Designing a Newsletter with User Delight in Mind: A Receptionist’s Perspective
How Understanding Resident Needs Led to a More Engaging and Informative Publication
As a receptionist at an assisted living facility, my role requires me to get to know the residents and their unique needs. Through my interactions with them, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of their behavior and the different types of residents we care for in our community. Despite not being a UX designer at the facility, I took on the initiative to approach the newsletter redesign as a content strategist and UX designer to ensure that it met the psychographic needs and preferences of our residents.
To redesign the newsletter, I considered the Three Pillars of User Delight as highlighted by the Nielsen Norman Group, which includes visceral, behavioral, and reflective delight. I kept in mind that our residents needed to be informed about community activities and events, as well as important health information like vaccine clinics. By building the newsletter around their needs and wants, I was able to create a more engaging and informative publication.
To achieve Visceral Delight, I added photos or images that sparked our residents’ interest and created a sense of delight. Behavioral Delight was achieved by placing the newsletter next to other handouts our residents usually pick up around the first of the month and designing it in a way that allowed residents to see images on the front page. This made it more accessible and sparked their interest. Finally, Reflective Delight was achieved by designing a newsletter that reflected the needs and wants of our residents. This resulted in a product that truly engaged and delighted the readers.
By taking on the role of content strategist and UX designer, I was able to create a newsletter that met the needs of our residents and made them feel more connected to their community. This is a prime example of how User Research is essential to any product or design development and how understanding and being empathetic toward people can lead to successful design solutions.
I recognize that there is still more research to be done to better understand the long-term needs of our residents and how we can improve their experience living here. As a long-term care facility, it’s important for us to continuously evaluate how we can enhance their mental health and overall well-being. By conducting further user research and gathering feedback from our residents, we can identify areas for improvement and work together as a community to make meaningful changes. This can include improving the amenities and activities available to them, as well as enhancing the design of their living spaces to better suit their needs.
In conclusion, redesigning the newsletter has taught me the importance of prioritizing the needs and preferences of our residents. I look forward to exploring further ways to enhance their experience living in our community.
