Measure twice, cut once.
Given how frequently we use this term within our UX team, it may as well be our official slogan. And for good reason. Clever UX means taking the right actions to get the right results. It not only improves outcomes for your business and customers, but minimises the waste and cost involved in doing so.
Here’s why:
Spending more to do less?
The process of reducing waste often seems counterintuitive. By adding a UX discovery phase at the beginning of a project, it can seem like we are extending timelines and increasing the scope. In fact, the opposite is true. By taking the time to properly understand your objectives, customers, and existing conversion pathways, Kooba can avoid needless expenses in the future. We can also identify areas of opportunity, and prioritise our work accordingly.
In short, this small initial investment of work provides dramatic returns over the course of the project, and improves the performance of the finished website.
Real objectives
A key element of this discovery phase involves defining clear goals for a project. This is a cyclical process, with new research feeding in at each point as we learn more about a platform’s users. These objectives serve as our guiding light throughout the design and development phases. If we aren’t making tangible progress towards these goals, we re-assess our approach.
To do this, We use heuristic reviews as a research method, combining established UX principles with our designers’ expertise in recognising common user pain points. This enables us to identify usability issues and opportunities that strengthen the user experience while supporting business objectives.
This goal-oriented approach ensures that each component of a website actually “does a job” rather than just existing for the sake of it. It also means that no conversions are left on the table. Each possible user need will have been mapped in advance, so that that no customer is left wanting.
Accelerated timelines
UX discovery also serves as an early warning system for potential delays and issues within a project. By taking some time to discuss each element and phase of the process in detail, we can flag potential problems ahead of time, and minimise their impact on the delivery timeline. That means a faster, more predictable project, and a lower chance of delays or add-ons.
Learning from the client
Finally, UX discovery provides some deeper benefits for both a client and their agency. By engaging in focused discussions with client stakeholders, a UX team can gain a human understanding of the organisation’s wider philosophy and identity. This may not feed directly into technical decisions, but it provides invaluable context for the design team as they begin their work.
Every detail matters when building an exceptional website, and UX workshops and discovery meetings provide an excellent forum for surfacing these ideas and perspectives.
A flexible approach to project scope
Starting a project with a UX discovery phase allows you to be strategic in how and where you invest your resources. At Kooba, we often use a flexible scope, which can expand or contract based on findings in this phase.
To start your own UX discovery work today, just get in touch with our team. We’d love to hear from you!
