u003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eIt’s probably been drummed into you that your purpose as a UX professional is to u003cspan style=u0022color: #00b2a9;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003ebe an advocate for the useru003c/strongu003e.u003c/spanu003e I’ll bet this also conveniently plays into your nature. The problem is, it’s not realistic to propose solutions that haven’t carefully considered the strategic and operational u003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #8e60ad;u0022u003eimpact on the businessu003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003e. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eMy level of business knowledge was valued as a strength when I worked at an organisation a lifetime ago. I later considered it a weakness because the amount of time I had invested in understanding the business needs outweighed the amount of time I had spent understanding the user needs significantly. I didn’t really feel like a UX designer.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eFast forward to more recent events. I was involved in a research project where the design evolved so rapidly that it changed the cohort we had recruited. We were all set to barrel ahead and get feedback from a user perspective until I soundboarded the situation off a colleague who asked a sobering question. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e“Will the feedback still be useful to the business?”u003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eSo therein lies the problem. On one side sits the user advocate in you, and on the other sits the business advocate in you and maintaining the balance is tricky.u003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cimg src=u0022https://howmightwe.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-business-advocate-and-the-user-advocate-2-1024x568.pngu0022 width=u00221024u0022 height=u0022568u0022 alt=u0022The business advocate versus the user advocateu0022 class=u0022wp-image-25103265 aligncenter size-largeu0022 /u003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eLet me give you an example of what it looks like when these two are pitted against each other: u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eI walked into a Clicks pharmacy six years ago to collect prescription medication. The estimated wait time was u003c/spanu003eu003cbu003e68 minutesu003c/bu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eu003cimg src=u0022https://howmightwe.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Clicks-pharmacy-queue-screen-1024x768.jpgu0022 width=u0022659u0022 height=u0022494u0022 alt=u0022Click pharmacy queue screenu0022 class=u0022wp-image-25103266 aligncenter size-largeu0022 /u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eTo be clear, I’ve never worked on research for Clicks before and I don’t have any insight into their business. It’s just that 68 minutes was a long time to observe and think about the two perspectives.u003c/spanu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-size: 16px;u0022u003e u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003e
u003cdiv class=u0022sentence-containeru0022u003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022 id=u0022highlight-1u0022u003eThe queue is piling up because the pharmacists are so slow.u003c/spanu003e u003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022 id=u0022highlight-2u0022u003eThey could be using an inefficient legacy system and that means they can’t physically move any faster.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation above the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-1u0022u003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #00b2a9;u0022u003eThe user perspectiveu003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-downu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing down u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation below the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-2u0022u003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-upu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing up u002du002du003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #8e60ad;u0022u003eThe business perspectiveu003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003c/divu003e
u003cdiv class=u0022sentence-containeru0022u003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022 id=u0022highlight-1u0022u003eThere aren’t enough seats for patients.u003c/spanu003e u003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022 id=u0022highlight-2u0022u003eDesigning for the edge case where the pharmacy is really busy (during flu season for example) isn’t the best use of store space.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation above the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-1u0022u003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #00b2a9;u0022u003eThe user perspectiveu003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-downu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing down u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation below the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-2u0022u003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-upu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing up u002du002du003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #8e60ad;u0022u003eThe business perspectiveu003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003c/divu003e
u003cdiv class=u0022sentence-containeru0022u003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022 id=u0022highlight-1u0022u003ePre-packed collections is a more efficient process but that queue always seems to be empty. Why don’t more people use this system?u003c/spanu003e u003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022 id=u0022highlight-2u0022u003eOnce a script is loaded you can only collect from that particular branch so you lose the ability to go to a more convenient one.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation above the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-1u0022u003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #8e60ad;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eThe business perspectiveu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-downu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing down u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation below the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-2u0022u003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-upu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing up u002du002du003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #00b2a9;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eThe user perspectiveu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003c/divu003e
u003cdiv class=u0022sentence-containeru0022u003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight blueu0022 id=u0022highlight-1u0022u003eClicks has an sms system so that you don’t have to wait around. Why aren’t these patients moving about to occupy themselves if they know there is an extensive wait time?u003c/spanu003e u003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022 id=u0022highlight-2u0022u003eThey may be too sick to want to walk about or feel collectively they put pressure on the pharmacists.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan class=u0022highlight yellowu0022u003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation above the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-1u0022u003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #8e60ad;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eThe business perspectiveu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-downu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing down u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003cpu003eu003c!u002du002d Annotation below the sentence u002du002du003eu003c/pu003enu003cdiv class=u0022annotationu0022 id=u0022annotation-2u0022u003enu003cdiv class=u0022arrow-upu0022u003eu003c/divu003enu003cp style=u0022text-align: center;u0022u003eu003c!u002du002d Arrow pointing up u002du002du003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #00b2a9;u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eThe user perspectiveu003c/strongu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003c/divu003enu003c/divu003e
u003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003eNow don’t get me wrong. The business perspective didn’t matter much to the woman in front of me who was waiting to collect medication for her husband. He was sitting in the car in the blistering heat because getting his wheelchair out of the car for what seemed like a quick errand was too much effort! But I considered the likelihood that only looking at the problem from the patient’s perspective would have resulted in rudimentary solutions that would never be viable for the business.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003ch3u003eu003cbu003eSo how do you manage the balance?u003c/bu003eu003c/h3u003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003eAs someone who has spent years swaying too far one way and then the other, I think it begins with reflexivity. Ask the hard questions of yourself before the others in the room. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003eAre you working to ensure that:u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003culu003enu003culu003enu003cli aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003ereal-world user problems are present in the room so that the solution serves the user?u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003enu003cli aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003ethe solution also serves the business objectives?u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003enu003cli aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003ethe solution is realistic, taking into account the requirements and limitations?u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003enu003cli aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003eif it’s not realistic, there is a reasonable way to get there to make the experience better? (Business savviness is of benefit here to facilitate these discussions with stakeholders).u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003enu003c/ulu003enu003c/ulu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003eu003cb style=u0022font-size: 16px;u0022u003eDesign the framework that keeps you honest as a UX professional u003c/bu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-size: 16px;u0022u003eandu003c/spanu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-size: 16px;u0022u003e u003c/spanu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-size: 16px;u0022u003econtinue to question your own methodsu003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003eMoving forward, I believe it’s important that UX professionals focus more strategically on business savviness and fluency. Nurture both the business advocate and the user advocate equally to produce the most sustainable solutions.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003enu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;u0022u003e(I hope I’ve learned enough from many lessons to do the same).u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003e