User Experience (UX) Design. Is it Possible to Make Everyone Happy?
Last week Carson alluded that we are going to be delivering a BRAND NEW design here at Wealthy Affiliate (see post here), something that we have been working on for close to a year. The Wealthy Affiliate headquarters have been working around the clock getting this brand new platform ready to rock, so come April you as a member are going to be able to work within our new environment.
I can tell you we have been working on some really brilliant technology, new platforms, new training, and ideas that are going to drive the community, platform, and your businesses for many years to come.
When we make changes, we do them for a reason and with purpose. To make our service better and to make your processes much more efficient as an online Entrepreneur. We have an unrelenting desire to achieve perfection, knowing that we will never be able to accomplish this impossible goal. But as we reach for it, our service here at WA takes drastic leaps and bounds of improvement and we truly feel our next UX (User eXperience) update is the biggest one yet.
But we are very careful about being too rash with our decision-making. It is important that we deliver what we intend to and actually improve our service here. The last thing we want to do is to make things more complex to you as a user.
One thing that we are very reluctant to update too frequently, is the interface here at Wealthy Affiliate. It can pose several problems, one being that all the training needs to be updated (which can be a huge undertaking), but another reason is that people don't like change.
Why People Don't Like Change.
To be honest with you I don't like it when things change. It takes me out of my comfort zone, it makes me less productive (at least so I think), and it has the tendency to overwhelm me. That is why we tend to do the same processes out of habit, even if they are not the most reliable or efficient, rather they are the most comfortable.
Can you relate?
It is human nature to do the same thing if it is comfortable, then to move outside of the comfort zone even if we know it might lead to lot more efficiency.
We also do this out of laziness and also out of "procrastination". Have you ever had something in your house that needed fixing, or perhaps need the batteries changed and it took weeks to accomplish? Well that is because it is a break in habit.
In terms of user design and interfaces with software, the same thing happens. I remember a few years back when Facebook made some significant changes to their design and user interface. There was a huge uproar. People left en masse from Facebook and promised never use it again. These were blank promises, because years later these same people are using Facebook more than ever.
Facebook as a company is smart, calculated and made this design update based on empirical data because they need it to evolve and innovate. It made sense for the future of their business and likely future releases they had planned for the platform.
You can only build a house of a certain size if you are operating on a 1,000 sq/ft foundation. The same goes for technology companies, sometimes it is important to undergo a significant design change and/or update to build a bigger "house" (that is, a bigger, more advanced and sophisticated business).
Facebook is one example of a good design update, sometimes there are complete flops. Sometimes there are also companies that are not willing to change, because they are doing well and for some this creates a stagnant environment (think Craigslist).
Let's Look at a Recent Design Flop, or Maybe Not.
In a world where users don't owe you a thing, don't have time to waste on interfaces they don't understand and where they have many options, you better get a significant update RIGHT.
In just the past month, Snapchat went through a redesign. Although I am not a huge Snapchat user, I read a lot about the industry and about design. I also know many people, including family, who were avid Snapchat users and no longer are using it. People have options like Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook that can easily be a replacement (along with a slough of others).
When people opened their Snapchat app, they were confused as heck when they saw these new designs.
People fled en masse and you even had some of the most prominent social media figures like Kylie Jenner tweeting about the horrible design ("sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me... ugh this is so sad").
What could have Snapchat done differently? Did a large corporation really miss the mark with their design ideas? Was it too much of a surprise to their user base when the logged in and saw something completely foreign? Probably a combination of all of these and we absolutely want to avoid this with our upcoming launch.
And a Company That Refuses to Change.
One company and one that you probably USED to use (maybe you still use it, maybe not) is Craigslist. They were once the "go to" website for classified, some avid users will still claim it is the best. To me, they were the ubiquitous website for classified ads here in Canada, the same goes for pretty much every country they operate.
Let's look at their design in 2018, which looks very classic, but they have stuck to their guns in terms of their design.
I would argue that they are starting to lose (although their financial statements may not indicate this), to some companies putting out more granular classified websites. Companies like "Varage" are taking over in the buy and sell of used goods.
There are many popular companies and apps that are taking ownership of the dating world (one which Craigslist used to own), and there are a slough or real estate classified sites out there that continue to gain traction and reputation in the online/mobile classified space.
Craigslist refused to update, they were doing well and still are doing good enough, that the founder Craig Newmark hasn't seen reason to change. Maybe it is his own personal case study, and maybe they lost a lot of money as a result, but keeping the design simple and consistent has lead to their usership having a sense of familiarity every time they use the service.
A Brand New UX is Coming Soon at WA, We Are Amp'ed.
One thing we don't want to do is treat a new design like a launch, because it is isn't. We would like to warm you up to this new design, explain our decision-making, and why we truly think that including you in this process is not only important, we owe it to you. We want you to be familiar with it by the time it is actually released.
Offering our ideas and why we made the changes that we did is also going to offer you some unique insight into how design processes works and "why we do what we do" from a technology and design standpoint. Also, you have the opportunity to offer us preliminary feedback is of course going to be very important and has played a role in our overall design up to this point.
Below is an example of my dashboard (albeit, still in beta, it is going to look very close to this).
The design change isn't radical, but in terms of the technology and the thought that has gone into it, it is quite radical (and we think radically improved).
Our goals with the new design are actually very simple:
- Make things easier to find
- Make your user experience more efficient
- Make the navigation more intuitive
- Show people what they have access to through the design
- Use terminology and labels that make sense
- Make it FUN to use
- Make it more interactive
- Make getting help more efficient
So coming next week, we are not only going to be showing you what the different aspects of our new design look like, we are going to explain the current drawbacks of our existing design (from several perspectives) and we are making the shift.
Although you may detest change, I can assure you that our current design just doesn't allow us to evolve and innovate in the incredible ways we have planned. We have already received some "beta" feedback, and we are warmly surprised that there was little to no resistance on the new design.
Our hopes are that you will share the same sentiment. :)
I would also love you to leave a comment here sharing your thoughts on design, what it means to you, and what causes issues with you whenever you are faced with a new design update. Your comments and feedback are how we improve our platform/service/community here at WA and mean the world to us!
Recent Comments
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I really don't mind change, especially when change is a positive one and by the looks of the screenshots, this change looks clean and fun so I'm looking forward to it!!
One big change I'm sure I am not the only one who is patiently waiting for is a mobile version of WA.
I find myself on the WA platform from my cell phone quite a lot, especially when I'm redirected from e-mail, and it is not the best way to experience WA.
I often start on my cell and the end up grabbing my laptop to finish, just as I did for this post.
Is this something we can expect sometime in 2018?
Hello Kyle!
I am both excited and nervous for this new UX design. My main problem with change is the fact that it's an unknown to me and therefore might be harder to navigate. As long as it's still easy to navigate and I can still get out there and help people then there's no problem from my end.
I admit that the new user interface looks very sleek and maybe not as overwhelming as before, which might help new users that have no idea where to start.
If that means I have to go in a rework my welcome email for my new members then that is what I will have to do.
Thank you so much for showing us what it is going to be like and taking us through it as the time comes for the new interface to come out, it is much appreciated.
Take care,
Michelle/Anne
Well said. Next month I will be 77 years of age which means I still have 23 years of learning to go. I am slow with learning the use of a computer but will not back down and looking forward to the challenge. As it is keeping my brain active. No dementia for me. I think.
Tom.
Hi Kyle, I am looking forward to the new interface and I do understand your concern regarding acceptance so, I do appreciate the way you and Carson are communicating with us about it as you always do when you introduce new features.
You said that next week you would be showing us more of what things will look like.
Will this be done through blog posts with images such as this one or, are there any plans to give us all a link to the beta so that we can use it to provide feedback and to get used to it before the final rollout?
This looks awesome Kyle and Carson!! And I so appreciate your giving everyone a heads up. I have a daughter (mother to my grandchildren) who has always hated change, so I'm used to giving her ample time to make the adjustments lol. And it's always paved the way to a stress free appreciation of new things.
I believe with adequate foreknowledge, and some walkthrough videos, will make things easier for everyone. I'm excited for the changes. If it makes things easier and more productive, what's not to love?
Cheers,
Suzanne
I look forward to the upgrade!
I have a little brother who shifted his career from marketing manager to UX expert. That’s where all his work was already being pulled, so he followed the cues. Ahead of working with the multinationals, he was also required to gain all manner of international UX certifications.
Chatting through his problem sets, I can fully appreciate why a business would invest so many resources into developing or upgrading sound UX. I honestly didn’t even know the field existed until he moved into it! There are accreditations?
I can imagine you are investing the same amount of care for the same good reasons in the revision of your own UX. You’ve been at this for so long, and you’re so attuned to your customers, that I have supreme confidence in whatever changes you’re about to make.
Go for it!
But hey, some people find any kind of change destabilising and agitating. No matter how well-reasoned. That’s just one of the flavours humans come in.
I generally don't like change - I hate supermarkets that keep changing their layout. Just when you knew where to find things, the layout changes and it takes you ages to do your shopping....
But the new dashboard immediately looks familiar and the renamed buttons make perfect sense.
The only problem I can see is changing all the training. Even now in Live Chat people often refer to the 'Get Started' button, which is now called the 'Certification' button. But no doubt it'll all work itself out.
And, by the way, the integration of images in Site Content and in WA blogs is great!!! So I am sure all the new changes will work out great as well.
I know how you feel. I don't like change either, and I certainly don't like walking into my favourite supermarket to find things have completely changed.
I think most this design update is going to be more like changing the shelves in the same section in which your food is on, versus reconfiguring the entire layout of where you find stuff.
We are doing so to make more sense in terms of user behaviour, natural intuition and what makes sense, and also what can set up our platform for the major platform releases we have planned through 2018.
Never worried about any changes you guys do, you always have what's best for your company and us members. So bring it on baby, really excited to see all the new changes.
And this is perfect timing not less than a week ago my brother told me how he has gone as far as he can go working for someone else, so he wants to build his online business.
We already have a domain name, we'll use my account and host his site here and take advantage of all the tools you have.
Oh so happy, happy.
Awesome Leo, we would love to have your brother on board here at WA and he has no better mentor than you to work with. :)
I know the changes are going to be well-received by all, there will be some confusion as there is with any significant design update,
But we are going to be doing our absolute best to minimize this, and as a brand-new member coming into the platform, Starter members are going to find the new platform much more intuitive than now.
I can be overly critical from time-to-time when people change things. Especially,( to be lazy and use a couple of cliches) when "throwing out the baby with the bathwater" and fixing it when it ain't broken. But that usually grows out of a mind set of "change for the sake of change". But from what you're saying it sounds as if you guys are taking that into consideration and based on your track record here so far...... I'm on-board. I'm not worried about it. You guys have thought this out and will do what needs to be done. And I'm confident we'll like it. Mostly. As you said, you won't completely please everyone.LOL
We don't like did you change for the sake of change, and I am definitely adverse to trying to make things pretty over more usable.
I would rather use a website like craigslist that is easy to navigate and operate as a user, then to use something with a lot of fluff that may visually look better, but has poor user design.
There is a lot within our platform now that we aren't putting emphasis on or people don't even know about, and this is going to be solved in our new design.
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Like you said,Kyle, no one really likes change. But the changes I have seen at WA are always good. I don't understand everything at first but I will adjust.
The "Beta Screen" looks interesting and I am sure it will benefit all of us. Thanks for the preview of what is coming.
Bill