Phase 1: Business Objectives
Most organizations are in business to make money, not to make great user experiences. Even non-profit associations have organizational objectives that extend beyond providing great user experiences. Therefore, it is important to define the business or organizational objectives that are driving the UXE effort; this way your organization's investment in UXE can yield worthwhile return. Some examples of objectives include:
- An e-commerce Web site wants to reduce shopping cart abandonment rates.
- A medical device manufacturer wants to mitigate legal risks and meet FDA human factor requirements.
- A contact center wants to increase first-call resolution rates and cross-selling opportunities.
- A mobile phone manufacturer wants to break into the lucrative teen market by designing a messaging system that fits their social world.
Refining general statements like "increase sales" or "decrease costs" into specific objectives similar to those described above is the first step in a successful UXE effort. The next step is understanding the user through user research.
Work products: UXE Business Objective Statement, a short document that defines the business objectives for the UXE effort.