Perception of value opens or closes doors
The clear challenge for startups is navigating high uncertainty with finite resources. Under this condition, many design decisions that define perception of value are made ad hoc out of expediency – The outcome is a poor user experience that undermines sales and adoption.
Focusing on the next immediate goal can create blind-spots to the reality that prospects and first-time users decide to move forward based on the value they perceive. For growth led by the product, value needs to be experienced quickly.
The key is understanding the overall experience – The customer journey. At every touchpoint trust either increases or fails to build confidence to continue exploring.
“Good design is good business”… How?
Reports confirm that businesses with design leadership and design values in their culture outperform their competitors that do not.
Analysis has uncovered that design is underutilized in organizations that regard it as a service rather than a pillar for driving revenue.
As available capital defines the type of decisions that can be made, each design decision is not just the price for its execution. It is also the opportunity cost when design fails to deliver necessary results.
Mind the gaps – Where to focus
Gaps in the customer journey create friction for getting into the product and recognizing value quickly enough to convince prospects to adopt the new solution.
Design is not just what we see, nor just how a product works. Good design persuades; influences behaviors; forms habits; and builds loyalty.
Design with the end in mind: adoption
Whether the end-to-end experience for trial testing a product is well designed or not, it will invariably reveal itself to the user.
Each juncture on the path of discovering a product is a crucial opportunity for building trust and delivering incremental value.
I help startup founders make good design decisions to achieve the results that lead to their next milestone.