When most of us hear the word “design” we typically associate it with aesthetically pleasing imagery, creativity, and subjectivity/taste. While design can certainly make use of those things, it is also responsible for much more.
Airports, for example, are functionally designed to communicate crucial information quickly and constantly, and keep you aware of your location at all times. If you’ve ever been lost in one, you probably wouldn’t say it was a pleasant experience. Maybe the signs were confusing, and you went the wrong way a few times only to find yourself late. If I asked you to rate and comment on your experience and you said “terrible,” imagine if my response was, “I don’t understand… did you not see how clean the floors were? What about the trendy new sinks in the restroom? would you prefer different artwork in the hallways?” You might respond with, “what?! Those things don’t help me get where I need to go!” Well, we would call that the outcome of a poor user experience.
We all know aesthetics can’t compensate for difficult operation. Unlike airports, your competitors are a finger tap away from each other and easy to jump between. Now more than ever, you need beauty, brains, and braun. Fortunately, you can have help (us!) to figure it out for you. Once you have a reputation for good experiences, there is little that can stop you.
