Designing Technology: Backtracking to Meet Users’ Needs While Innovating

Embracing the Backtracking Mindset

The challenges that we face in designing technology, especially the shortage of UX research resources, aren’t easy to solve. But doing user research is crucial to really understanding what users need. So how can we ensure that user research happens on every project?

By introducing the backtrack, a process that requires looping back to research or design steps that we’ve missed. Backtracking can happen at any stage of the UX design process—whether design, research, or testing. For design, whether you start with a complex or a simple design, if you feel that it won’t actually solve the problem you’re addressing, backtrack. Switching to a simpler approach might be the solution.

During the testing phase, you could encounter numerous challenges. Sometimes, designs do not meet users’ expectations or require significant changes. In situations such as these, designers could hastily implement changes that are based on stakeholders’ feedback. However, you must assess whether such changes genuinely address the underlying problem. If they don’t, backtracking would be wise. Reevaluate the user flow and start anew with a low-fidelity design.

While the backtracking process might seem more time-consuming initially, it ultimately conserves both time and effort and ensures that you make the right changes before a product launches. Although adopting a backtrack mindset appears straightforward, it is often challenging because of our natural inclination toward quick solutions. In UX design, hasty decisions could compromise the product experience, necessitating even greater effort to rectify the issues.

Backtracking also works for UX research—doing studies is the easiest and most effective way of avoiding assumptions-based design. In a fast-paced environment such as the one in which I work, having limited research resources sometimes prevents our getting what we need. But, no worries, backtrack. When you realize you’re designing based on your beliefs, not users’ actual needs, stop. Backtrack and plan some proper user research—whether a workshop, user interviews, or a survey. Your aim is to understand the users’ mindset.

Backtracking to conduct research can happen at any time—even after product launch. Or you could plan research for Phase 2 or Phase 3. If one round of research isn’t enough, focus on quantity. Plan multiple user interviews or workshops. The main idea is to avoid making assumptions, make thoughtful design decisions, and really solve users’ actual problems. As technology designers, our expertise is vital, but so is what users can tell us. We must combine our design skills with user insights, blending our best ideas with our understanding of what the people for whom we are designing actually need.

Conclusion

Creating designs for technology goes beyond aesthetics; it’s about making solutions that truly work for people. As UX designers, our mission extends beyond the surface level of aesthetics to championing the real, nuanced needs of users. We strive to translate their desires, aspirations, and challenges into seamless user experiences. Therefore, embracing the backtrack mindset is pivotal to a successful design practice.

Design cannot merely be about meeting deadlines or appeasing stakeholders; it’s about meticulously understanding and addressing the core issues at hand from a user-centered perspective. This approach ensures that our designs not only stand out for their excellence but also resonate deeply with users, providing them with genuinely impactful solutions.

At the heart of what we do lies a profound commitment to merging design excellence with a deep understanding of users’ needs. Our design journey requires more than adhering to principles; it’s about the relentless pursuit of interweaving technology with the threads of human-centric design, making design not only more intelligent but also more accessible, empathetic, and impactful. This dedication propels us to redefine the essence of technology, steering it toward becoming a more meaningful and enriching part of people’s daily lives.