Remember the User
by Stuart Martinez, UX Researcher @ Chewy
Empathy. We hear this word often in the field of user experience and everyone, at the very least, has a grasp of what it means. “How would our users feel about this change?” “What do our users think of this workflow?” For me, empathy is not specific to a project or initiative that results in any single or series of outputs but an ongoing effort that requires constant attention and evolution.
Where to begin…
We typically start with attempting to put ourselves in the shoes of the user. We can rely on our own professional backgrounds to avoid basic pain points and replicate successes. However, when we step back and deal with the same issues that our users do outside the context of the tools or services we offer, such as life events, it brings a deeper meaning. We can step out of the user experience and bridge into the human experience.
Meanwhile, at Chewy…
At Chewy, we offer a service that allows customers to purchase pet supplies, but acknowledge the fact that caring for a pet goes far beyond buying food, toys, and the like. Anyone who has cared for a pet is keenly aware of the emotions and experiences, both positive and negative, that accompany pet care. It’s certainly important for us to understand when our customers may feel overwhelmed by the amount of choices they have when purchasing food, or how the approach ordering a pet’s medicine to receive it in time. We also need to know what it’s like to experience the loss of a pet and the aftermath that accompanies this.
Chewy customers have the ability to set up a profile for pets in their account, documenting breed, weight, diet, and birth date. My first project at Chewy was examining how users with such a profile deal with it after the loss of a pet. Customers calling in expressed duress at the thought of deleting a profile, so the team decided to ease their experience. The resulting idea moved to design that allows users to archive instead of deleting a profile. As a blossoming crazy cat person, I appreciated this approach, but more importantly so did our users. It was a small adjustment, but one that requires time and effort. The death of a pet is an inevitable part of pet care and undoubtedly the toughest part of it. Offering the ability to soften the blow of losing a pet in any way possible is something I will appreciate some day, perhaps along with a card or some flowers.
What does this look like?
Customers can provide feedback in many ways. Calls to support, app feedback, social media, and product surveys are great sources, as are user interviews and usability testing. Documenting findings, regardless of the form they arrive in, is key to help identify trends, house historical data, and provide our successors with data to know where we’ve been and what we’ve learned. Whatever sources you draw from, the key is to never settle. User goals and expectations are constantly evolving. A single idea, release, or new product, can change the way a user shops or give way to a whole new segment. The human experience is not static, so to keep up with our users, the work to understand them must be a constant, ongoing effort.
Who can help?
Everyone, and I mean everyone, should always be thinking about their users. Every team member is accountable for the experience users have when using your product. Always be critical and recognize when assumptions are being made as those are valuable learning opportunities. Speak to users, and speak to them often, then let others know what you hear. Is this easy? Absolutely not. There are constantly deadlines to be met, issues that arise, and meetings to attend. Reliably documenting what we hear from users is a challenge in and of itself. However, to create something people love, knowing your user is work worth undertaking, and a goal all team members can play a role in achieving. Keep learning, listen for new ideas and insights, and at every step of the process always remember the user.
by Stuart Martinez
UX Researcher @ Chewy
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