Now that we comprehend the distinctive aspects of enterprise UX design and its associated advantages, let’s explore seven strategies to enhance your practices in enterprise UX design.
- Conduct End-User Research
Despite end users not directly purchasing products or services, thorough end-user research remains pivotal. Designers should approach enterprise software applications with research methodologies similar to those used for consumer-oriented applications. Employ tools like user personas, interviews, and usability testing to gain insights into the internal users of an organization’s application. This approach facilitates the creation of a redesign that effectively achieves the desired outcomes. - Simplify the User Interface
Within organizations, complex and extensive processes often occur, potentially making enterprise software applications overwhelming or perplexing for users. This confusion can lead to downtime, frustration, and even workarounds that fragment data and reduce overall ROI. To address this, prioritize design simplicity by reducing clutter and minimizing convoluted information architecture. Clear labeling systems and streamlined options help prevent overwhelm. The adoption of a design system approach facilitates seamless integration of future enhancements into the simplified system. - Deconstruct User Workflows
Enterprise UX design should reflect the non-linear nature of workflows within organizations, as team members navigating enterprise solutions often follow intricate paths to advance in their tasks. Designers should thoroughly comprehend the workflows a system must competently support through its interface. - Prioritize Accessibility
The consideration of accessibility has gained prominence worldwide, encompassing the application’s usability by individuals with visual, auditory, and motor disabilities. Accessibility is not just about empathy but also compliance, as systems incompatible with employees’ disability needs might breach reasonable accommodation mandates. Ensuring accessibility cultivates a positive workplace culture and ethical design practices. - Embrace Agile Methodology
Adopting Agile methodology streamlines the design workflow by involving stakeholders early on, well before reaching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The traditional Waterfall approach, prevalent since the 1970s, has downsides, including deferring design adjustments until late in the development process. Agile methodology focuses on smaller, specific development sections created during sprints of two to four weeks. This iterative approach encourages continuous feedback from stakeholders, leading to thoughtful design choices and robust MVPs. - Implement a Design System
Enterprise design systems provide coherence amid the potential mishmash of elements across an application. Given the scale of such projects, a design system is essential for efficient design, offering a shared language between designers and stakeholders. Design systems ensure brand consistency and ease of updates, potentially managed internally. This enhances ROI and future-proofs software. - Test and Iterate Consistently
Testing remains a cornerstone in enterprise software design due to the diverse user base spanning an entire organization. Designers must continuously test and iterate designs to accommodate the broadest range of users possible. Given the complexity, this process might extend over time, involving usability testing and iterative improvements based on feedback.
By adhering to these seven strategies, your enterprise UX design practices can be refined for optimal outcomes in this complex landscape.
