UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want

UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want is a guidebook written by Jaime Levy, a user experience strategist, and product management expert. The book focuses on breaking down UX strategy into manageable components, making it more accessible to teams that include non-designers. Levy emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs, business objectives, and design constraints, and how to balance these factors in the development of successful digital products.

The User Experience Strategy Framework (UESF) is a key element of the book, and Levy provides a detailed explanation of how it works. UESF is a five-step process that includes researching user needs, defining product requirements, developing a prototype, testing and validating the prototype, and finally, launching the product. Levy includes practical advice on how to apply each step, with numerous case studies illustrating the framework in action. The framework emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs, business objectives, and design constraints to create successful user experiences.

The five steps of the framework are: research, requirements, prototype, validate, and launch. In the research phase, teams gather data on user needs, motivations, and behaviors. The requirements phase involves defining the product features and user interactions necessary to meet the identified needs. The prototype phase includes building and testing a minimum viable product. The validate phase involves user testing and iteration to refine the product. Finally, the launch phase focuses on the successful deployment of the product to the market.

Here are some top tips on how to use the UESF:

1. Start with user research: Gathering data on user needs, motivations, and behaviors is critical to developing a successful product. Conduct surveys, interviews, and usability tests to gain a deep understanding of your target audience.
2. Define clear requirements: Use the insights gained from user research to define clear product requirements that address user needs and align with business objectives.
3. Test early and often: The prototype phase is the time to test and refine your product. Use usability testing and feedback to iterate on the design and functionality of the product.
4. Measure success: Determine metrics that will measure the success of your product in terms of both user satisfaction and business outcomes. Use these metrics to guide decision-making and refine your product strategy.
5. Collaborate across teams: UX strategy is a collaborative effort that involves cross-functional teams. Involve designers, developers, and product managers in the UESF process to ensure a successful outcome.

One of the strengths of this book is how it balances business and design considerations. Levy provides examples of how UX can drive business goals, and she explains how to measure the success of a UX strategy in terms of business outcomes. At the same time, she also highlights the importance of design in the creation of engaging user experiences that keep people coming back to a product.

Overall, UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want is a valuable resource for anyone involved in product development, from designers to developers to product managers. Levy’s light-hearted approach to a complex topic makes the book accessible to beginners, while her insights and case studies will be useful to experienced professionals looking to improve their UX strategy. The book is particularly helpful for ambitious app developers with little experience in designing digital interfaces on both iOS and Android-based devices.