Your feelings matter! – Using feelings to create a better user experience
Your feelings matter! Most people will agree on that fact. However, this statement is not only true when it comes to your emotional state.
For designers, it is crucial that we consider the feelings of the people we are designing for. This is because creating a better overall user experience directly equates to the success of our work.
Using empathy and putting yourself in the shoes of your users is crucial to the work we do. So, in an effort to explore this part of design more, I decided to analyze two websites based on how they nurture the user experience.
The purpose of this exercise is to practice empathy when it comes to designing for the user experience. To do so, I created a series of statements that begin with how something makes me feel versus what my needs are from that feature. I created 20 of these for two sites – 10 each.
The websites I am comparing today are MPB and KEH Camera. Both are platforms where you can buy and sell used camera gear. Each of them has similar offerings but are designed different. Using the statements described above, I will be exploring how each site works toward a positive user experience, and where each needs to improve.
After doing a thorough analysis of each site, it was clear that both had their pros and cons, but it seems like MPB is more well suited for a positive user experience. The website is simple and easy to use. It only shows you what you want to see and nothing more, which is crucial when making big purchases.
Additionally, KEH had some problems with large menus, adding information to pages that is distracting, and contrast throughout its assets. The biggest issue, however, was the lack of information given for each individual item up for sale. MPB individually photographs each item and shows what each comes with. KEH groups items of similar condition into groups and picks and item for you. This lack of choice is not okay.
Where MPB can learn from KEH is in gear rentals. This is a feature that just makes sense. It benefits the user because they can try and use gear before committing to an expensive purchase. Additionally, it will bring more profit into the business and more gear will likely be sold since users can experience them without buying them.
I encourage you to click the link and the begin or end of this blog post to view my full process and analysis of the two websites. This exercise gave me great insight into what needs to be accounted for when creating work for a specific audience. If you aren’t currently spending a significant time before designing to learn about the feelings in needs of your audience, I would urge you to start doing so.
Hi! My name is Peyton McKenzie.
I am a professional graphic designer, photographer and content creator.
I encourage you to explore my portfolio to get a better idea of the work I create. If you are interested in working with me or have inquiries of any kind, don’t hesitate to reach out over email.
