2020. It’s finally here and it is a pretty big occasion – the end of a decade, but more so, a cultural milestone figure that has represented “the future” for an entire generation. Occasions like this are a time to reflect upon what we’ve accomplished over the past 10 years and to look forward to where we want to be in 10 more. Over the next week many of us will also be thinking about New Year’s Resolutions – the changes we want to make in our lives in 2020, creating weight loss plans, committing to diets and exercise programs, promising ourselves more “me time” and “family time,” along with quite a bit of self-reflection. These small progressions help us reach those loftier goals, and also serving a purpose of introspection.

As the year ends, businesses are putting the finishing touches on their strategic visions for the coming year, with firm plans on Q1 and an outline for the rest of the year. In those plans, there will be financial goals, customer acquisition targets, optimization plans, and hiring metrics. But I would also advocate that businesses need smaller goals – goals like resolutions that help drive them toward their bigger objectives. The one that is on my mind most frequently is User Experience, and there’s ample reasons you should as well.

Why? User Experience is your Brand. It’s the first impression most of your customers have of your company, and it’s the digital equivalent of your physical appearance every time they visit. They may not do it directly, but your customers make a micro-assessment every time they check in with you:

• Does this fit my purpose / will I enjoy my time here?
• Am I dealing with the right company to fulfill this need?
• Does this company align with my brand/beliefs/norms?
• As I grow and change, does this business still meet my needs, or change with me?

In technology years (general reference), using last years UX is the equivalent of wearing a 1970’s extra-wide tie – it could be retro and acceptable in certain situations – but it’s no longer the norm. Gartner reports that, on average, more advanced organizations, like FAANG companies, change their user experience in subtle ways daily based on experiential data, with minor overhauls or new features introduced 2 – 3 times a month, and major overhauls to a large portion of their content as often as every six months. And while your business may not be as big as Apple or Amazon, or have the traffic of a Facebook, Google, or Netflix – you can be certain that these companies have shaped the expectations of the customers who visit you.

But, these expectations present an opportunity for organizations to address new UX requirements in new ways, which is exactly the type of New Year’s Resolutions that your company should be creating. It goes without saying, but Thinking Differently really does require that a company, “Think. Differently” and that’s not always easy or even possible from inside the company. That’s where we can help.

Techolution’s UX Design Consultants have the experience, and the success stories in helping companies define engaging User Experience (UX) that drives customer happiness and revenue growth. Our experts work with your teams in creating easy to understand Information Architecture (IA) and eye-catching designs. Using a systematic approach, we get your teams to identify current pain points for immediate action, then develop a roadmap that adopts processes to encourage more innovative UX design. Finally, our consultants establish best practices for UX within your development pods, including common design libraries, templates, and more.

It’s 2020 – a whole new year, a whole new decade, and a whole new you. Doesn’t your business deserve the same? It’s time to start the conversation: contact any of the experts at Techolution to discuss your 2020 goals.