UX is a hot topic in the tech world today, and there are many resources available to learn about the methods and specifics of UX (this site being one of them). However, these resources rarely talk about the larger mission of UX—UX strategy. A good definition of UX strategy is “a long-term plan to align every customer touchpoint with your vision for user experience” (Loo). The strategy of how you want to implement your user experience is what allows that experience to be consistent and coherent. Without having an overall structure, it becomes much more difficult to maintain a single focus throughout your product.
It is often helpful to create a document that will help you execute your strategy. This document could contain sections such as this (Hoekman):
Vision – The product vision laid out by the primary stakeholders melds together with the thinking of [users, experts, and testers] to turn into a coherent vision statement for the long-term product design.
Circumstances of Use – User interviews and research will help you define the situations in which the product is used (Who, What, When, Where, Why).
Design Criteria – Through stakeholder and user interviews, you’ll identify design aspirations that will help you improve the product compared to its competitors and current versions of the product. “Fast, easy, and intuitive” doesn’t fly. You need to focus on how you’ll achieve those principles through careful planning and thorough research.
Success Metrics – Based on the existing data, you can project realistic success metrics for the design. Don’t make goals such as, “Get more traffic.” Instead, refine your goals through questions like, “How much traffic do I want on my website? What do I want the traffic to do while on my website? What percentage of traffic do I want to sign up for my app? Asking and answering these types of questions will offer clearer and more accurate success metrics.
There is no single, winning UX strategy. Winning strategies are created as teams plan their product according to their needs and their users’ needs. Once you have your strategy, remember to stick to it, make adjustments as needed and follow through so that you have a successful, usable product.
Sources:
Hoekman, Robert. “The 11 Minute Guide to Bulletproof UX Strategy.” Studio by UXPin, 18 June 2018, www.uxpin.com/studio/ux-design/the-11-minute-guide-to-bulletproof-ux-strategy/.
Loo, Tim. “What Is User Experience Strategy?” What Is User Experience Strategy?, 17 June 2017, www.foolproof.co.uk/thinking/what-is-user-experience-strategy/.