How do you design software that puts users first?

This aspect comes in the early planning phase and is crucial in setting the trajectory for future project planning. Having a good document end-user requirement followed by a robust requirement analysis is crucial. This is the stage where the development can seek relevant data from other teams like marketing and sales and seek help from decision-making teams like data analysts and business analysts to make a call.

In my role as a Principal Solution Architect, I've come to see software design as an art where users take center stage. To truly prioritize users, I emphasize intuitive usability, ensuring the design is accessible to all. I believe in fostering a dynamic feedback loop, allowing the software to evolve with users' needs. We should not just stopping at providing guidance on how to use it; the design should harness some advance tools overtime to anticipate and cater to user behavior and make an informed decision with less user interaction. Couple this with the flexibility of customization with how they want to use the software instead how we want them to use the software.

Knowing your user is important, equally important is to analyze the context in which the user operates and uses the software. Many non-functional requirements such as security or interoperability must be considered in the design phase that follows.

In the digital realm, understanding your audience is paramount to the success of any software. It's not just about the code, but the people who interact with it daily. Dive into these quick yet pivotal strategies for user-centric design: User Surveys: - Create short, focused surveys. - Analyze responses for user trends and preferences. Individual Interviews: - Conduct brief, informal chats with users. - Capture key quotes and sentiments. User Personas: - Compile data into one-page personas. - Highlight goals and frustrations. Usage Scenarios: - Draft quick scenarios based on personas. - Use them to guide design brainstorming. User Testing: - Offer prototypes to a small user group. - Gather direct feedback and observe usage.

Additional to surveys, interviews, personas etc. one of the best ways to understand users is to put yourself in their shoes. Shadow them doing their job for a day… even do their job for a day, and you’ll quickly gain understanding and build empathy for users that you are designing for.

While building something quickly and iterating based on your hypothesis, we shouldn't forget the role design and research play in the initial stages. You need to know who your target market is and what their problem is and gather initial feedback based on early prototypes or research.

Prioritizing users in software design is essential! Here's the blueprint: User research. User personas. Empathy mapping. Usability testing. Simplify interfaces. Be responsive. Maintain consistency. Include feedback mechanisms. Iterate. Optimize performance. Educate users. Ensure security and privacy. Prioritize accessibility. Aesthetics matter. Always improve. Designing with users in mind boosts satisfaction and success.

By investing time and resources into these research methods, software designers and developers can preemptively address issues and needs, rather than reacting post-launch. It's a proactive approach to design and development, ensuring that the end product resonates with its intended audience, offers value, and provides an intuitive user experience. This approach not only results in better software but also fosters trust and loyalty among users.

In my experience, talking to users is the best way to get to know them. After defining the ideal user, reaching out and conversing with them is the ideal way to discover their pain points and uncover the real requirements for the software. While surveys can be a cheap and effective way to gather data from many users, having genuine open-ended conversations with a few potential users can uncover critical insights that survey questions cannot. In the past, at work, open-ended conversations with users have led me to ask crucial questions I would never have considered including in a survey.

Success in user-first software is measurable. It's vital to select metrics reflecting user satisfaction and goal achievement. Here's how to pinpoint and track these indicators: Quantitative Indicators: - Identify key numbers: conversion, retention, satisfaction scores. - Set up tools for continuous tracking. Qualitative Feedback: - Value reviews, testimonials, suggestions. - Create accessible channels for user feedback. Alignment with User Goals: - Ensure metrics resonate with user personas' objectives. - Regularly revisit goals versus outcomes. Ongoing Tracking: - Monitor metrics consistently, not just post-launch. - Adjust strategies based on real-time data. Iterative Improvement: - Use metric trends to inform updates.

Simply knowing your users isn't enough; tracking how well the software meets their needs is equally vital. By setting clear metrics that reflect user satisfaction and success, developers ensure the software stays aligned with user goals. Quantitative metrics, like conversion and retention rates, give hard numbers on user behavior, showing what's working and what's not. Meanwhile, qualitative feedback, like reviews, offers deeper insights into user feelings and pain points. Continuously monitoring these metrics from development to launch ensures the software adapts to user needs and expectations, leading to a more successful and user-friendly product.

Customer needs and preferences are different by region and change over time, so we must continuously monitor our software. Our metrics keep customer expectations in mind, while aligning with our business goals. Some KPIs used to measure software usability include user engagement, response times, load times, system reliability and conversion rates. Complex interfaces can be distracting and dangerous for our customers, so we aim to make navigation as fast and easy as possible, for example with our Zero Layer design, which always keeps the most used features on the home screen.

Metrics are more than just numbers; they're the heartbeat of user satisfaction. They should be fluid, evolving with user feedback. If users start valuing one aspect over another, pivot your metrics accordingly. It's about aligning with their changing priorities, ensuring you're always on the right track.

Metrics should be meaningful and user-centric. Yes number of downloads, purchases, and conversions helps but metrics should also determine the time taken to do one complete task, the time spent on one listing, the frequency of the users using your app, etc. Then there are performance metrics, that can pretty much decide if the user is going to use your software or not. Network latency, time taken to present the required data, what was the state when the latest data was not available, all this and much more directly impacts that if your user will reuse your app or not.

The second step in designing user-centered software is like fine-tuning the amount of garlic in a dish—it's all about getting the balance just right. Define the metrics that measure success from the user's perspective, such as conversion rates, retention rates, and satisfaction scores, alongside qualitative feedback like reviews and testimonials. The key is to align these metrics with user goals and track them consistently throughout development and launch. Just as garlic enhances flavor when balanced, these metrics ensure your software truly resonates with users.

Defining user-centric metrics is crucial. Here are some tips: Identify key tasks and workflows. Measure time-to-completion, errors, steps, and satisfaction. Set benchmarks for adoption, engagement, retention rates based on user segments. Design usability surveys and send post-release. Track ratings, problem areas, sentiment. Monitor NPS and customer feedback channels for aspirations and pain points. Analyze behavioral data like clicks, conversions, churn to surface user frustrations. Establish customer advisory groups for qualitative insights. Request brutally honest feedback. Capture support requests and social mentions to detect usability issues early. Evaluate against competitors on factors users care about: performance, aesthetics, UX.

Generally there are five types of quantitative metrics for evaluating the product success. AARMR. Acquisition, Activations, Retention, Monetization, Referral. We should have a plan first by defining these metrics and then monitoring then. Second improving them on our journey.

NPS is a fantastic metric that every company should be fanatical about. A good NPS score is a gift that keeps on giving. When building software to improve customer satisfaction, ensure that you are focusing on removing key detractors and building on your strengths to ensure that this metric is always moving upward.

I've found that before jumping into design and development, deep dives to figure out an ideal set of user Journeys and a swim lane diagram is particularly helpful. Then designing an interactive mock up first and receiving feedback from the end users can be done. While that is all fine, there is also something called acquired taste so sometimes we have perform mindset remapping to let a group of users be more informed about how they should interact with a product and how a certain design will save them time and help gain efficiency in the long run.

Embrace design thinking. It's not about packing features but orchestrating a user journey. Every interaction should feel intuitive, like a well-choreographed dance. Prioritize user flow and ensure that each step seamlessly leads to the next, enhancing overall user engagement.

You're absolutely right. The design process is where we translate user insights into an impactful solution. Some tips: Develop storyboards, information architecture, and wireframes to map optimal user workflows. Follow interface design principles like consistency, responsive design, clear visual hierarchy. Use existing design system components where possible for familiarity. Enhance based on feedback. Incorporate inclusive design practices for accessibility, localization, device support. Build and user test prototypes frequently to validate direction. Refine regularly. Craft user stories and scenarios to check that the design solves real-world cases. Partner with UX writers to ensure messaging resonates and guides users.

A solution must be made to make users feel like a breeze when using it. Try making a solution that makes users reach their needs with as less steps as you can. From a design perspective, always keep your target customers in mind before proceeding with your design. Some users would like a clean and sleek look but the others would love to see a convoluted look.

Wireframes, data models, and architectures are key components of software design. Today, all languages have well-tested frameworks and patterns that address 50% of architecture problems. The remaining 50% should be based on the user cases you are building. Software that solves the problem, is easy to use, and performs well will always be successful.

Develop a high level architecture diagram showing all the entities. Later break down to small level to get a clear understanding and their interface. the Flow diagram shall give the clear picture of the use case that is being solved

I would say, Leverage tools like wireframes, prototypes, and user stories. The goal is to design an intuitive, accessible, and visually appealing solution following UI/UX best practices. Key metrics to measure include usability (task success rate, time on task), accessibility (compliance with standards), user testing feedback, conversion rates, and user engagement (click-through rates, session duration). These metrics validate your design not only meets user needs but also adds value Apply design thinking. It’s not about stuffing features but crafting a user journey. Every interaction should feel natural, like a smooth dance. Focus on user flow and ensure that each step naturally leads to the next, boosting overall user engagement

During the design process, the focus is not just creating solutions that are just user-friendly but empathizing users in all aspects. One effective way to achieve this is by leveraging a concept of Unified Customer Profile that aggregates multi-dimensional user data into a single, coherent view, enabling personalized interactions and seamless user experiences.

Reducing number of clicks allows users mind to focus more on creativity/ business/personal/social thoughts instead of focusing on software journeys. It also reduces toil and makes the software more interesting

Share your designs with power users and communities to get early feedback. Don't think of your design as "the secret sauce." The best sauce is the one the customer loves so better to get early feedback than none.

Design software is like any other craft known by us as humans: a combination of art and skill. There is no single recipe on how to design perfectly a software, but, taking the words of Dieter Rams, former Head of Design at Braun, there are 10 Principles of Good Design that we can always consider at the time of designing solutions. 1. Good design is innovative 2. Good design makes a product useful 3. Good design is aesthetic 4. Good design makes a product understandable 5. Good design is unobtrusive 6. Good design is honest 7. Good design is long-lasting 8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail 9. Good design is environmentally friendly 10. Good design is as little design as possible

I belive that user testing is the best. You make alpha test group and put app out there. You will get helpful feedback(worked for me)

Testing should be embraced by everyone, not just quality analysts. Developers who understand the business and the software. Product folks who want to ship the best experience. To be successful, everyone has to chip in.

Testing is a two-way street. Engage users as co-designers, letting them play an active role in refining the software. Organize sessions where they can voice out, ensuring the final product is a collaborative masterpiece that truly addresses real-world challenges.

Usability testing is software development insurance. In the years I've been a test user, then a designer and then a product owner, it's become increasingly apparent how often heavyweight designers from giant brands can get it wrong. Getting it wrong to some extent is natural, because product owners and designers simply cannot emulate real users. Getting the right demographic to look at the design with fresh eyes can save weeks or months of rebuilding and lost value. For agencies, it's incumbent upon them to educate clients about the usefulness of user testing, so that it gets a decent slice of the budget and bypasses the debate between whether requirements or development were at fault.

Automated testing is a vital part of launching With that, the team will have a lot confident rolling out new features and fixing bugs quickly.

User-Centric Testing: Prioritize testing with real or potential users to ensure their needs and preferences are met. Validation of Assumptions: Use testing to validate your initial assumptions about user behavior and expectations. Diverse Testing Methods: Employ a mix of testing methods, including usability testing, A/B testing, beta testing, and analytics, to gain comprehensive insights. Usability Testing: Observe users as they interact with your software to identify pain points, obstacles, and areas of improvement. A/B Testing: Conduct experiments by offering different versions of your software to different user groups to determine which performs better.

In our current Project we think everyone it the Team should test the application. We don't think it's only a Testers job to test the application. In my earlier project and current project also along with all technical, non-technical testing techniques we do some Random testing which we call as "Monkey Testing", and in fact many times we found new issues with this Monkey Testing.

I believe in these two mantras: Fail Fast and Test it yourself. Testing earlier in the process makes sure solutions are in the right direction but also surfaces the gaps, while at the same time engage relevant stakeholders. And in the end of the day, if who is delivering solution is not confident, it is better to train your selling pitch and prepare sound arguments for what you are delivering.

In my experience, testing is a shared responsibility From developers to product teams and everyone involved, ensuring the quality of deliverables is a collaborative effort. It involves thorough verification and validation with the relevant stakeholders, including user input and engagement. All to ensure a seamless delivery that meets user expectations.

The fourth step in designing user-centered software is like tasting a dish with garlic to ensure it's just right—you need feedback to perfect it. Test your solution with real or potential users using methods like usability testing, A/B testing, beta testing, and analytics. The goal is to validate your assumptions, identify any issues, and refine your solution based on user input. Just as tasting helps you adjust the seasoning, testing ensures your software meets user needs and expectations effectively.

A good way to launch is to launch iteratively. We use a combination of: - slow rollout to ensure that the new upgrade didn't cause any unforeseen issues - blue/green deployment when there's a large infrastructure change - AB testing for frontend features - enable by user request when we want feedback on whether a particular solution is good or not Using these strategies, we're able to minimize any unforeseen downtime or quality issues.

What has worked for us lately is to launch new features in a beta mode, without interrupting the existing user workflow, allow certain users to use the new features in a beta mode takes off a lot of pressure from the delivery teams. The feedback can be worked on and it doesn't impact business outcomes in a detrimental way.

The fifth step is to launch your solution, utilizing channels like social media, email marketing, landing pages, and referrals. The objective is to effectively reach your target audience, generate interest, drive demand, and acquire and retain users. After the launch, it's essential to continuously monitor performance and impact to make necessary adjustments and enhancements.

Probably we can follow User Centered Design methodology starting from SoW to Delivery. 1. Requirement Gathering will help to meet the customer expectations 2. Create a prototype in a sandbox and test. This will help to improve and fix the changes 3. Keep improvise until you get a good feedback from customers

Follow the agile model of development and get the results over the launch and get the quick feedback and scale the solutions.

Knowing the target audience of a product is the first and foremost aspect of launching a successful product. The silver lining lies in detecting how would a customer interact with a product and how as the product develoer would want your customers to interact with your product. You get this right and your product will win hearts of people.

Think of a launch as a series of orchestrated events. Start with soft launches in niche segments, gathering invaluable feedback. This phased strategy ensures that when you go full-scale, the product is already refined, minimizing potential pitfalls.

The launch sets the stage for adoption and growth. Some best practices: Develop a launch plan with messaging, channels, creative assets, and influencer campaigns tailored to your audience. Craft landing pages and tutorials to easily onboard new users. Guide them to that "aha" moment. Use analytics to identify adoption hurdles and optimization opportunities. Address churn quickly. Monitor social channels and reviews for user feedback. Respond and improve. Analyze usage data to double down on popular features and remove ineffective ones. Segment users by behavior and tailor engagement for each. Convert trial users, reactive dormant ones. Run ongoing A/B tests to refine conversion paths. Make signing up and checkout frictionless.

For Kickstarters, one can make launch process very simple. (focused on Infrastructure aspect) - use cloud platform (Leaders: AWS, Azure, GCP) - use server-less infrastructure Lambda / Cloud functions - prioritise using managed services these strategies will have many advantages like - Pay as you go services - Lower upfront cost, hence more savings - Yo don't need DevOps expertise to going live - Fantastic reliability, robust availability and reliable support

Software design is an iterative journey to strike a perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. A visually appealing interface dictates the initial perception of quality, but intuitive functionality is the hallmark of good design. We are continually ensuring that our software efficiently and effectively serves its core purposes, including safety features, navigation and infotainment, all while minimizing distractions. Then, we iterate and refine our software design using feedback from our customer research and usage data.

Software should be dynamic, always in tune with users. Cultivate a culture of perpetual evolution. Regular team-user interactions can keep the software adaptive, ensuring it remains relevant amidst the ever-changing user landscape.

In my perspective, crafting user-centric software demands an ongoing commitment to refinement, where satisfying users is key for business growth and Product success. In my experience, especially in software development, leveraging Agile methodologies proves instrumental. It enables to iteratively enhance solutions based on valuable user feedback and data insights, Delivering not just a product but a Valuable experience. Embracing frameworks like scrum, lean, and Kanban in dynamic industries keeps us agile in adapting to evolving user needs. It's more than just code—it's a dedication to crafting timeless experiences, delivering value for time, money, and effort seamlessly.

Putting users first through an iterative design process is so critical. As you refine your software, continuously gathering user feedback allows you to understand evolving needs and priorities. Adopting flexible frameworks like agile enables you to respond with agility. Incremental delivery provides ongoing value to users while enabling continuous improvement. With each iteration, you can refine and enhance the user experience. Keeping users at the center throughout the process leads to solutions that truly empower and delight them. By maintaining this user-centric mindset, you set your software up for success - both for your users and for your own career goals.

Software should be iterable from the first day, from the MVP. In each iteration step, implementation should be done to keep this so. Iterating software like adding hard cast chains is not an easy task. MVPs should not be all batteries included, they can never be, but they should have a correct battery housing to add batteries later. To do so, it is important to have experienced developers in the team or mentors for the external support.

Continuous Refinement: The Heart of User-Centricity Post-launch, the journey isn't over; it transforms. Harness frameworks like agile or kanban to keep pace with evolving user landscapes. Feedback isn't just data; it's a directive. Let it guide enhancements, from minor fixes to major feature additions. As user expectations shift, so should your solution. It's a cycle of observe, adapt, and improve. In this ever-evolving dance, stay attuned to users, ensuring your software remains a dynamic, value-packed ally.

It is important to continually monitor and improve the solution based on users's needs and feedback. Major problem areas faced by the users can be catered with patch fixes or hot fixes to the solution. If the user's needs require a new feature to be rolled out, a new software release or update can be rolled out. Iteratively improvements must be made to the product based on priority, criticality and feasibility of user's needs.

Agile development can help here. Use frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, SAFe® based on your context to iterate towards a common goal and value.

We can all agree that technology is advancing. But for software development people, advancement should be well anticipated by the team. Changes should be based on feedback from the previous versions and ensure the user's experience will not be deterred by those changes.

It's important to remember that most feature ideas are just hypotheses that need to be tested. It's better to effectively test and iterate quickly than to get attached to features that don't provide the imagined value.

Try and attend client meetings with either your team leads or your business analysts. Have your design checked by the business analysts or the software testing team.

Customer-driven software solutions currently are the ticket to the game. So, to achieve that, I couldn't find anything better than following Agile. It is crystal clear in the Agile manifesto. : 1- ..... 2- Working software over comprehensive documentation. 3-Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. 4-Responding to change over following a plan. The first two principles behind the Agile Manifesto are: 1-Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. 2-Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage. From the above, following the agile methodology will significantly help you put the user first.

User empowerment is a fundamental aspect. Providing users with control over their settings, privacy, and data fosters trust. Transparency in how their data is handled and giving users autonomy to tailor their experience within the software can enhance their satisfaction. Optimizing performance is another key component. Users expect software that's reliable and efficient. Ensuring fast load times, minimal downtime, and a responsive UI are crucial for maintaining a positive user experience. Lastly, user education and onboarding can greatly enhance the user experience. Providing users with resources like guides, video tutorials, and efficient onboarding processes can help them understand the software's features and make the most of it.

It’s totally different being user centric , especially when it comes to designing a product. Remember that it’s the user - and your company. stop considering each team silos - when the user is the center then all the journey should be consistent and well integrated, no overwhelming, no pieces disconnected, for them it’s just the company serving the final product, that must be used. Probably also better to talk about the EXPERIENCE. Good thing to do, also, is to define the user journey and map out all the moments relevant to them and try to facilitate the experience with all the systems, graph, content, support that is required, all well integrated.

Innovation and progress only means and targets something that comes from the field and reality. Users are reality check ambassadors, so they cannot be only in the middle or end of the pipeline, they should be helping setting up the pipes from scratch.

Putting user first is a whole paradigm that needs to be enforced at every step of software development and production management (i.e. not just ergonomics and conversion rates) That’s to say - No breaking change to the UI that might introduce struggle to the user - A simple in-app way for a user to report something inadequate - A reasonable response time from support services when inquired by the user - Simple way to achieve a goal: if you want to navigate to menu X you shouldn’t have to go through more than 3 others menus, if I have to give a number The list goes on. The amazon.com app is the perfect case of a user centric app. It remained visually the same for years, even though a bulkload or functionnalities have been added, as of 2023.

Feedback is the most crucial part of any product. Sometimes we develop features keeping some pain point in mind but later customer tells you that your feature or product has solved this problem. So continuous is mandatory, not only from development perspective but also from marketing perspective.

Empathy!! The processes like Design Thinking and Agile Development teaches you to be empathetic to your customers. The tools like Personas, Empathy map, Story map, User journey map can aid in this.