DESIGN http://plexable.com/ en Building a brand for your mobile app http://plexable.com/building-brand-your-mobile-app <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Building a brand for your mobile app</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Tue, 10/18/2022 - 21:33</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The mobile app scene has been extremely vibrant in recent years.</p> <p>Experts describe <a href="http://www.businessofapps.com/data/app-statistics/">the mobile apps ecosystem</a> as a 10-year-old industry with millions of app developers and billions of smartphone users.</p> <p>By 2022, the number of mobile app downloads worldwide is expected to reach <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/1002/mobile-app-usage/">258.2 bn</a>.</p> <p>Between Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Windows Store, there are over <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/1002/mobile-app-usage/">4.5 million apps</a> in the market, which indicates a high level of competition for users’ attention.</p> <p>In such a context, it is extremely crucial to stand out, and that is where the role of mobile app branding comes in.</p> <p>In this post, we will first explain to the most novice what mobile app branding means, and then we will get to the business and describe the main elements of a mobile app branding strategy.</p> <p><img alt="mobile apps branding" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8b1972c7-4da7-4106-9d1d-0ea691e6ecc2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/4-%20Logo-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><b>What is Mobile App Branding?</b></p> <p>Branding means promoting a product or company with a distinctive design, image, name, or style that differentiates them from others.</p> <p>Similarly, mobile app branding includes the imagery, communication style, and reputation surrounding a mobile app.</p> <p>Without strong branding, even the best quality apps with the most amazing development and design efforts can fail and end up buried in a sea of better branded apps.</p> <p><img alt="What is Mobile App Branding?" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="94905d88-7ed2-4ee7-87e2-06125861db26" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/1-%20What%20is%20mobile%20app%20branding%3F-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><b>Mobile App Branding Strategy</b></p> <p>A successful mobile app branding strategy should cover many aspects, namely name, logo, slogan, tone, colors and typography, media, landing pages, and personalization and onboarding.</p> <p><img alt="Mobile App Branding Strategy" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="123e4b5f-dac0-4b56-b685-969e5d0b0f3e" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2-%20Mobile%20app%20branding%20strategy-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p>Name</p> <p>The first thing you need to verify about the name you choose for your mobile app is its availability, not only on the app store of your choosing, but also as a domain name.</p> <p>You also need to check whether the name you chose is already used somewhere for another brand or product.</p> <p>A mobile name app needs to be simple to remember, yet convey what the app offers as best as possible.</p> <p><img alt="Mobile app brand name" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d71c00b-92e3-4947-ad34-8996a128b7a6" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/3-%20Brand%20Name-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p>Logo</p> <p>A logo is the visual representation of your app.</p> <p>It can be an image, artistic lettering of your brand’s name or acronym or a combination of both.</p> <p>The particularity of mobile app logos is their use as app icons as well, which are typically featured in small spaces.</p> <p>Designing a mobile app logo should therefore take into account app icon space constraints, and aim for a simple logo that would be clearly displayed even on small spaces.</p> <p><img alt="Mobile app logo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="82d8dcc2-57a8-4462-87c5-507a1f8a9808" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/4-%20Logo-01_0.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p>Slogan</p> <p>A slogan is a necessary element of any marketing campaign, conveying exactly what the product offers to its users.</p> <p>You might not use this slogan in the app itself, but it will definitely have a key place in your mobile app branding efforts elsewhere on the Web.</p> <p>Bonus points if the slogan is catchy and easy to remember.</p> <p><img alt="Mobile app slogan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cc434a1d-c0f0-46b4-9805-62aef769dbaf" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/5-%20Slogan-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p>Other elements</p> <p>Other equally important components of a mobile app branding strategy are the choice of voice (whether you want to sound formal or informal), the choice of colors and typography, and the use of media such as images, video content, and animations.</p> <p>Landing pages are also of key importance for the app’s branding, as they can be the first point of contact with your app, and can therefore play a role in creating lasting positive first impressions</p> <p>Finally, personalization and onboarding, which are user experience processes aimed at helping users find their way around your app and ultimately solve the issue they came to you with, also represent a good opportunity to use all the other branding elements, including logos, color choices, slogans, etc.</p> <p><img alt="mobile app other elements" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="feccee82-74ef-4252-8416-56523519f4c5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/6-%20Other%20elements-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><b>Conclusion</b></p> <p>Ensuring consistency among all of the above elements is a crucial part of a successful mobile app branding strategy.</p> <p>A successful branding strategy will ensure that your app will have a place in the market.</p> <p>With worldwide mobile app revenue expected to reach <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/1002/mobile-app-usage/">188.9 bn USD in 2020</a>, there is definitely a lot at stake, and branding can play a key role in the market.</p> <p><img alt="Mobile app brand" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f0d1823-e4df-4c4c-9adc-c83355cfed89" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/7-%20Conclusion-01.png" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /></p> <p> </p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2022-10-18T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Tue, 10/18/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">Hamza Jilani</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/257/edit" hreflang="en">Cover-01.png</a></div> </div> Tue, 18 Oct 2022 18:33:51 +0000 webmaster 75 at http://plexable.com HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND http://plexable.com/humanize-your-brand <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Thu, 08/25/2022 - 13:34</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Back in the seventies, when friends were actually people you knew, tweets were just bird sound and “#” was just a symbol for a number. Businesses and brands only interacted with people when a transaction takes place, and that was it. But, now brands cannot disconnect from customers if they want to succeed and sell. However, brands have to do more than a facebook page and promotional adverts.</p> <p>Humans like to interact with people who share the same problems, understand their frustrations. That’s why we need to start personalizing brands in the most significant way that adapts with the business goals and culture. Brand personality isn’t just a motto or a logo, it’s how the brand communicates and act. With the development of technology and the predictions of user’s behaviour you can add humanistic touches in the customer experience, to do that you have to carefully narrate your business story.</p> <h3>Eliminate Assumptions</h3> <p>We start with this phase, in which we research and understand the potential customers. We like to ask ourselves questions like who are we targeting to learn more about their demographics, psychographics their needs and goals. Because the personality of a brand targeting a group of teenagers is different from a brand that is targeting moms or housewives.</p> <p><img alt="Eliminate assumptions" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6141f32e-3367-46db-a54b-afc15d08fe82" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/560a59f512d36_phpw44.jpg" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /></p> <h3>You And Your Brand Are Two Different Things</h3> <p>Many of our clients come to us with the idea that their business personality is a reflection of their personalities in real life. That’s why we always. ALWAYS. recommend them to separate their lives from the brand Which leads to a rich, helpful brand for the targeted audience and brands naturally can shift their identities away from the founders perspectives.</p> <h3>Develop A Path</h3> <p>To know your strategy you have to alter your brand from abstract to a real person! Now, that we know facts about the audience, their goals and frustrations we need to fill the gap between your business and their lives. Start describing your brands with adjectives, E.g: Pepsi, Young, lively, rich, cool, outgoing, fun and such.</p> <p><img alt="Develop A Path" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec75a476-53d2-4216-9c14-ff275cd485e4" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/560a5ce2a8542_jv6hiw.jpg" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /></p> <h3>The What And How</h3> <p>What does your brand do, what are your services and how would your brand talk when advertising the service? These are the most important elements of the brand strategy it can be formal or humorous, intimidating or caring based on the service or products. Look at H&amp;M the brand is simple, young and caring the products stay the same.</p> <p>All your communication now is built on a real personality, that will reflect on the communication and all output for the brand. To know more about your brand direction and get a full guideline, contact us.</p> <p><img alt="The What And How" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7111f950-e809-4f8c-b663-4aea8ca17af8" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/560a62462fd02_w9p068.jpg" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2016-02-01T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Mon, 02/01/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">Hamza Jilani</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/254/edit" hreflang="en">560a5ecd506a9_qsh29l.jpg</a></div> </div> Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:34:41 +0000 webmaster 73 at http://plexable.com UX IN E-COMMERCE http://plexable.com/ux-e-commerce <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">UX IN E-COMMERCE</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Thu, 08/25/2022 - 13:30</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><h3><strong>THE IMPACT OF UX (USER EXPERIENCE) ON INCREASING E-COMMERCE WEBSITE CONVERSIONS.</strong></h3> <p>One of the hidden treasures lately uncovered in the e-commerce industry is <strong>UX Design</strong> Technology, and how it’s directly linked to the successful outcome of any <strong>E-commerce</strong> website.</p> <p>That’s why we are seeing thousands of <strong>E-commerce </strong>companies, heavily investing and applying <strong>UX Design</strong> technology in their day-to-day practice; because it helps their websites generate more traffic, and ultimately increase their overall conversion rates.</p> <p>Nowadays; it seems not enough to take your business online, without being fully informed of the <strong>E-commerce</strong> industry’s inner workings and hidden ropes; especially with other major players in the back scene, such as <strong>E-commerce</strong> website: Amazon.com &amp; Alibaba.com.</p> <p>Learning about <strong>UX Design</strong> technology is crucial when it comes to running an e-commerce business; as it’s effectively proven to increase your <strong>E-commerce</strong> websites <strong>conversion rates</strong>; because it implements advanced SEO (<strong>Search Engine Optimization) </strong>Strategies and Techniques, to help your website:</p> <ul><li>Achieve <strong>higher rankings</strong> in search engine results.</li> <li>Generate more</li> <li>Maintain positive Customer <strong>Satisfaction</strong> and <strong>Loyalty</strong></li> </ul><p>Here are a few of the Best (UX Design Practices) to help e-commerce companies achieve higher conversion rates:</p> <ul><li><strong>It’s all about Speed!</strong></li> </ul><p>Even though <strong>UX design</strong> cares about the visual aspect and aesthetics of the website as much as the performance; we see most successful websites like Alibaba.com and Souq.com leaning more towards utilizing the functional elements of <strong>UX design </strong>over the design elements, to ensure their website performance and speed is up to par. A study conducted by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/">Amazon</a> discovered that a 1 second delay in page loading would cost them 1.6 Billion dollars in a year.</p> <ul><li><strong>It’s also about Navigation!</strong></li> </ul><p>Now we got our website up and running and we’re happy with the speed, but it’s no use if the customer can’t easily find what they’re looking for, most customers are impatient, the average user will leave your website if they don’t immediately find what they’re looking for, therefore, it’s important to create a navigational menu that will easily guide the customers to other important attractions and offerings on your website to help with up-selling, live bots or live chat boxes might be helpful to make the customer feel more at home.</p> <ul><li><strong>The one page checkout!</strong></li> </ul><p>A one page checkout can be great for your online store, but can also be a double edged sword if not organized properly and has information overload. An organized checkout page is generally faster, but the customers also like to have the option of double-checking orders, it’s important that you find a medium where you have a seamless enjoyable checkout process but the customers can trust at the same time.</p> <ul><li><strong>Are you following the latest UX Design trends?</strong></li> </ul><p>Follow up on the latest <strong>UX Design tools &amp; Trends</strong> available on the market, such as: <a href="https://moqups.com/">Moqups.com</a> &amp; <a href="https://wireframe.cc/">Wireframe</a> to help personalize the digital experience for your customers.</p> <p>Can you imagine not so long ago, we were selling goods and services on the back of our horse wheeled wagons; now technologies such as <strong>UX Design</strong> might actually allow us to touch our favorite products through our Tablets! Or teleport into a virtual Online Store someday! That’s how I like to envision the future of <strong>UX design</strong> in the e-commerce industry. A hassle free next generation shopping experience!</p> <h2><strong>IN A NUTSHELL,</strong></h2> <p><strong>It’s really about your customers. </strong>Startups and entrepreneurs need to take advantage of this rapidly evolving UX-Design Technology, and exert all efforts in understanding their consumer’s behaviors online, and fine-tune their products in accordance with their customer’s needs, by viewing their websites from the User’s Lens, and conceptualizing their Unique Image Online, at every stage of their e-commerce business life cycle.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2018-04-10T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Tue, 04/10/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12" hreflang="en">UX UI</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2" hreflang="en">BUSINESS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" hreflang="en">COMMUNICATIONS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/11" hreflang="en">STRATEGY</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">Hamza Jilani</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/252/edit" hreflang="en">the-impact-of-ux.jpg</a></div> </div> Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:30:49 +0000 webmaster 71 at http://plexable.com GAMIFICATION: TAKE YOUR UX TO THE NEXT LEVEL http://plexable.com/gamification-take-your-ux-next-level <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">GAMIFICATION: TAKE YOUR UX TO THE NEXT LEVEL</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Wed, 08/24/2022 - 02:19</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><h2><b>GAMIFYING YOUR UX: A FUN WAY TO ENGAGE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE</b><br />  </h2> <h2> </h2> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bb430a3d-dc1a-45c6-a768-ff3e087434c9" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/1-Gamifying%20Your%20UX-01.png" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><h2> </h2> <h2> </h2> <p>A great user experience (UX) design is characterized by ease of use and lack of complexity. Add an element of fun to this combination and you have yourself a UX that will draw customers to you and guarantee long-term customer loyalty.</p> <p>Everyone likes a little challenge, especially if there’s some kind of reward that comes with it. That’s ultimately the appeal of video games. You shoot down all the zombies you can find until you’re crowned savior of the world—it’s quite satisfying. The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction we get when we achieve a goal is something that many big businesses like Nissan or McDonalds have used to their advantage. Namely, they draw users’ attention to their products in the form of games.</p> <p>Gamifying your UX will not only turn heads, but it’ll also ensure that your clients keep using your products; gone will be concern about customer churn! Additionally, you’ll make customers feel like they’re a part of a community and that they’re adding value to the company through their interactions. If you want your business to be more “user-centered,” then gamification is a great first step.</p> <h2><b>THREE SIMPLE WAYS TO GAMIFY YOUR UX WITH EXAMPLES</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="15f5d245-bafd-4918-a18b-b966cdf70380" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2-Simple%20Ways%20to%20Gamify-01.png" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>There are a lot of ways you can add a gaming element to your UX without turning it into a fully-fledged video game. In fact, you can create a thrilling gaming experience for your users by incorporating a few simple elements that’ll add a sense of challenge. What better way to explore your options than to learn from the very best? Here are three great examples of easy approaches businesses have used to gamify their UX.</p> <h3><strong>1) NIKE’S “NIKEFUEL” → THE ELEMENT OF COMPETITION AND THE SATISFACTION OF COMPLETING A TASK</strong></h3> <p>Nike provides a good example of how to implement friendly competition into your UX design in a way that keeps your users engaged and coming back for more.</p> <p>In addition to tracking and measuring users’ activity, the NikeFuel app allows users to set daily fitness goals for themselves while also providing positive feedback and motivation. The user’s physical activity is transcribed into points, which, in turn, unlock special trophies, badges, and levels. Users can compare their progress with others by checking the leaderboard.</p> <p>Give your users a sense of competition by adding a leaderboard that allows them to compete with other users and track their progress. You can do this by including a tool they can use for comparison, such as a points system, badges, or leveling up. Completing tasks is a rewarding experience in and of itself.</p> <h3><strong>2) STARBUCK’S “MY STARBUCKS REWARDS” → IMPLEMENTING A REWARD SYSTEM</strong></h3> <p>Starbucks is well-known for investing heavily in customer and employee engagement and loyalty. Starbucks exemplified how to transform a mundane loyalty stamp card system into something more rewarding and fun.</p> <p>Every purchase a person makes earns him or her stars, which are redeemable for a wide variety of awards: free refills, free food, pre-ordering, and more. There is a clever strategy underlying this approach. Not only does the program encourage customers to purchase more to acquire stars, but the rewards encourage them to try and get hooked on new products. Talk about impeccable marketing!</p> <p>When users are gifted tangible rewards (and not just in-app, virtual ones), it encourages them to commit to your company. Adding a reward system can secure your customers’ loyalty and bring home the big bucks.</p> <h3><strong>3) SAMSUNG’S “SAMSUNG NATION” → CREATING A COMMUNITY</strong></h3> <p>We all want to feel like we belong somewhere, and Samsung Nation capitalizes on this urge. Essentially, it’s a social community of comprised of experts on all things Samsung, Samsung newbies, and everyone in between.</p> <p>A ranking system is used such that you move up in ranks according to how much you participate in Q&amp;As, discussions, and product reviews. Users are awarded badges of achievement for every contribution they make in the community.</p> <p>Samsung is using gamification in a way that fosters customer engagement, by encouraging users to provide feedback on products and interact on discussion boards.</p> <p>Rich content like this allows customers to feel heard by other members of the community and motives them to help others.</p> <h2><b>ONE LAST THING: DON’T FORCE GAMIFICATION</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bf007fe7-19c4-4ab1-98e0-715bea754dd7" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/3-Don%E2%80%99t%20Force%20Gamification-01.png" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p><b>CONCLUSION</b></p> <p>Gamification isn’t for everyone and it certainly doesn’t fit every business goal or audience out there. Before gamifying, you should ask yourself, “Will this offer a solution to a problem that my target audience is facing? Will my target audience have the time to take on these missions or challenges? Do all users have to participate, or should I leave it as an optional feature?”</p> <p>A gamified UX could be just as fun as it is awkward. so make sure the gamification approach is appropriate for your business and your target audience.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2022-08-24T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Wed, 08/24/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">Hamza Jilani</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/248/edit" hreflang="en">Cover-01-min.jpg</a></div> </div> Tue, 23 Aug 2022 23:19:46 +0000 webmaster 65 at http://plexable.com FOUR PHASES OF GREAT PRODUCT DESIGN PROCESS http://plexable.com/four-phases-great-product-design-process <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">FOUR PHASES OF GREAT PRODUCT DESIGN PROCESS</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Wed, 08/24/2022 - 02:06</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When it comes to creating astounding products, it’s all about finding the right features and specs to include in your product that competitors don’t have. But it’s easier said than done. Following through these phases of the product design process will help you end up with a product that both you and your users will appreciate.</p> <h2>PHASE ONE: DISCOVERING YOUR PRODUCT</h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="adaed83f-64c0-47c2-9f8e-ada4ddafcbdc" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Phase%201-01.png" class="align-center" width="1875" height="1154" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>It’s tempting to move directly to the “Design Phase” of the whole process, but patience is often what distinguishes a mediocre product from an amazing one. Jumping into the Design Phase won’t do you any good when you have no idea ​for whom​ or ​why​ you’re creating this particular product. This takes us to the subject of defining the vision you have for your product as well as setting up small goals to get to that vision.</p> <h3>PRODUCT VISION AND STRATEGY</h3> <p>Having a clear vision keeps you focused and helps set you and your team in the right direction instead of making baseless decisions with your eyes closed and crossed fingers. Setting up a strategy is of the same importance; it helps you get to your vision and identify the milestones and challenges you may encounter on your way there.</p> <h3>CREATING A USER-CENTERED PRODUCT</h3> <p>How will you know what makes a great a product when you don’t know who your audience is or what they need? The simple and obvious answer is to conduct user-research. This can be done in many ways; interviews, online surveys, field studies, etc. Consider this one of the most crucial steps in the designing process, as it helps pinpoint who your target audience is and what their problems are in the specific area. Don’t hesitate from doing follow-up interviews if you lack certain information during the first round of interviews, it’ll give you the opportunity to dig deeper into the subject matter, and who knows? Maybe you’ll make interesting discoveries and gather useful information in the second round.</p> <h3>KNOWING WHO YOU’RE UP AGAINST</h3> <p>Let’s face the harsh truth here: we live in a competitive world and everyone’s trying their best to reach the top of the food chain with all the big guys like Apple, Google, Nike and so on, it is not only you. To avoid experiencing depleting sales and missed opportunities, competitors in the business market like to conduct what we call a “competitor analysis”. They make a spreadsheet of competitors who have the same exact value proposition or audience as theirs, look for failing and successful strategies and missing solutions in the market and then use the gathered data to come up with a unique strategy that’ll fit their own vision. Doing this will help you figure out where you stand in the market and come up with innovative solutions and ideas for your product.</p> <h2>PHASE TWO: SHARING YOUR FINDINGS</h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="495278d5-0a5d-467a-9c0b-7754efbe1356" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Phase%202-01.png" class="align-center" width="1875" height="1154" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>You’re probably very excited and hyped up about all the information you gathered and the discoveries you’ve made. Maybe ​now​ you’ll move on to the “Designing Phase”. Not so fast, ever seen a company with a clueless team that has no idea what they’re creating, doing or aiming for? There’s plenty of them, and you don’t want to be a part of that. This is why sharing your finding with your team and keeping them updated on every single detail will keep everyone on the same page and on the right track.</p> <h3>COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TEAM</h3> <p>Don’t ever skip on communication! Your vision may be the driving force of your product, but your team will help you make it happen. When you all don’t share the same goals and vision, you’ll end up going in circles, which will result in a product that’ll both take ages to finish and feel disorganized to your users. Furthermore, don’t let your team stand on the sidelines, get them involved and keep them motivated.</p> <h3>KEEPING A CONSTANT REMINDER NEARBY</h3> <p>One way to do this, something a lot of companies and businesses do, is to create a persona of your ideal user or customer and keep it somewhere accessible where everyone in the team, including you, can see it; for example, hanging a poster of the persona, with their thought-up traits, needs and goals, on the wall. Another way to go about this is to create a User Journey Map; it’s a diagram that shows the different phases the user goes through before, during and after using the product. Whichever method you use will help remind everyone what audience the product will appeal to and also aid in creating a user-centered product.</p> <h2>PHASE THREE: BRAINSTORMING</h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1d492d8-545e-4c66-840d-defe99ee9d78" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Phase%203-01.png" class="align-center" width="1875" height="1154" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Now that you and your team members have a clear understanding of your goals and vision, it’s time to figure out what the basic features of your product are by brainstorming. This is also a good time to sift out the bad ideas and deduce different possible solutions other than the ones you already have by running validation tests.</p> <h3>SKETCHING</h3> <p>Remember one of your first biggest accomplishments when you were three? Drawing a picture of a big tree in the middle of the page. Well, here’s your chance to relive that childhood, except this time it’s for professional purposes. Sketching is the easiest and quickest way to visualize your ideas, just grab a pencil and paper and bring out your inner three-year-old! It’s an effective way to discuss ideas with your team members and shows you what features work and which ones don’t work. Not only that, but you’ll also be giving your visual designers a clearer idea of how you want your product to look like.</p> <h2>PHASE FOUR: TEST YOUR PRODUCT</h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5337fed0-b56d-467c-bd97-c6f294fc102f" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Phase%204-01.png" class="align-center" width="1875" height="1154" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Congratulations! You’ve moved on to the Design Phase, in which your product development team will implement the concepts, ideas and features you came up with throughout the whole product design process. This is where you put everything together and have a group of users try it out to see if it fulfils its purpose.<br /> Prototyping and iterating on the prototype will allow you to recognize certain aspects of the design you didn’t notice and you’ll also be testing it on a group of target users. After having users test it, you gather feedback and see what’s working and what isn’t.</p> <p>When all that’s done, you go back and do it again, but this time the prototype is more refined and the problems identified the first time have been taken care of. You keep iterating on the prototype until you get to a final version that’s nearly exactly how you want it to look and feel. This final version of the prototype is what you will launch to the public.</p> <h3>THE TAKEAWAY</h3> <p>Product design is a never-ending process; you will continuously have to do research, test and iterate to make sure existing problems don’t recur. Always remember that the product you’re developing is for people, and not for you. With this idea in mind throughout the whole process, you’re bound to create something people will love and find useful.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2018-12-24T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Mon, 12/24/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">SARAMON</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/247/edit" hreflang="en">Cover-01-01.png</a></div> </div> Tue, 23 Aug 2022 23:06:39 +0000 webmaster 64 at http://plexable.com BAD DESIGN HURTS http://plexable.com/bad-design-hurts <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">BAD DESIGN HURTS</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Wed, 08/24/2022 - 02:06</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Your profit and revenue hinges on your customers’ impression of your website design, especially if you’re a business. With derivative logos and unoriginal designs, bad design could easily make you lose more users than you’d bargained for, which would eventually take its toll on your sales.</p> <p>Here’s a number of ways bad design can really hurt your business:</p> <h2><b>1) YOU LOSE USERS</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9aa54b53-f48c-4f34-9922-ff5405f1d523" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/1-%20You%20Lose%20Users.jpg" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>When your users can’t navigate your website because of your overly complex menu bar, they will eventually quit trying. Instead, they’ll just go find another business whose website allows them to at least find the menu bar or just isn’t annoyingly slow. A design that is impossible to figure out and unusable won’t be able to hold users’ interest for too long. You’ll be saying goodbye to clients before you even get their attention.</p> <h2><b>2) YOUR SALES DECREASE</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3c6109ae-246a-4ea5-a2d7-e2706cb7c10b" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2-%20Your%20Sales%20Decrease.jpg" class="align-center" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p>Customers aren’t exactly rational about their decisions. They won’t decide to give your product another chance in spite of the horrible design. For that matter, clients heavily rely on their feelings when making these decisions; if your design makes them feel anything but content or makes them annoyed in any way, you can forget getting any kind of profit out of them.</p> <h2><b>3) YOU HURT YOUR BRAND</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d8eccc7f-95d5-4cfb-802a-23afbbefbc5a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/3-%20You%20Hurt%20Your%20Brand.jpg" class="align-center" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Brand is your company’s voice, persona and reputation. A way you can showcase your brand is through design; bad design can result in your brand taking a big hit. When clients see poor design, they will immediately make negative associations, generalizations and impressions of your business, this will badly hurt your brand and company’s public image. No one likes a company that preaches quality when even their website is far from a fair level of it.</p> <h2><b>4) YOU LOSE MONEY</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2c6998a8-311d-4eb0-a552-b7ccfacc7fc3" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/4-%20You%20Lose%20Money.jpg" class="align-center" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Building and rebuilding a website will cost you an arm and a leg, so make sure you do the best you can to make it right the first time. Prototyping, testing and getting feedback from users means that you’ll be able to stave off any possible problems with the design in the future. Skipping these vital steps means customers will file complaints and become dissatisfied with your product, which also means you’ll have to go back to square one and pay extra money for implementing fixes you could’ve done early on rather than months later after all the complaints start to flood in.</p> <h2><b>5) YOU HURT YOUR SEO</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ecfad1ce-4f4b-4aec-8824-03a53109bd46" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/5-%20You%20Hurt%20Your%20SEO.jpg" class="align-center" width="900" height="554" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Writing great content for your website while using key words and phrases that will put you on the top of Google’s search results can only get you so far. You’re not doing your customers any favors when you use tacky animation or add stock images that don’t even match the message you’re trying to send. Maybe you write great blogs, sure, but when you can’t connect with your customers through design, or worse, they think you don’t care enough to keep your website updated, no one’s going to bother to link to your website or make mention of it on any social media outlet. When you can’t get people to mention or link to your website, you can write all you want, your SEO is <i>still</i> going to suffer.</p> <h2><b>6) NEGATIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT</b></h2> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aac7918f-66b4-4202-b48d-08ea7549c6f3" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/6-%20Negative%20Return%20on%20Investment-01.jpg" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Many experts say that one of the main causes of negative return on investment (or ROI) is spending too little on maintenance. You can probably guess what that means for a horribly maintained and outdated website. According to research conducted by Design Management Institute and Motif Strategies on the impact of design, they found that businesses that prioritize design and go out of their way to create a user-centered design earned the highest return on investment; think Apple, Nike and Starbucks. However, companies that didn’t prioritize design had to try even harder to gain their customers’ and investors’ trust as well as gain influence in general. Of course, this led them to blow their money on something else they thought they could make a good investment in, when little did they know, that their design was all they had to improve to make their business more recognizable.</p> <h3><b>BAD DESIGN SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN LIGHTLY…</b></h3> <h3>BAD DESIGN COULD COST YOU A LOT MORE THAN JUST A HORRIBLE LOOKING WEBSITE OR LOGO, BUT ALSO YOUR CUSTOMERS’ RESPECT, LEADS AND SALES. THE DESIGN PROCESS MAY TAKE A LONG TIME, BUT IT’S WORTH THE WAIT IF IT MEANS YOU’LL IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES WITH POTENTIAL CLIENTS AND GIVES YOU A STEADY INCREASE IN SALES FOR A VERY LONG TIME.</h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2018-12-23T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Sun, 12/23/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3" hreflang="en">COMMUNICATIONS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/11" hreflang="en">STRATEGY</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12" hreflang="en">UX UI</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2" hreflang="en">BUSINESS</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">SARASUN</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/246/edit" hreflang="en">COVER.jpg</a></div> </div> Tue, 23 Aug 2022 23:06:39 +0000 webmaster 63 at http://plexable.com THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO A/B TESTING http://plexable.com/beginners-guide-to-ab-testing <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO A/B TESTING</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span lang="" about="/user/1" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">webmaster</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden">Wed, 08/24/2022 - 01:59</span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ever feel like you hit a brick wall when it comes to designing your perfect website? It seems that even after conducting usability tests, you just can’t quite put your finger on what it is that isn’t getting you enough subscribers or users.</p> <p>Maybe it isn’t usability or user experience that’s causing the problem, what if it’s the layout, the images you’re using or the pricing on your website?</p> <p>But how do you test that? A not-so-secret weapon online business pros use is A/B Testing.</p> <h2><strong>WHAT’S A/B TESTING?</strong></h2> <p>In short, A/B Testing is making two versions of one element in your design and seeing which one gets you better results.</p> <p>For example, it’s like testing to see if the ‘SUBSCRIBE’ button written in upper-case letters gets you more subscribers than the ‘subscribe’ button written in lower-case letters. If you find out that the ‘SUBSCRIBE’ button gets you more clicks than the other ‘subscribe’ button, then you’ll simply go for the better option.</p> <p>The way it works is that you make two versions of one design, one is the design you’re already using, which is design ‘A’, and the new design you want to test, which is design ‘B’. You run both of them at the same time, then you divide your live traffic between the two and see where both versions take you. After a sufficient amount of time, you compare the analyses of the two versions and see which one gets you more clicks or subscribers.</p> <p>Alright, so now you know the basic idea behind A/B Testing, <strong>but what good will this do for your business?</strong></p> <p>The first obvious benefit of A/B Testing is that it will help you figure out the ideal marketing strategy for your product or company. Also, you’ll have a clearer understanding of your target market and what catches their attention the most. With that said, it’ll become easier for you to make decisions regarding design and you won’t even have to take it out for a test run because you’ll know what gets your users going… or buying in this case.</p> <p>Now the question remains, <strong>how do you go about A/B Testing without messing it up?</strong></p> <h2><strong>SO YOU WANT TO RUN AN EFFECTIVE A/B TEST? ASK YOURSELF THESE 4 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS…</strong></h2> <h3><strong>Q1: WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?</strong></h3> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f447622d-4f3c-435b-9cc6-eb4db9fa02f6" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Q1_0.jpg" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p>As tempting as it is to just start testing right away, you need to make sure you have a plan worked out. How will you know what ‘good’ results are to you when you don’t even know what you want exactly? Therefore, it’s crucial that you have a clear idea of what kind of results you’re looking for before you start. To do that, you need to figure out what kind of results you’re getting now, what kind of results you want to see, and list the objectives of the test.</p> <p>Another important thing you should look into is what A/B Testing tool suits your needs the most. There are many testing tools out there for you to check out, some are even for free; there’s Google Optimize, CrazyEgg, Optimizely, etc. Don’t be afraid to explore your options!</p> <h3><strong>Q2: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TEST EXACTLY?</strong></h3> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="896af31b-b949-4d5c-9de3-58a72779f053" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Q2_0.jpg" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p>This question should be answered based on the list of objectives you made during ‘the planning phase’. You first need to identify whether you’re planning on running an off-site or on-site test. If you want to test an ad design or marketing copy or anything that happens anywhere <em>outside</em> your website, then that’s off-site testing. However, if you’re testing the headlines or any kind of graphic you use to direct your user <em>to</em> your website, then that’s on-site testing.</p> <p>Once you figure that out, make a list of the variables you want to test. For example, if you want to test the headline on your website, you would probably want to test font color, font style, and alignment.</p> <h3><strong>Q3: ARE YOU READY TO KEEP A STEADY SCHEDULE?</strong></h3> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e994e47d-3e5b-4418-8bb4-215ecb751e5a" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Q3_0.jpg" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p> </p> <p>That’s right, you need to make sure you’re keeping a controlled testing schedule for your website. Be consistent and always focus on your main objective. Avoid jumping from one element to another; don’t go running tests on one of your ad campaigns and then randomly start testing one of the headlines on your site, this will only confuse you and derail your progress.</p> <h3><strong>Q4: SO HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE TO DO?</strong></h3> <p> </p> <img alt="img" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8fa1f25a-55b2-4fd0-89c2-a095f86732dc" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Q4-01_0.jpg" class="align-center" width="3750" height="2308" loading="lazy" /><p> </p> <p>This highly depends on the amount of traffic you get, so one test may take a few days while another could take weeks. This is why it’s important to set a time limit for your tests, this can be tricky though because giving a test insufficient time could lead to skewed results because you didn’t get enough people for the test to be statistically accurate. The same goes for running tests for too long. Always know when to draw the line, so set a minimum and maximum duration, number of clicks, bounce rate, sales, etc.</p> <p><b>CONCLUSION</b></p> <p>One thing worth mentioning is that it’s easy to take things at face value and just pick the version that works best for you, but remember, analytics is your friend, study it thoroughly and carefully. Otherwise, you’ll end up eliminating certain aspects of the design that were actually working for you. You’ll find yourself on an endless loop, not knowing what your audience wants or where the problem is anymore. For effective A/B Testing, devise a plan and keep your goals in sight.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-date field--type-datetime field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Date</div> <div class="field__item"><time datetime="2018-12-24T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">Mon, 12/24/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-article field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Featured Article</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Blog Category / Categories </div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6" hreflang="en">DESIGN</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">BY</div> <div class="field__item">SARAMON</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cover Image</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/media/245/edit" hreflang="en">Cover-01.jpg</a></div> </div> Tue, 23 Aug 2022 22:59:39 +0000 webmaster 60 at http://plexable.com