Intentional Design: A comprehensive approach to creating optimal user experiences
The world of product design enjoys debating and discussing what the best method is for building ideal customer experiences. These processes include: “design thinking,” “user-centered design,” “human-centered design,” “person-centered design,” “goal-directed design,” “jobs to be done,” and many others. New methods come along and are discussed as the next evolution in the design process (see “humanity-centered design”). My years of applying these processes have shown that intentionality matters most.
“Intentional Design” encompasses any collection of design methods applied with deliberate intention to every aspect of the product experience. Nothing is left to chance; gut instincts are validated, and every decision is recognized for its impact on the user. The best design process, without intentionality as the foundation, will not lead to optimal outcomes. While most descriptions of intentional design rightly emphasize considering users early and often, this alone is not enough. Intentional design must take on a more rigorous, broad, and diverse approach. It involves adopting a socio-technical view of the environment, understanding risk, and truly comprehending users’ cognitive, behavioral, and physical abilities and needs.
At ZAIDYN®, our Intentional Design efforts assume:
Everyone is an experience designer
An important consideration for our product teams is that we recognize that every person on the team is an experience designer. Every choice that is made during the design, development, planning, and installation of a product influences the experience that a customer/user will have. All decisions can have a direct or indirect impact on the user.
Hidden cognitive taxes add up quickly
Our product designers recognize that users can face different types of burdens while using a product. The most frequently discussed are physical burdens (e.g., clicks) and sensory burdens (e.g., readability). We also consider the impact of cognitive burden. Cognitive burden creates a “mental tax” on users and can have a greater impact on decision-making, efficiency, and overall satisfaction than physical or sensory burdens in software. Our design methods consider this burden and ensure that we are not increasing cognitive burden as we seek to minimize the physical and sensory burden in our products.
A truly accessible, inclusive experience does not happen by chance
The goal of accessible and inclusive design goes beyond merely meeting established standards for accessibility. It aims to create an equally positive experience for all users, regardless of their abilities. Accessible design elevates the experience for all users, regardless of whether they have a permanent disability. An Intentional Design approach identifies and considers ‘situational disabilities’ such as a sales rep using a tablet while walking in sunlight to meet a healthcare provider. At any given time, all users can experience physical, sensory, and cognitive challenges that an intentionally designed product can address.
Goals are more important than features
While features are frequently discussed, at ZAIDYN, our intentional approach emphasizes the understanding and focusing on how well our products help users achieve their goals. Clients often compare features when selecting a product, but the ultimate measure of a product’s value is how well its features help achieve their goals. Our Intentional Design efforts prioritize goals as the driving factor.
The system matters
Our ZAIDYN Intentional Design approach recognizes that no action or task happens in a vacuum and is part of a broader system of people, practices, technology, and culture. Every design challenge can benefit from approaches that address complex socio-technical system problems. The human element must be considered alongside the interactions between system components and the competing demands of various stakeholders.
If something can go wrong…
Because of the variability of human behavior, it’s impossible to predict everything that could go wrong during use of a system. However, we must still anticipate potential issues and implement design mitigations to address them. We leverage our knowledge of human factors to understand the risks of human error that can lead to problems and design to reduce the chances and impact of these errors.
Helper philosophy makes the difference
We frequently ask ourselves “What would make this the most helpful for the user?” Then, we challenge ourselves to ensure the tool is not only easy to use but also acts as a helpful assistant to the user. We call this our ‘Helper Philosophy’ which puts the emphasis on identifying what the product can do that would be most helpful for the user. It is especially important to use this approach as we continue to integrate AI into our products in an intentional way for the service of the user.
Design that helps clients meet their business goals and addresses users’ needs doesn’t happen by accident. It requires an elevated, systems-focused, risk-based, goal-directed approach. This is the foundation of our ZAIDYN product experience design.
This article reflects my personal views. They do not necessarily represent any official position of ZS.
