User experience stands for the quality of a global experience as perceived by a person (user) interacting with a system.
The product/service experience is based on an enduring complete relationship encompassing ALL usage moments, before, during and after buying the product: first encounter, discovery, ordering, installation, service, support, evolution, end of use.
The paradigm of user experience, defined quite recently, emerges from the notion of putting the user in the center of attention. User, and therefore a human being in all his/her aspects and not just as a Consumer or Customer.
For a long time the notion of “consumer/customer experience” has been restricted to the act of acquiring a product. Recently, the customer services allowed us to understand the importance of what comes afterwards. There had to come a shift in thinking to start considering the “customer” a “user” after buying the product.
For a long time the notion of “consumer/customer experience” has been restricted to the act of acquiring a product. Recently, the customer services allowed us to understand the importance of what comes afterwards. There had to come a shift in thinking to start considering the “customer” a “user” after buying the product.
Are user and consumer experience complimentary?
It we acknowledge that these two notions are complimentary, that user experience does not take into consideration business aspects and consumer experience usage aspects, shouldn’t we talk about “ConsUser experience” ?
But what is “ConsUser experience” ?
It’s a matter of reflection and creativity for experts in various domains (user interface design, interaction design, information design and architecture, usability professionals, human factor specialists...). They combine their expertise in order to:
. focus on customer needs and not product functionality;
. enhance brand experience with every interaction, and not only to communicate it;
. consider all interactions as a whole, between the client and the product/service AND between the clients themselves (communities);
. aim at simplicity and therefore plan the product’s or service’s life-cycle.
It we acknowledge that these two notions are complimentary, that user experience does not take into consideration business aspects and consumer experience usage aspects, shouldn’t we talk about “ConsUser experience” ?
But what is “ConsUser experience” ?
It’s a matter of reflection and creativity for experts in various domains (user interface design, interaction design, information design and architecture, usability professionals, human factor specialists...). They combine their expertise in order to:
. focus on customer needs and not product functionality;
. enhance brand experience with every interaction, and not only to communicate it;
. consider all interactions as a whole, between the client and the product/service AND between the clients themselves (communities);
. aim at simplicity and therefore plan the product’s or service’s life-cycle.
Developing all contact points as a whole
To offer a complete customer experience, a true “ConsUser experience”, we should not only consider the marketing aspects (customer category, age, professional situation), but try to create an added value.
In the mid-run a “brand advocate” is more profitable than a “good customer”. A company needs to strive for an optimal satisfaction of its customers, who will then become such “brand advocates”. To do this ALL the brand contact points must be considered.
For instance, for a large number of today’s web services (SaaS) the only point of contact is the application’s graphical interface. This notion revolutionizes the current marketing knowledge and makes the role of interface design essential and all-inclusive.
To offer a complete customer experience, a true “ConsUser experience”, we should not only consider the marketing aspects (customer category, age, professional situation), but try to create an added value.
In the mid-run a “brand advocate” is more profitable than a “good customer”. A company needs to strive for an optimal satisfaction of its customers, who will then become such “brand advocates”. To do this ALL the brand contact points must be considered.
For instance, for a large number of today’s web services (SaaS) the only point of contact is the application’s graphical interface. This notion revolutionizes the current marketing knowledge and makes the role of interface design essential and all-inclusive.
Design is so critical it should be on the agenda of every meeting in every single department.
Tom Peters,
2003
