Understanding our customers
From the previous image the Understanding our competitors section, we have already got the basic information about who our users are from the discovery and planning stage. Don't get confused, it may seem like we are repeating the steps, but each UX process step is connected with another one, and, in some cases, you cannot prevent jumping back and forth through UX process stages, until you gather all the needed information to finalize a specific phase of the process.
All the UX process phases are connected with each other, almost for every step you will need to do some kind of analysis and research; it just depends on the level that you will need it for and the extent of your focus on it. To connect all the dots and have a clear understanding, analysis and research are required.
It is true that, nowadays, one of the biggest problems is that customers are losing interest in products quickly; this is because the business or corporation itself is losing sight of their customers. This usually happens because of the way they are organized, and that is the part that makes it hard for them to understand the customers' needs and expectations.
It is obvious that a lot of companies today try to do in-depth research about their users as much as they can. However, one thing that we cannot predict or know is how our customers' behavior with our digital product will change in the future. That is why we not only have to do research and take a look at the usability side, we also we need to try to understand how our digital world can change in the future.
In the UX strategy stage, you will need to keep in mind the following key components, because these are general things that you need to provide during this phase:
- Collect as much customer data as you can so that you will be able to guide the design team with those pieces of information
- Ensure that your UX team is aligned with the company's business strategy
- Understand your competitors, the market need, and the size of the target market
- Establish a road map that includes a prioritization schema and proposed schedule to introduce new features and capabilities
- Develop relationships with business leads across the company and explain to senior executives why user experience capabilities are a strategic asset to the organization
- Try to discover your UX strategy framework