In the digital age we are experiencing, User Experience (UX) is not only an aesthetic or functional factor, but represents a fundamental strategic lever for business success. Investing in designing an optimal user experience leads to a significant return on investment (ROI), transforming a perceived cost into a real earning opportunity.
UX design goes beyond aesthetics, integrating elements that meet user needs, improve usability and align the product with business objectives. Parameters such as the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measure user satisfaction, while analysis of engagement metrics, such as page views and time spent on the site, help understand the effectiveness of the design in capturing user interest.
Furthermore, accessibility is essential to ensure that the design is usable by people with different disabilities, further improving the user experience and expanding the potential market. Attention to these details not only improves customer satisfaction, but also helps reduce operating costs through decreased churn rates and increased retention.
So.Fa by Sorint.LAB: how to create a User Experience with the 9D system
So.Fa, an acronym for Software Factory, is the division of SORINT.lab dedicated to discovering and providing customized software solutions. By conducting feasibility studies, along with market analysis, budget estimation and cost-benefit analysis, So.FA identifies strategies and designs a roadmap to introduce or evolve a software system. This includes designing and developing custom software projects, redesigning and modernizing existing systems, or extending and/or integrating existing software systems.
SO.FA creates and collaborates with various professionals to provide the above using a complex, yet clear, value-based approach with traceable milestones and phases.
These activities are combined in what we call SO.FA’s “9D system”: Dreaming, Discovering, Describing, Deliberating, Designing, Developing, Delivering, Debriefing and Deriving.
The 9D system promises to mitigate the challenges that arise from software development projects.
This involves skills and activities from many professions, such as: Software Architect, Product Manager, Project Manager, UX/UI Experts; or again assembly and management between teams, including developers, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, DevOps engineers, security engineers, Cloud engineers, and QA engineers.
User Experience: Why ROI is incredibly high
UX – User Experience activities are one of many activities that have a direct and tangible ROI, but are undervalued by many software production companies and software engineering leaders.
In Robert Pressman’s book “Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach”, the author further explains the business justification of an initial UX focus: “For every dollar spent solving a problem during product design, $10 would be spent on the same problem during development and $100 or more if the problem were to be solved after the product was released”. So, every dollar invested in ease of use returns $10 to $100.
This means that every $1 invested in UX results in a $100 return, making the ROI 9,900%.
User involvement determines the success of a platform
User engagement reflects the level of interest and interaction users have with the product. To determine the effectiveness of design in engaging users, analyzing metrics such as page views, time spent on the site, and bounce rates before and after developing a product or feature helps us determine which areas need improvement and monitor user behavior after changes have been made.
Accessibility ensures that the design is usable by people with disabilities, including those with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments. Parameters such as WCAG compliance level and usability testing with people with disabilities help us evaluate the accessibility of the design and ultimately improve it.
The success of any design is ultimately measured by its impact on the business. To determine the effectiveness of the design against these results, it is important to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the previously defined business objectives. This usually includes metrics such as revenue, return on investment (ROI), or customer loyalty.
Stakeholder recognition is another factor of consideration. If stakeholders recognize and appreciate the insights generated by the research and design carried out, this indicates that our results have influenced decision-making and contributed to a better understanding of user needs.
The above UX research activities are considered a brief overview.
In conclusion, by constantly measuring these factors and iterating based on feedback and data, we ensure that our projects effectively meet both user needs and business objectives, resulting in success in terms of costs, time and clarity before moving on to the next planned phase of the project.
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Credits to: Graziella Dramisino – UX Researcher