Product sense. Product-minded. Product builder. These terms are often associated with our learnings as UX researchers in the field of enterprise software. The term product sense originated from the field of product management and refers to gaining a deep understanding of the product’s goals, business goals, and users to find opportunities to enhance the product experience.

As a UX researcher working within an embedded product team at an enterprise software company, I constantly collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders such as UX designers and product managers. Although we all have different job functions, we have a common North Star: building great products for our users. So what is product sense and how does it relate to UX research?

Product sense focuses on the intersection of the users, the design, and the business. Read More

As an experienced content strategist, I have been closely tracking the evolving landscape of search-engine optimization (SEO). Over the years, one thing has become crystal clear: Google and other search engines are constantly striving to enhance the user experience. Their commitment to users’ needs has established the importance of author authority in SEO.

But what is author authority exactly? Simply put, author authority is an indicator of the credibility and influence of a particular content creator. It’s also a measure of how much trust Google places in a particular author based on their track record of producing high-quality, relevant content. Although it’s not an official Google metric per se, author authority is still a useful concept that SEO professionals have embraced to interpret Google’s focus on prioritizing content that is not only accurate but also comes from reliable, knowledgeable sources. Read More

In our digital world, the value of user experience is impossible to understate. Consumers are getting more and more demanding and won’t stick with any Web site they find inconvenient to use. This is where UX design comes into play.

Web design is a branch of UX design, which focuses on interactions, not just look and feel. Simply put, this means styling your Web site in a way that makes interacting with it easy, enjoyable, and engaging for visitors. Because combining UX design and search-engine optimization (SEO) prioritizes visitors’ needs and expectations, it can reduce bounce rates, improve conversions, and boost overall user satisfaction. Excellent UX design is a huge success factor for modern businesses. Read More

In the fast-paced world of Web design, staying ahead of the curve is crucial to delivering exceptional user experiences and meeting the ever-evolving demands of the digital landscape. As technology advances at an unprecedented rate, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is shaping the future of Web design.

In this article, I’ll explore potential impacts of AI on Web design and highlight some emerging tools and trends that are revolutionizing the industry.

The Rise of AI in Web Design

Artificial intelligence is transforming various business sectors. Web design is no exception. AI-powered tools and technologies are revolutionizing how we create, optimize, and personalize Web sites. Let’s delve into some of the key areas in which AI is making a significant impact. Read More

UX-driven product roadmaps are powerful tools that foster a direct connection between users’ needs and product strategy. But how can we create and execute such roadmaps effectively?

In this article, I’ll explore the practical steps to building a product roadmap that not only meets users’ needs but also ensures a product’s success by keeping the user experience at its core. So let’s get ready to dive into a roadmapping strategy that enhances user experiences, increases user satisfaction, and delivers successful business outcomes. Read More

Creating an effective product roadmap that addresses users’ most critical needs and delivers the highest value requires a deep understanding of users. However, in many companies, product managers (PMs) and leadership make all product decisions without leveraging the valuable insights that UX research can provide. They instead rely solely on their own understanding of customers. Lacking an adequate understanding of users’ needs carries some inherent risks because product teams might fail to prioritize user-centricity or favor meeting business objectives that might not align with what is best for users. In this article, I’ll propose strategies for UX researchers that enable them to actively contribute to decision-making regarding product roadmaps, even on teams where this approach might not be the established norm.

To foster a strong partnership between product managers and UX researchers, it is crucial to initiate the research and analysis process by educating the team about the invaluable role that UX research can play, by harnessing existing knowledge about users or by initiating new studies to understand what features would enhance customer satisfaction. Educating your team on how to collaborate effectively can yield remarkable outcomes for both users and the business. Read More

For field-service businesses, providing a best-in-class customer experience is instrumental in customer retention and profitability. However, there is no single way of achieving this goal. Thus, different organizations take different approaches to providing their customers with the best possible experience. Nevertheless, the goal is the same for all.

At its core, the field-service customer experience is the experience a customer experiences when a technician comes to their home or place of business. This customer experience has a long-term impact on their overall perception of the company, which can affect customer satisfaction, customer retention, word-of-mouth referrals, and future sales. However, field-service operations are frequently disconnected from corporate initiatives to improve the customer experience. Read More

Mobile UX research provides an essential foundation for UX designers whose goal is to create engaging, accessible mobile experiences. By understanding how users interact with and perceive mobile apps, designers can better meet users’ needs and expectations. UX designers rely on their learnings from UX research in creating mobile-app user interfaces that are easy to use, have appealing visual components, and whose navigation is in line with the requirements and preferences of the target audience.

It is also important for mobile-app developers to be aware of worldwide trends in app design. Therefore, in this article, I’ll explore some emerging trends and technologies that represent opportunities to improve mobile-app design. Read More

Zara is a global brand that is based in Spain, has a broad audience, and offers its customers an unparalleled shopping experience. Since its inception, Zara has been at the forefront of the online-shopping space. In this article, I’ll share my analysis of the Zara Web site, examining its functional capabilities and design features to better understand how the brand achieves ecommerce success and caters to the needs of modern consumers. Is the Zara Web site truly as convenient and stylish as its clothing? Let’s dive in and find out!

The Zara Home Page

The unconventional home page has both advantages and disadvantages. So before you consider how to implement a similar approach on your Web site without compromising on usability, it’s important that you understand your users and know whether they’ll be able to grasp this design concept. Implementing a unique layout could be appropriate for gaming or fashion-related sites, among others, but it would be odd to see such a layout on the Walmart or Bank of America site. Read More