of morally idealistic behaviors that people and companies should manifest.

I believe users notice when a business does not align with a particular set of principles or employs deceiving methods that add frustration to achieve ulterior motives. Many people are becoming wise to the tricks of the trade. You know the old saying: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Don’t trust words, trust actions

Organizations are like micro-communities, each with a unique culture and set of values. And as with any culture, certain behaviors, beliefs, and ideas are adopted by those within that ecosystem. The concept of leading by example is not just a saying. It is a powerful tool for cultivating and growing the values and persona that an organization wishes to embody.

The aim of a business should be to make their word their bond. To be a company that thinks about their user’s experience is vital to becoming authentic and not just a collection of elaborate taglines or slogans filled with empty promises about how much they value the user.

If users cannot trust a company to empathize and consider their needs, they have failed to earn the kind of respect and reputation they claim to seek or represent.

Growing through purpose, not profits

Data suggests businesses that invest in UX methods increase revenue by blah, blah, blah. The notion of adopting UX strategies solely to increase profitability seems to miss the point, in my opinion. But, as stated earlier, this is a business’s prerogative.

Interestingly, some professional fields, such as design, have willfully embraced the noble idea of investing in creating and implementing good user experiences. Yet, it seems business folks need to be convinced or persuaded to invest in UX tactics as if the users are like the insurance option on a rental car. Unlike designers, maybe the only color business professionals recognize is green.

Of course, just like people, businesses have their own set of objectives and needs. And profitability is one of them. I do not pretend to be an expert in the many factors that go into running a business, such as overhead, scalability, or finances. However, if we want users to interact, trust, and support a company, it seems logical to invest in UX strategies, even at the most fundamental level.

As companies begin to understand the value of integrating UX approaches, some have gone one step further by adding a CXO (Chief Experience Officer) to their organizations. This move is a great way to diversify and add perspective to executive teams and grow a company’s culture. Hopefully, this new kind of leadership is not just a trend, and we’ll start to see a progressive change in how businesses meet the needs of their users.

Conclusion

Not every company has the resources to invest in expensive or time consuming UX strategies. However, it costs little to nothing to ask, “How do we think this will impact the user and their needs?” as an exercise in humility and authenticity.

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