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CDS way of working. When One Size Doesn’t Fit All: A Different Approach to Consulting

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Alberts Pumpurs
UX/CX PHD

Alberts Pumpurs

When One Size Doesn’t Fit All – we lean on evidence-backed methods and live by eight fundamental principles that ensure flexibility, result-oriented efficiency, and an unwavering commitment to consistently deliver solutions and resolve problems. Dive in to learn more about our philosophy and methodology.

What is Evidence-based, Practical Consulting?

One size fits all is a common problem in the consulting industry. It’s simple to adjust a PowerPoint template, but every business has its own unique story that consists of specific wants, needs, goals, vision and values the company represents. Most importantly, the problems and pains of different businesses and the customers they are serving come in all shapes and sizes and simply cannot be solved by a simple copy and paste solution. 

In the previous article, I shared how a consultancy sold me a dream without a roadmap, and in the end I found myself stuck with Frankenstein’s monster. Now, together with the co-founder of CDS, Alberts, we want to continue to guide you through the principles that differentiate our approach.

As we already stated, fed up with the shortcomings of the way consultancy agencies operate, we swore that anything we propose to our clients needs to come with a specific plan on how exactly to achieve it in a way that’s suited specifically to our clients’ needs. Out of this mantra, eight commandments, or principles, were born that we religiously stick to in order to deliver results to our clients. 

Feel free to use CDS commandments to identify which agency will overpromise and underdeliver and which one will truly care about your business as their own.

#1 Solve problems instead of making new ones

At Creative Data Studio, we are committed to providing exceptional service to our clients. To ensure this, we strictly adhere to the following rule:

Our primary objective is to SOLVE problems for our clients, NOT create new ones

We understand that our clients hire us for our expertise in CX and UX implementation, and we will deliver just that. Our processes shall never complicate or impede the client’s goals. Every decision, interaction, reporting and communication with our clients shall be streamlined, efficient and transparent.

We hold ourselves accountable for delivering the core results our clients expect, be it managing mundane legal aspects, project coordination, meeting setups or delivering assets; nothing shall stand in the way of achieving this. In all aspects of our work, we shall remain laser-focused on the problem at hand and tailor our approach to our clients’ unique needs. We shall NOT burden our clients with unnecessary complications or bureaucratic hurdles.

At Creative Data Studio, we know what we are hired for, and we are here to deliver solutions. Any deviation from this principle will NOT be tolerated. Rest assured that our relentless dedication to problem-solving will always guide our actions and decisions.

#2 Evidence-based everything

At Creative Data Studio, our commitment to success is built on a foundation of evidence. We firmly believe in the power of “evidence-based everything” – from project management and process implementation to our core services in CX, UX and UI.
Our philosophy: Never leave the fate of your business to the gut feeling of a creative individual, however dazzling their presentation may be. While creativity is essential for pushing boundaries and sparking innovation, it’s the combination of creativity and evidence that sets us apart.

Evidence-based means that our methods and practices are backed by proven results. It ensures that our approach is grounded in real-world success stories, offering confidence in our ability to deliver the outcomes you expect. But don’t mistake evidence-based for a lack of novelty or uniqueness. We stay informed on the latest research and breakthroughs, enabling us to implement cutting-edge solutions that are both evidence-based and innovative.

Whether you’re seeking ROI or specific KPIs for your project, we’ve got you covered. Choose Creative Data Studio, and rest assured that our evidence-based approach will drive tangible results and set the stage for your business’ success.

#3 Pragmatic, practical, profitable

At Creative Data Studio, we recognize that dreams and optimism alone aren’t enough to transform ambitious projects into reality. That’s why we embrace the value of being “Pragmatic, practical and profitable.” We’re here to do the hard work, tackle the challenges and ensure that our clients’ visions come to life.

While grand ideas can be exhilarating, the work behind them is often far from glamorous. To turn your vision into a reality, we take a pragmatic and practical approach, breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable tasks. We delegate resources, align teams and contractors, establish communication channels and set up feedback loops to keep everyone on track.

As the real work begins, we understand that it can be tedious, boring and complicated. However, we remain committed to delivering results, one step at a time. From reporting structures and validation processes to testing and optimization, we employ a pragmatic approach to ensure that every aspect of the project is executed effectively.

Our focus on pragmatic practicality is what drives results and guarantees profitability. At Creative Data Studio, we go beyond optimism to deliver tangible success for our clients, turning even the most complex projects into profitable realities.

#4 Resource-mindful

At Creative Data Studio, we understand that a project’s success depends on more than just time, money and people. We embrace the value of being “resource-mindful” by considering all aspects that can impact a project, including knowledge and skills, administrative resources, software stack, vendor management, stakeholder time and more.

While it’s easy to focus solely on time and money when envisioning a project, we recognize the importance of considering all resources from the very beginning. We’ve seen projects that promise incredible results only to hit roadblocks due to knowledge limitations or legacy software constraints. By being resource-mindful, we aim to prevent these issues and ensure a smoother project execution.

Our resource-mindful approach helps us avoid hidden costs, such as cheap development with expensive maintenance or post-launch, resource-heavy projects that require additional expertise. We proactively plan for all resources and contingencies to minimize surprises and maximize project efficiency.

Trust that, at Creative Data Studio, we consider the big picture and account for all resources involved in your project, enabling us to deliver results effectively and efficiently. By being resource-mindful, we set the stage for successful project outcomes and long-term partnerships.

#5 Adaptive and flexible over rigid methodology

At Creative Data Studio, we believe in the importance of being “adaptive and flexible over rigid consulting agency methodology.” We understand that each project is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach can limit creativity and hinder success.

When unexpected challenges arise, or new information comes to light, sticking to a rigid methodology may not be the best course of action. Instead, we embrace adaptability and flexibility, tailoring our strategies and processes to best meet the specific needs and challenges of each project.

Rather than blindly adhering to a fixed methodology, we continually assess and adjust our approach based on the project’s evolving requirements, stakeholder feedback and unforeseen circumstances. This mindset allows us to pivot when necessary, enabling us to react to new knowledge, resources or software and deliver the most effective solutions for our clients.

#6 Creativity by connecting the dots

At Creative Data Studio, we pride ourselves on our ability to foster creativity and innovation by “connecting the dots.” We understand that exceptional creativity often stems from a deep understanding of diverse information and experiences.

Our approach to creativity is grounded in our extensive knowledge across various domains and the ability to research it, both within and beyond the core project scope. We refer to these pieces of information as “dots.” Our team excels at connecting these dots in numerous ways, running simulations and exploring various scenarios to uncover the most creative and fitting solutions for each project.

We see patterns and connections that others miss. This allows us to develop unique, tailor-made solutions for our clients, setting us apart from the competition.

At Creative Data Studio, our commitment to creativity by connecting the dots drives our success and ensures that we consistently deliver innovative, impactful and customized solutions for our clients.

#7 Constantly delivering (AbD – Always Be Delivering)

At Creative Data Studio, we understand that the ability to consistently deliver is crucial for successful project execution. Our “always be delivering” mindset stems from a commitment to discipline, resource allocation and well-established internal processes.

We recognize the importance of providing all teams with essential assets, research materials, documentation and everything else needed to keep projects running smoothly. Our focus on constant delivery ensures that our clients never have to wait on us, as we know that delays on our end can impact overall project timelines.Our AbD approach drives us to be proactive, organized and accountable. We prioritize efficient communication, effective project management and timely delivery of all project components. This enables us to maintain momentum and build trust with our clients.

By embracing the value of ”constantly delivering,” Creative Data Studio ensures that our clients can rely on us to keep their projects moving forward, ultimately leading to successful outcomes and long-term partnerships.

#8 Never give up on the client

At Creative Data Studio, we are committed to standing by our clients through thick and thin. We understand that challenges are inevitable in any project, especially those that span over multiple years. Our “never give up on the client” value reflects our dedication to seeing projects through to completion, regardless of the obstacles we may face.

We recognize that projects evolve over time with team members and stakeholders coming and going throughout the process. These changes can leave projects and resources vulnerable, and it may be tempting to walk away. But we believe that, once we’ve started, we must persevere and see the project through to the end and even beyond.

Taking a project to the moon doesn’t end with building the platform or engine; there is always more work to be done. Our goal is to become our clients’ trusted advisor, rather than a mere handyman who comes in, fixes things and leaves, hoping their services won’t be needed again. We are fully aware that challenges will arise in long-term projects, and we are determined to face them head-on without giving up on our clients.

By embracing the “never give up on the client” value, Creative Data Studio demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our clients’ success and our determination to overcome any obstacles that come our way.

Turning problems into profits

The principles of how we work were born through our own experiences on both sides of the table that made us suffer. Now we believe we can turn this around and match companies with an honest, hardworking service that turns problems into profit and solves problems, instead of creating more unresolved questions.

Let’s hop on a call and discover how we can leverage your resources to create a customized solution that sets you apart from the competition.

N.B.

We do not oversell our services. Instead, we focus on providing practical solutions that address the root problem. So, if you are looking for a “sell me this pen” approach, we won’t be a good match.

Beyond Pretty Slides: Why Consultancy Presentations Lack Practicality Implementation and What to do About it

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Gundars Kokins

Gundars kokins

As a client have you ever found yourself looking at a PowerPoint presentation created by an expensive consultancy agency and have no freakin’ idea how to implement any of the given information? The fault doesn’t lie in the contents of the slides as it illuminates the pain points (most of which your team was already aware of), but it sucks to admit that you have paid a decent amount of money just to find yourself facing the exact same problems but now with a ribbon on them. Unfortunately, often this is exactly how consulting agencies operate these days. It’s all about overpromising, under-delivering and leaving you hanging out to dry. 

“Who is he to say something like that?” you might be wondering. Hate to say it, but I’m describing my own experience. Let me tell you about it.

“I came in like a wrecking ball”:
My eye-opening experience with a consulting agency

Have you ever found yourself staring at the numbers on your computer screen, knowing that something has to change, and fast? This was exactly the case. Despite rapid growth, the company I was working for at the time was facing a major roadblock – an outdated IT infrastructure on top of poorly defined processes without clear goals: a foundation that simply couldn’t keep up with the demands of our business. It needed attention, and the sooner, the better, but no one on the team had the time or the skills to figure out what to solve and how to solve it to bring the process to the next level. 

At the time, it didn’t seem extraordinary to seek help from a consulting industry. After all, for years, these agencies have been entrusted to help businesses in situations like this to navigate all kinds of complex problems and emerge better than ever; at least that’s the promise stated on most of their websites. We had used agencies before and felt that this case was no exception to continue the common practice. 

Only this time, it was my head on the line, not someone else’s. Let’s be honest, that’s the main reason it opened my eyes; it was my budget, my prestige and my reputation on the line.

A common practice gone wrong

A few weeks later, I found myself in a meeting room with the consulting agency’s team, watching them set up their PowerPoint presentation. The consultant demonstrated beautiful slide after slide, outlining the background, all the hard work they had done and their findings. I saw my colleagues nodding in agreement and felt reassured that we were in good hands. For a moment, I even felt proud as I was the one to bring them on.

It seemed like we were on the same page, we felt seen, heard and understood – who wouldn’t like that, right?

The consultant guided us through the pain points we had already identified long before but couldn’t find solutions to – an enormous and clumsy paper trail, a CRM platform that wasn’t connected to the billing system or the web portal, all of which caused us to miss crucial information needed to better serve our customers. I agreed with the consultant – some of these processes involved too much manual labor and too many clicks. Truth be told – at that moment I even felt kind of connected to the consultant. It seemed like we were on the same page, we felt seen, heard and understood – who wouldn’t like that, right? This made me burst with excitement to finally hear the most important part of the presentation – the solutions or, in other words, what we could do to actually start changing and improving things.

Finally, the consultant in the expensive suite got to the most anticipated part – improvement ideas. To my disappointment, he presented solutions that our team had already considered but abandoned because they weren’t suitable for the specific needs and resources available for our company. For example, it was already clear that we should integrate the CRM platform with the billing system. In fact, we had even tried that in the past, but it turned out to be too expensive, as it required a custom approach with human and financial resources we simply didn’t have. 

I tried to stay open-minded, brushed off my concerns and kept listening, hoping that the consultant I just felt so connected to might have found a better solution for the same problem. After all, what do I know? He was the expert who promised an unmatched growth and industry leadership on the sales call.

But what if their situations and financial and human resource capabilities were not comparable to ours?

But, at one point, the presentation was over. I stumbled for a moment, confused, and then convinced myself that I had probably fallen into a daydream and missed some important piece of information that would provide the lifeline I was desperately seeking for the past few months, unable to deal with this problem. After all, they have seen this problem with many other notable companies in the past, and those solutions worked. But what if their situations and financial and human resource capabilities were not comparable to ours? I caught myself thinking, but I quickly silenced my anxiety. Everyone shook hands, promising to review the presentation deck individually and come up with an action plan of how to set this into motion.

Selling nicely packaged dreams without a roadmap is not enough

A few days passed, and I returned to my everyday grind with emails, meetings, calls and other operational tasks, unconsciously slipping into a self-induced blessed ignorance, until an email from the agency reminded me of the task at hand. As I opened the presentation and went through the slides again, a slight dread crept over me. I hadn’t the slightest idea what should be done next. To my own horror, I was able to answer the question I asked myself a few days earlier. The answer I wish I wouldn’t have come to was – no, I did not miss anything, there wasn’t ANY actionable solution in the presentation that my company could implement to solve our problem. I mean, other than the obvious solutions we had already come to earlier but failed to execute as it simply wasn’t possible in our case. For example, integrating the CRM and billing system. Sure, we had thought about that a lot but got crushed under the tons of challenges that came our way, and we still had no idea of how that should work. 

If I would have taken the PPT to my IT team, they would probably have laughed me out of the room, as the presentation didn’t include any actionable steps suitable to the unique situation we were in. In order to get to work, they needed to know what data, when and in what format should be exchanged, how often and what the exceptions were. 

The feeling of dread intensified even more

The feeling of dread intensified even more when reading about improving the cold-calling capabilities of our sales reps, as the consultants saw unused potential there. Alright, but who can provide this training, and how much might that cost? Are there any trainers who specialize in our industry, or would any trainers do?

As I stared at the suggested solutions, I felt the dread increasing. I realized that, instead of solving the problem, the idea of hiring a consultancy had made it even bigger because now I had 10x more questions than at the beginning. 

Suddenly the realization hit me like a wrecking ball. I had been sold a dream without a roadmap, and now I was stuck with Frankenstein’s monster. 

From Frustration to Innovation: The Birth of CDS

Sounds familiar? Unfortunately, it happens more often than anyone is willing to admit. This is a common problem in the consulting industry. It’s simple to adjust a PowerPoint template, but every business has its own unique story that consists of their wants, needs, goals, the vision behind their team, the values they represent, the experiences they want to bring their customers and, most importantly, the problems and pains that come in all shapes and sizes and simply cannot be solved by a simple copy and paste solution. 

We live in the fastest changing century that mankind has ever experienced. Solutions that worked only a few years ago (no, let me rephrase that – only a few months ago – hi, chat GPT) are no longer effective. In order to evolve and succeed, businesses need to act fast and think even faster, which can be achieved only by a brave, agile and creative approach. 

Back then, I made it my mission to one day help other businesses never find themselves in the same desperate situation. 

Long story short, I quit my job and teamed up with my co-founder, Alberts, who had been on the other side of the table as a consultant. Guess what? He was sick and tired of feeding nicely packaged dreams into companies’ mouths that they ended up choking on.  

No more bullsh*t promises that end up under-delivered and below expectations

So we made it our mantra that anything we propose to our clients needs to come with a specific plan on HOW exactly to achieve it in a way that’s most suited specifically to our clients’ needs.   Besides, we wouldn’t sleep peacefully until the project was successfully up and running. No more bullsh*t promises that end up under-delivered and below expectations. Throughout our own unpleasant experiences, something beautiful was born – CDS. It was fueled by our dissatisfaction with how things are done and in what position that leaves businesses that are already struggling. 

To tattoo our mantra in our minds and keep it strong with every new client we take on, we defined 8 commandments that we religiously stick to. We will share these in the next article, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, let’s hop on a call and discover how we can leverage your resources to create a customized solution that sets you apart from the competition. 

A half-built rocket
won’t take you to the Moon

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Alberts Pumpurs

Alberts Pumpurs

In his famous 1962 speech, JFK declared the ambition to go to the Moon “not because it was easy, but because it was hard”. 60 years later it’s still an inspirational quote printed on mugs but this wouldn’t have led to one of the greatest achievements of mankind if not for the thousands of people who worked around the clock to make this bold statement a reality. In the same way, business is driven by promises of success and innovation but it becomes meaningless without people who actually do the hard work. Unfortunately, the consulting industry is skilled to lure businesses into a trap of overpromising and underdelivering, using template solutions that don’t address the company’s specific needs. The result is a half-built rocket that crashes on the way to launch, leaving the client to pick up the pieces while the consultants move to yet another project.

It seems like the ability to make inspiring promises has become the face of our age – we see it in marketing, business, and social media, but often the crucial question of HOW to make it happen is brushed off and presented as one’s own failure to deliver.

Enough with the BS already

The consulting industry frequently thrives on the excitement of shiny new ideas and solutions, capturing clients’ attention through engaging presentations, inspiring talks, and pledges of success. Unfortunately, this leads to the vicious cycle of overpromising, failing to meet expectations, and moving from one project to another.

As a result, the business is left with a half-built rocket that was promised to reach the Moon but ended up crashing on the way to launch, and now, metaphorically speaking, Branson is stripped from his engineers and left with a wrench to fix the mess himself…

The vicious cycle of the consulting industry

The most important question of all – what is the core problem and the best possible solution for the specific business – is never asked. Instead, a template solution is used but it’s as absurd as treating depression with cancer medicine. It might sound harsh, but most often nobody genuinely cares whether the client actually needs the solution or if it addresses the root problem that caused the trouble in the first place.

Unfortunately, the process is focused on closing the deal whatever it takes and overpromising is an integral part of it. The aftermath of a signed contract becomes tomorrow’s challenge and the one left to deal with it is the business itself.

most often nobody genuinely cares whether the client actually needs the solution or if it addresses the root problem that caused the trouble in the first place

Cynical? Exaggerated?

Perhaps, but it’s difficult to overstate how often this is precisely how niche consulting operates. Take a look at any website of a consultancy agency – all of them are so skilled at promising unmatched growth and industry leadership, no wonder you start imagining an unprecedented future success if only you worked with them – it’s an irresistible hook, and you are sold!

A few months later, you find yourself watching the consultant you hired demonstrating a presentation, outlining the background, all the hard work they have done, and the findings of the investigation. You see your colleagues nodding in agreement when self-evident, but still relevant weak points are mentioned. Finally, the consultant flips to the most awaited part of the presentation – the solutions. Since you’re already hyped up from hearing the pain points you don’t question the improvement ideas straight away – after all, change is hard. The consultant mentions solutions you have already considered but abandoned because of the lack of human, time, and financial resources, but you think to yourself that perhaps the agency has found a better way to solve this. You eagerly wait for the details and try to escape the rising dread that all of this was for nothing. After all, it was your initiative to bring them on to solve the pressing problem that no one on the team had the time nor the skills to figure out. At one point the presentation is over – there are a few questions about some of the proposed solutions but the consultant brushes them off easily. Why shouldn’t you believe them, they have experienced the same problem working with other customers in the past – and the same solutions worked, at least you think so…

Most ideas go and die in the PowerPoint slide

But what happens next? Most ideas go and die in the PowerPoint slide and some that are easier to implement and understand – the low-hanging fruit are completed. And what happens in 2 years time? The same problems creep-up again, but when you open the presentation: most of the information is outdated. The technology stack has changed, there are new products and it’s time to call in the agency again to help you figure out where to go next…

It’s so simple to propose ideas in PowerPoint presentations, but getting sh*t actually done, is another story that often requires the ‘ugly’, hard work that no one is willing to do. The business couldn’t implement the consultancy’s advice? It’s their failure! But is it really? Of course, this is painful to admit because it would mean companies are regularly spending large amounts of money on something that turns out to be partially useful.

Business of getting sh*t done

Hate to admit but we were the guys on both sides of the table. The ones on the consultancy side, clearly understanding we were overselling a solution that isn’t fit to the client’s needs and the ones sinking in desperation, realizing that the presentation had created even more headaches than before.

Back then we promised ourselves to one day kill the PowerPoint presentation vibe and transform that into executing a clear step-by-step plan on how to solve the problems and achieve the business goals, backed by enough details, examples and variations to make it just a matter of doing, not figuring out HOW. Besides, executing it together with the client, instead of abandoning the ship while it’s still a float.

we promised ourselves to one day kill the PowerPoint presentation vibe and transform that into executing a clear step-by-step plan
“I am Winston Wolf.
I am here to solve problems“

Problems are meant to be solved, not made even bigger. Sorry for the directness but we believe that a bit of a cold shower is exactly what the industry needs. For too long there have been empty promises that have led the companies to an even bigger mess. That’s why we are in the business of getting shit done – we are Winston Wolf of Pulp fiction and we solve problems.

No fluff, no bullshit, instead we provide:

Attentive Listening
understanding in depth why we are needed/why we were approached and the bigger picture –  to know how our work might impact other projects in the company
Root Cause Analysis
Identify hidden obstacles and issues that have prevented the business from achieving its goals.
Strategic Evaluation
Assess whether it’s the right time to start the project or if there are software, team, process, or other resource dependencies that need to be addressed before engaging with us.
Roadmap Creation
clear, step by step plan on how to get the results we propose with the resources available
Resource Maximization
Utilize budget, time, data, external factors, team capabilities, and software to craft a unique solution that sets the company apart from competitors.
Effective Communication
we will speak clearly, give examples from your industry or company and avoid overcomplicating things – to ensure we’re on the same page from start to finish
Persistence Until Success
Never give up on a client – Stay committed to the client and the project until the desired goals are reached.

In short – we take a deep dive in the root of the problem and keep going until it’s solved and turned from problem to profit. We do all of that by maximizing the resources the business already has, without selling the client something he definitely doesn’t need or can’t afford.

No more half-built, overpromised, and underdelivered rockets – getting to the Moon takes more than inspiring ambitions. It’s a lot of hard work that requires the ability to roll up your sleeves and get dirty.

It’s time to break the cycle. Let’s hop on a call to discover how we can leverage your resources to create a customized solution that sets you apart from the competition.

Warning!
We do not oversell our services and instead focus on providing practical solutions that address the root problem, if you are looking for a “sell me this pen” approach we won’t be a good match.

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Social Networking Features Are Essential for Your Product: Here Is How to Unlock Them

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Alberts Pumpurs

Alberts Pumpurs

Exactly How Do Social Networking Features Benefit Your Product or Service?

Social networking features are a valuable asset for any digital product or service. They can help to:

  • Exponentially increase the number of new users
  • Increase productivity of your service and new content generation
  • Create collective intelligence that is shareable between like-minded people
  • Provide a reason for users to return to the service and increase their perception of value
  • Generate new ideas and innovations for future product development

    Those are valuable benefits for every business and service, but it is not as easy to implement as it sounds. It is not enough to add social networking features such as content feed, comments, and the ability to follow someone, like, share and reshare. For social networking features to elevate your offering, users must find them valuable.

    Value of Social Networking Features

    In research, value accounts for 50% of the total long-term user experience for social features to work.
    Value is subjective, as each service user will provide their definition, preferences and priorities. However, in interviews and literature reviews, a handful of benefits tend to arise more than others.

    Those essential core benefits include:

    Self-satisfaction – A reliable solution every time
    Meeting customer needs – Critical functions and features are customisable to a meaningful degree
    Pleasing to use – The service should be effortless in its use without meaningless, redundant, or duplicated steps
    Socialisation – Generate social value, belonging to a particular group, and give reason to boast about the product
    Creating attachment – A service that becomes a habit to use

    Social Networking Features Are Here to Stay

    The web has profoundly affected how people interact with each other – and in large part, social networks are the ones to blame for it. Social networking was the essence of WEB 2.0, allowing internet users to connect, share user-generated content, create communities, share opinions and find like-minded people worldwide.

    The ability to connect was so powerful that every new service or app developer pushed social networking into their solution. It is a powerful concept: the idea is that you can easily find, connect, and relate to other like-minded people, especially if you have similar interests and regardless of the distance between you. It is hard to imagine today, almost 20 years later, what a revolutionary step in consumer interaction it was: there is little wonder that every new app and web service came out with a social networking feature.

    you can easily find, connect, and relate to other like-minded people, especially if you have similar interests and regardless of the distance between you

    Do the Benefits Outweigh the Issues?

    Of course, there was an almost inevitable shift in perception: due to seemingly unending social and political scandals – social networks gained negative sentiment. Now, decisions around incorporating social networking must consider newer shiny technological advancements and promises of WEB 3.0 are pushing discussion of whether your next project should have social integration. Even the big players haven’t figured it all out, and whether social features bring more problems than benefits is hotly debated.

    To that end, a longitudinal research study took place to determine how people benefit from social networking features and to identify what user experience dimensions account for a reason to keep using these features.

    Multiple literature reviews and field studies claim that usability, with its subdomain UX, is the most critical aspect of product or service success. However, the research concluded that usability is essential only during the first week of product use. That is when the user learns interaction patterns with the product, the product’s navigation and information architecture, and the execution of general use cases.

    After the first week in the long-term study, UX research value accounted for more than 50% of the overall UX of why people would keep using the product

    UX Subfactors That Create a Sense of Value

    Self-satisfaction

    The degree to which a product/service gives a user satisfaction with themself or their achievements. Self-satisfaction manifests in how the user’s personality and identity are reflected through the product use: whether the product compliments their personality and worldview. This can be summarised by whether the user has enough confidence and reliability that each time they open the service with a particular goal in mind, they can execute their requirements without any obstacle.

    Customer need

    This is the extent to which functions or appearances of a product/service satisfy the user’s needs. Expectations are a compelling feeling that gets users pumped up and excited – they are not “hope” that represents the possibility of positive and negative outcomes. On the contrary, expectations are strongly positive feelings based on the product, and if the expectations do not match with the result, it usually causes devastating emotions and letdowns.
    When advertising a product, customers’ needs need to be matched by the product being practically useful – this requires a variety of tools and functions that meet core product promises.

    Pleasure

    Your users’ feeling of being pleased or gratified due to interacting with a product/service. If working with the product or service is fun and relaxing – what’s not to like about it? On the other hand, in a strictly practical sense, if a task comes to mind as something that you would rather postpone for later – it is likely not fun, relaxing, or pleasurable.

    Attachment

    The user can attach subjective value to a product/service. The keyword here is ‘subjective’, as each of us has different personal meanings that we link to things we own and use. For example, for some, a smartphone brand can symbolise status, belonging to a group, a statement, or simply a messaging and internet-connected device for work. Of course, you won’t get all the meaning from your users on your product/service, but it’s essential to distinguish the most important ones that align with your brand and integrate them.

    Conclusion

    When creating a product, web service, or new app, don’t just add a user feed, an option of sharing, social metrics, or other features hoping that that is what users want and with which they will engage. Of course, all of that and other even more innovative features are valuable, but only then if the value of the service is already in place.

    When users understand that your service is something they will not willingly let go of, social networking features will help you gain exponential user growth, increase productivity, grow a community, and increase customer lifetime value.

    At Creative Data Studio, we help companies and product owners understand what their customers want through data insights. Our goal is to help businesses and products improve their customer relationships and engagements. We work closely with a team of creatives, web designers, developers as well as branding experts, to deliver positive results in a variety of industries.

    Our unique approach combines scientific research with creativity of design and branding to help our clients achieve their product goals.

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    The significance of User Experience (UX) aspects in the design of software products

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    Alberts Pumpurs

    Alberts Pumpurs

    In today’s digital landscape, where technology is constantly evolving, user experience (UX) is an essential factor for the success of a software product. A good user experience is key to making a product easy to use, intuitive and satisfying to the end user.

    Leading companies and technological products stay ahead because they prioritize UX. They pay attention to UX aspects by making the user experience a top priority in their product design and development process. UX is an essential aspect of software products, but the importance of a specific UX aspect may vary depending on the category and purpose of the product.

    Here is an example to illustrate

    Imagine UX aspects as ingredients in a recipe, and depending on what kind of dish you are making, you will need different ingredients. The same applies to software products and UX aspects.

    Financial software requires high security and accuracy, therefore the UX depends on the ease of use, efficiency, and overall satisfaction for the user.
    On the other hand, mobile game prioritizes visual design, responsiveness, and performance to enhance user satisfaction.
    An E-commerce store will prefer to focus on its visual design and navigation to improve a user’s ability to locate and purchase a product.

    These examples point to one thing- Investing in UX aspects will not only improve user experience on the product but the overall revenue generated by the company.

    A study by Forrester’s Research found that on every dollar invested in UX, a 70-85 % return is generated.

    This highlights one of the ways a software product can be successful in today’s competitive market. With presence of many software products, you need to edge out the competition with investing in human centred design and good user experience.

    A deep dive
    into UX aspects
    and its importance
    to software products

    What does UX aspect mean?

    User experience (UX) aspects in design are elements that impact the user’s interaction with a software product. It refers to how a user interacts with and perceives a product or service. These aspects include elements such as ease of use, navigation, visual design, and overall satisfaction. Other important UX aspects include accessibility, performance, as well as responsiveness.

    The ultimate goal of UX design is to create a positive and seamless experience for the user.

    A perfect example of the impact of UX design is the redesign of the United Airlines mobile app. The redesign focused on simplifying the booking process, making it easier to use. This redesign led to a 17% increase in mobile bookings and a 27% increase in revenue for the airline.

    UX impact on mobile booking

    A well-designed product that is easy to use and visually appealing is more likely to be adopted by users. On the other hand, a product that is difficult to use or unappealing is more likely to be ignored or discarded by users.

    Additionally, a product that is accessible to a wide range of users, including those with disabilities, is more likely to be successful in the long term. Overall, good UX design can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and conversion rates. This is why software designed with several user groups in mind does better than others.

    redesign led
    to a 17% increase in mobile bookings
    and a 27% increase in revenue for the airline

    These case studies demonstrate how good UX design has a significant impact on the success of software products. By focusing on usability and user experience, software products can improve efficiency, and ease of use, and increase customer satisfaction and revenue.

    User Experience aspects in software products

    Here are the UX aspect used in the study.

    Ease of use. This refers to the simplicity and ease of use of a product. It includes things like clear labeling, easy-to-understand language, and logical navigation.
    Navigation. The way users can move through the product or service, including the organization of content and the use of menus and buttons.
    Visual design. The overall aesthetic of the product or service, including the use of colors, typography, and images.
    Accessibility. This refers to how well the product can be used by people with disabilities.
    Performance. The speed and responsiveness of the product or service, including load times and the ability to handle large amounts of data.
    Learnability. This refers to how easy it is for users to learn how to use the product.
    Efficiency. This refers to how quickly and easily users can accomplish their goals.
    Memorability. This refers to how easy it is for users to remember how to use the product after they’ve used it before.
    Error management. This refers to how well the product helps users recover from errors.
    Satisfaction. This answers questions like- Does the user enjoy the product? did it help them complete their task or need? It helps to know how much users enjoy using the product.
    Flexibility. This refers to how well the product can be used in different ways and with different types of users.
    Aesthetics. Aesthetics plays an important role in how users view a product. It refers to how visually pleasing and attractive the product is.

    In a study to know the UX aspect considered when a user engages in a software product.

    A positive User Experience is important to the success of a software product. However, User Experience is a highly subjective concept, therefore it can be challenging to measure. Users of products are dynamic, therefore they may have different preferences, requirements, and experiences when interacting with a product. It is crucial to consider the context and objectives of the software and its target users while determining the importance of specific UX aspects in the design process.

    When making a product, it’s important to think about how people will use it. By understanding what is most important to the people who will use the product, designers can make better choices. Also, it’s important to think about how culture, location, gender, or age might affect how people use the product.

    How to evaluate and measure User Experience Aspects

    In a bid to evaluate UX aspects and its importance to software products, a study was carried out. A questionnaire containing a list of UX dimension was created on how user rate attractiveness, efficiency, control, learnability, controllability, helpfulness and originality of a product.

    A selected number of participants who understand UX aspects and its description was selected for this study. The study was simple- each participant was given an excel sheet to rate 15 products categories using the important UX aspects.

    Each cell could be filled
    with rating from 1-7

    Meaningless

    This is used if the UX aspect did not make sense at all for the product category

    1 – Extremely unimportant,
    2 – Somewhat unimportant,
    3 – Slightly unimportant,
    4 – Neutral,
    5 – Slightly important,
    6 – Somewhat important,
    7 – Extremely important.

    With 16 UX aspects and 15 product categories the participants had thus to fill 240 cells, i.e. had to make 240 decisions.

    This UX aspects used in this study are

    The products categories tested with the above UX aspects are

    Word Processing: Ms Word, MS Power Point, LaTex, Writer (Open Office)
    Spreadsheet: MS Excel, Calc (Open Office)
    Messenger: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat
    Social Network: Facebook, Xing, LinkedIn
    Video Conferencing: Skype, Google hangout
    Web Shops: Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Shopee
    News Portals: CNN, BBC, Daily Telegraph
    Booking Systems: Traveloka, Trivago
    Info web pages: Wikipedia, Lifehacker
    Learning platforms: Udemy, Udacity
    Programming tools: Eclipse, Visual Studio
    Image processing: Photoshop, CorelDraw, gimp
    Online banking: m-BCA, mandiri mobile, jenius
    Video portals: Youtube, Netflix
    Games: DoTA2, Mobile Legend

    Content QualityThis shows if the software products are always actual and of good quality.
    CustomizationThis indicates if a user can adapt the product to personal preferences or personal work style.
    PerspicuityThis measures how easy it is to understand and use the product.
    EfficiencyThis measures how the product responds quickly to a user input.
    ImmersionWhen I deal with the product, I forget the time. I completely sink into the interaction with the product.
    Intuitive UsageCan the product be used directly without any learning or the help of other people?
    UsefulnessIs the product useful? Does using the product bring me an advantage?
    NoveltyIs the design of the product interesting and unusual.
    BeautyThe product is beautiful and attractive.
    IdentityThe product helps me to make contacts and to present myself positively.
    ControllabilityThe product always reacts predictably and consistently to my input. I always have full control over the interaction.
    StimulationThis indicates how exciting and stimulating a user finds the product.
    ClarityThe product is visually appealing and clear.
    LoyaltyThis measures how loyal a user is to a product. Even if there are other equivalent products for the same tasks, I would not change the product.
    TrustThe data or output from the product is trustworthy.
    ValueI find the product makes a high-quality and professional impression.

    Results and discussion

    Results from the study shows that different products vary massively with UX aspects. The study looked at how important different aspects of user experience (UX) were for 15 different types of products. The study found that different products had different levels of importance for these aspects, but products that were similar in how they were used tended to have similar levels of importance for these aspects. The study also found that people had different opinions on how important these aspects were.

    The study also found that some UX aspects, like intuitive usage and clarity, were seen as similar in importance across different products, while others, like content quality, varied a lot.

    Multi-dimensional scaling

    To visually show how similar different aspects of user experience (UX) are to each other, multidimensional scaling was further used. This was done by creating a matrix that compares the similarity of each pair of UX aspects based on how closely their importance ratings across different product categories match up. Multidimensional scaling then displays these aspects as points in a two-dimensional space, with the distance between the points reflecting how similar they are. The closer the distance, the more similar the UX aspects are.

    Multi-dimensional scaling of the UX aspects.

    The smaller the distance between two UX aspects is, the more similar are their importance ratings over 15 product categories

    The analysis showed that there are two main groups of UX aspects: those that are related to pleasure and enjoyment (hedonic aspects), and those that are related to practical tasks (pragmatic aspects).

    there are 2 main groups of ux aspects.
    pleasure and enjoyment vs. usefulness and efficiency

    This two main UX aspects are: those that were related to pleasure (like beauty, aesthetics and novelty) and those that were related to how well the product worked (like usefulness and efficiency). The study also used MDS to show how similar some products categories were. The study found that some groups of products, like games and video portals, were not similar to other groups, while other groups, like image processing and programming tools, were similar. While games designs needs to be visually attractive and responsiveness, a video portal product needs efficiency, intuitiveness and ease of use.

    Key takeaway from this study

    One of the key findings of the study was the large differences in how user perceives the UX aspect of a product. This shows the need for products and its builders to consider the needs and preferences of their target audience when designing and evaluating the user experience for a particular product.

    Another important takeaway from the study was the consistent high ratings for certain UX aspects across different product categories. These include Intuitive Usage, Clarity, and Content Quality. These findings suggest that these aspects should be considered as key factors when designing and evaluating the user experience for different types of products.

    The study also utilized the multidimensional scaling (MDS) visualization technique to identify the similarity and dissimilarity of the aspects and product categories. This technique helped to provide a clear and concise representation of the data, making it easier to understand and interpret the results.

    In conclusion

    The study provides valuable insights into the importance of different UX aspects in different product categories. It also highlights the need to consider the needs and preferences of the target audience and the importance of key factors such as Usage, Clarity, and Content Quality when designing and evaluating the user experience for different types of products. The study’s use of MDS visualization technique is also a great way to help identify the similarity and dissimilarity of the aspects and product categories for future research.

    How can product builders make use of this result?

    As mentioned earlier, some certain UX aspects are important to a particular product than other. Its is important that product owners and builders, factor the only UX aspect that will positively impacts their products. Users or target audience can be contacted to know their preferences.

    User experience is very important to the success of a product.

    How we help your product stand out irrespective of its category

    All successful products consider the needs and preferences of the target audience and important UX aspects such as Usage, Clarity, and Content Quality when designing and evaluating the user experience for different types of products.

    References

    The Six Steps For Justifying Better UX (Forester, 2016)

    Modeling aesthetic preferences: Color coordination and fuzzy sets (Shamoi, Inoue, Kawanaka, 2019)

    Importance of user experience aspects for different software product categories (Santoso, 2018)

    At Creative Data Studio, we help companies and product owners understand what their customers want through data insights. Our goal is to help businesses and products improve their customer relationships and engagements. We work closely with a team of creatives, web designers, developers as well as branding experts, to deliver positive results in a variety of industries.
    Our unique approach combines scientific research with creativity of design and branding to help our clients achieve their product goals.

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