A competitive market is a jungle, especially for digital product design agencies waiting for their next big project.

Surviving the wild isn’t enough for CreateApe. In today’s market, thriving is the name of the game — and we want to be the guide that helps our clients become king of the Jungle!

But success as a digital design agency doesn’t come overnight. Even the best agencies in the world have ups and downs. What matters is that if you get knocked down, you get back up again (cue “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba).

No project is without flaws, but CreateApe powers through them by developing innovative UX strategies that benefit the business and the user. Let’s just say our approach hasn’t gone unnoticed.

CreateApe’s CEO Alessandro Fard was recently named a Top Agency Expert by Rise 25, a B2B service using podcasts to increase a company’s ROI. In the article, Rise 25 spoke with Fard about launching an agency from the ground up and the importance of remaining true to your vision.

When starting a design agency that emphasizes business and UX strategy, it’s crucial to define the goals and values that set your business apart from competitors. This helps new companies carve out a niche that guides their services and growth as an organization.

Fard also noted that failure is to be expected early on — it’s just a part of life. You may encounter a client that doesn’t understand the value of design strategy or needs more for their project than you can accommodate. 

Recognizing your strengths as a designer/agency is key, and remaining faithful to your brand and design philosophy will protect your reputation despite the pitfalls of getting your business off the ground.

“Even businesses have growing pains,” says Fard, “So learn from your mistakes and recover quickly to maintain trust and authenticity.”

CreateApe’s agility and strategizing prowess have earned us several accolades in the B2B space — and we’re honored to be named a Top Agency Expert by Rise 25!

Are you ready to give your users a satisfying experience tailored to your brand and business goals? Our user-obsessed approach leads to solutions that are always customized and optimized. Start a project with us today!

For some UX/UI designers, presenting UX research findings is the most challenging part of the job. You’ve gathered all your information and spent countless hours conducting tests and interviews…how do you turn all that data into an action plan that gets your clients on board?

Several things could get in the way of a good presentation. Too many glaring problems with the digital product, harsh user feedback hurting some feelings, unclear next steps, lack of confidence in public speaking, or a meteor could crash into your house and land directly on your computer (weirder things have happened).

But to start the design on the right foot, you need a slam-dunk presentation to get the ball rolling. How do you lay out the facts, engage your client, gain their trust, and compel them to act?

Unfortunately, we’re not psychic apes (as cool as that sounds). We don’t have a crystal ball to look into your future and tell you exactly how the presentation will go. 

What we do have is TONS of experience with UX evaluations and presenting our findings to clients. Whenever there’s been a curveball, we’ve found a way to meet it head-on and knock it out of the park.

In this article, we’ll outline a few potential challenges you may encounter when presenting UX research findings. Rest assured, for every challenge, there is a CreateApe solution!

What We'll Cover

• Keeping stakeholders engaged
• Combatting bias
• Aligning with the user and stakeholder goals
• Keeping presentations short and sweet
• Turning insights into actions
• Using visuals effectively
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Why Presentations Are an Essential Part Of Your Project

Communication is paramount for any collaborative project between a vendor and a stakeholder.

No client is ever going to hand you a project and say “Go nuts!” Their company is vital to them and they are investing too much time and money into a product that puts them on the map. To us, gaining our clients' trust means they need visibility every step of the way.

UX presentations are our way of pulling back the curtain, giving the client a glimpse of the unknown. A UX evaluation shows specific problems that need to be fixed to keep their business on the right track, and the presentation gets everyone on the same page.

But it’s not just for the clients! Think of a UX presentation as an outline for a big speech. It helps you make sense of your findings and lay them out in a way that really tells a story. The facts and user feedback are compelling on their own, but it’s up to you to turn them into something tangible.

It also gives you time to plan your next steps before starting the design. You can lay out your priorities in order of importance, pick the low-hanging fruit, and improve your own processes for the next presentation.

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How To Present UX Research Findings To Clients

Now that we’ve convinced you of how AWESOME UX research presentations are, you probably think you’re going to go in there, crush the meeting, and not run into any trouble.

You totally could! But, things can always go wrong. We’ve all had a flat tire on our way to work or spilled coffee on our favorite pair of pants — things happen, it’s a fact of life.

Presentations never go 100% flawlessly without questions or pushback. Here are just a few ways you can streamline your presentation, engage your audience, and prepare for roadblocks.

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Challenge: Keeping Your Audience Engaged

Meeting with creative teams is exciting for clients, but going over numbers and data usually isn’t. How often have your eyes glazed over while listening to speakers go over metrics and charts?

While numbers aren’t typically engaging on their own, the data you gather during a UX evaluation are the eye-openers clients need to improve their products. You can’t do a UX research presentation without hard-hitting data.

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Solution: Know Your Audience

As the kids say: “Read the room.”

You’re not connecting with your audience when you’re just clicking through slides and reading off numbers. Your presentation needs to appeal to their interests, whether it’s increasing their conversions or improving their branding to reach a new demographic.

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Presenting UX research findings to clients gives you an opportunity to flex your storytelling skills. Understanding your client’s desires is as critical as understanding the user’s goals.

“Your target users were visiting your website, ready and rearing to request a demo of your SaaS system. But they don’t have time to scroll through your whole website to find the form they need. Your users became frustrated when they couldn’t find it right away — and as a result, 95% of them abandoned ship.”

How much more interesting does that sound than “95% of the users leave the website before starting the conversion process”? Demonstrate the problem by emphasizing the user’s journey.

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Challenge: Combatting Bias

We’ve all seen an article online that didn’t agree with our point of view and gave it a quick scoff or eye-roll before scrolling by. Don’t lie, bias is just a part of our human nature.

Sometimes clients can be a little stuck in their ways without knowing how much it’s hindering their product. But as tech evolves, so do best practices. What worked best in 2002 definitely isn’t going to work in 2022.

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Solution: Present Qualitative and Quantitative Data

It’s up to us UX professionals to show clients the way, and the numbers don’t lie. Both qualitative and quantitative data show the value of your work while breaking down the processes that lead you to your conclusion. 

Quantitative data is the “what”, while Qualitative data is the “why.” The client needs to understand the weight of both before they confront their own bias.

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After all, we’re the experts. This data lends us authority and gives us the know-how to create a successful product. If the client can visualize what’s not working and why it’s driving away their users, they’ll be more inclined to make the changes the product desperately needs.

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Challenge: Meeting In the Middle Of the User And Client Goals

For many clients, their profit is their bottom line. If they’re investing in UX design, then they already understand that satisfying the user’s needs is the way to continue growing and making money.

Unfortunately, the user and business goals don’t always intersect perfectly. The user could be looking for a feature that is out of the business’ capabilities or a cheaper solution that would not benefit the client. How do you find compromises that appease both stakeholders?

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Solution: Lead With Empathy

Empathy is the name of the game in UX design, for both users AND clients. All our stakeholders need to know we have their best interests at heart for us to gain their trust.

It’s also super helpful in battling the confirmation bias we mentioned earlier. The client needs to understand that when we present findings that don’t mesh with their methods, it’s all in the name of helping their bottom line.

When we empathize with both the client’s and the user’s goals, it’s much easier to think critically and present solutions that serve both stakeholders.

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Challenge: Keeping Presentations Short And Sweet

UX presentations are only a short part of our client’s day. We gather plenty of data during UX evaluations (sometimes enough for an hours-long presentation), but we only get a limited amount of time to go over our findings and address questions and concerns before kickoff.

As much as we’d like to spend our whole day doing a collaborative working session with our clients, they’re just too busy. How do we show them that their product is in capable hands without presenting every single piece of data we collected?

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Solution: Focus On Three To Four Key Findings

Target data points that capture the big picture. No matter how much information you collect, chances are that presenting UX research findings can be summed up in a few main points. The rest of your findings will likely fall under the same umbrella as the main ones.

It’s all about how you structure your presentation. You can’t just rattle off all your data points and expect your audience to be invested all the way. Keep it tight by focusing on the three or four most compelling points, and lump supplemental findings under those talking points.

User feedback also helps you illustrate the problem by letting the client see things from their user’s perspective. You can present tons of data about why something isn’t working, but nothing hits home quite like the user telling them “This navigation makes absolutely no sense.”

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Challenge: Turning Insight Into Action

Gathering all the data and putting the presentation together is the hard part…now comes the next steps. You know what’s working and what’s not, how do you actually tackle the problem?

The client needs to know exactly what the next steps are to be fully on board. Give them the confidence they need with creative solutions and a solid plan of attack.

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Solution: List Your Recommendations

At CreateApe, everything we do is backed up by research and findings from past projects. It gives us the validation we need to know we’re making the right changes.

Your clients are trusting that you’re the expert when it comes to user experience. Come armed with a plan that shows you’re invested in the project and prepared to make it a raging success.

Address the easy fixes first to get the ball rolling. Things that can be remedied quickly to improve the existing experience without having to wait for the final project. Then, lay out your long-term plans (new onboarding flows, features, total website face-lift, etc).

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Challenge: Show, Don’t Tell

Even the most engaging and exciting speakers still need visual aids. Think of the last TedTalk you watched…was the speaker just standing there waving their arms around or did they have slideshows or props to help bring their words to life.

Sometimes visuals say so much more than words ever could. Not only do they illustrate the problem you want to solve, but they also provide more value to your presentation by giving your audience something to chew on in between numbers and written content.

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Solution: Using Visuals Effectively

“75% of your users didn’t scroll past the top section of the page” is an eye-opening statistic on its own, but how much more effective does this look?:

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Here, the client can see the activity on the page and where users are trailing off. This is the wake-up call they need to restructure the content of the page and lead with the user’s main goal. Bing, bang, boom…problem solved.

You can also get creative while presenting UX research findings. Think about including some before and after shots to show off your design chops. Give them a little taste of what’s to come. Abstract data visualization is also super hot right now, so incorporating some out-of-the-box charts and interaction design couldn’t hurt either.

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Knock Your Presentation Out Of the Park!

It's not enough to convince your client of the value of UX. They need to visualize the product's pain points and see a solid action plan before they confidently invest their time and money.

Knowing what to present is half the battle. When all of this important ground is covered, all that's left is letting your personality and UX-pertise shine. Pace yourself, lean on data, gain the client's trust, and kick your partnership off right!

Want to see what a UX/UI facelift can do for your site? Need some help convincing the higher-ups of the benefits of UX? Start a project with us today or swing into our jungle for a UX evaluation!

AI tools for UX/UI designers…friend or foe?

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. But we have a long, LONG way to go before its creative-thinking skills are on par with a UX designer. Hopefully, we’ll never experience the dystopian nightmare that is autonomous AI.

But what do we do until then? Embrace the change!

AI had a significant impact on employee productivity in the last few years. This LinkedIn article estimates that strategic AI implementation has cut operational costs by 30% through task automation and boosted overall efficiency by 40%.

Do you know what that means for creatives like us? More energy to focus on pushing the envelope with our designs!

But reducing the time we spend on tedious tasks isn’t the only benefit. With the right systems and prompts, these AI tools for UX/UI designers can help us streamline workflows, generate new ideas, and curb the brain blocks and burnout synonymous with our field.

Our Top 8 AI Tools For UX/UI Designers:

• Midjourney
• Builder.io
• Adobe Firefly
• Uizard
• Khroma
• Resemble.ai
• ChatGPT
• Poised
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Mastering AI As A Digital Product Designer

We know what you’re thinking…”Why should I work AI into my design process when I’M the one with creative capabilities?”

At this point, you may have dealt with a client or a stakeholder that would rather cut costs and let AI do all the heavy lifting. You may be tired of having your skills undervalued in comparison. But truth be told, AI is only as good as the person entering the prompts.

AI relies on user input to gather information, spit out results, and refine based on feedback (find out more about how it works in our “Will AI Replace UX Designers” blog).

In short, a UX designer needs to tell the AI what the users are looking for through our research and findings for it to generate workable solutions.

With all the different platforms designed for information architecture, art direction, coding, and writing, all the tools to become a more well-rounded designer are at your fingertips. But it needs YOUR creative direction to produce your unique product vision.

By learning how to talk to the AI and influence the right response, you can drastically reduce the time it takes to ideate and consider some options you haven’t even thought of. Plus, mastering these systems can help you fill gaps in your skill set and create a fully-realized product to present to your clients.

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8 AI Tools Every UX/UI Designer Should Try At Least Once

We’ve talked up AI a lot in this blog and previous ones, but we haven’t touched on specific tools we use here at CreateApe and would recommend to other UX Designers.

These are just a few of our favorites. Keep in mind that AI is still in its infancy, and some of these products may not work perfectly the first couple of times. Or you may find another system that serves the same purpose but fits better into your workflow.

The trick is to keep an open mind and play around with different tools until you find one that works best for you (or until you can guide it into giving you the results you want). Also, with new AI tools for UX/UI designers releasing frequently, keep your ear to the ground for the latest advancements!

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Midjourney

• The Value: “Create awe-inspiring masterpieces effortlessly and explore the endless possibilities of AI-generated art. Enter a prompt, choose a style, and watch Imagine - AI art generator bring your ideas to life!”

• Why We Use It: AI art has been controversial since its inception. At this point, their systems have received thousands of prompts related to our clients’ purposes (patients at a doctor’s office, someone using a beauty or personal care product, and so on).
  
  Instead of relying on Midjourney to create finished UI designs and branding assets, we use it to guide and refine our art direction, messaging, and information architecture as we go. By leveraging and expanding on Midjourney’s suggestions, we can gather more ideas and iterate until we land on something unique to our client’s brand.
  
• Pros: Midjourney’s text-to-image generator is especially impressive. With this feature, you can provide more detail outside of the subject and color palettes to try out different art styles (minimalist, corporate illustrations, charcoal, ink drawings, etc).
  
  Though Midjourney is still in beta testing, they’re working on adding features similar to Photoshop (inpainting, background replacement, image expansion, and more). These are sure to be a game changer in the design world.

• Cons: Outside of some wonky-looking hands? Well, there are a few minor ones. Midjourney isn’t free to use anymore due to people abusing the system. And the only way you can access it is through a Discord server.
  
  The server gets crowded due to having so many users. But if you sign up for the pro plan, you can send your prompts to Midjourney’s Discord bot via private messages. Check out this article from zapier.com on how to use Midjourney through Discord.
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Builder.io

• The Value: “Eliminate long backlogs and missed deadlines. Leverage our Visual Headless CMS to visually build and optimize web and mobile experiences on your existing sites and apps to move faster, together.”

• Why We Use It: In a perfect world, every designer would understand coding to make the product behave as envisioned. We can’t all be cross-functional experts, but tools like builder.io get us a little closer.
  
  With this plug-and-play system, our designers can create API-based infrastructures for their work native to whatever code stack they’re using. Plus, with their handy dandy Figma plugin, we can import our designs, and the AI reads and rearranges the layers.

• Pros: With builder.io, building a fully customized site (from designs to interactions) is as easy as using something like Squarespace. The platform enables us to use our client’s existing data (like product catalogs or customer databases) and create building blocks to drag and drop data into a dynamic interface.
  
• Cons: Depending on who you ask, this could be a pro or a con. Builder.io doesn’t eliminate the need for a front and back-end development team. You may still need a consultant to come in and help with integrating and styling components, especially if you don’t consider yourself super tech-savvy.
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Adobe Firefly

• The Value: “Experiment, imagine, and create an infinite range of images with Firefly, generative AI-powered content creation from Adobe.”

• Why We Use It: Powered by Adobe (of Photoshop and InDesign fame), Firefly is a robust generative AI tool that behaves similarly to Midjourney. However, Firefly has more bells and whistles like generative fills, text effects, recoloring, and 3D image building.
  
  This system is hugely helpful for our designers proficient in Adobe Suite (which is most of us). Firefly allows us to download whatever we create in the app and upload it to other Creative Cloud tools to continue editing and refining.

• Pros: Firefly pulls from a huge library of public domain content (stock images, videos, and graphic designs) to ensure the legal use of each designer’s creation. While some might see this as limiting, we’d rather be safe than sorry with copyright infringement.
  
  But that’s not the only reason we love this creator-first platform! Adobe is actively pushing for ethical standards around AI artwork and working on compensation plans for stock contributors. As AI evolves, we’re happy to put our ball in their court.
  
• Cons: Firefly’s AI algorithm doesn’t pull results from other users’ results. It only goes off your input. Adobe structured it this way to protect artists from infringement and unintentional plagiarism, but the results won’t be as varied as Midjourney’s. However, you can rest assured that whatever you create is yours alone.
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Uizard

• The Value: “Design stunning prototypes in minutes. The world’s easiest-to-use design and ideation tool — powered by AI. No design experience required!”

• Why We Use It: If any AI tool is coming for our gigs, it’s Uizard. It’s a powerful tool that automates the entire digital product design process from wireframing to prototypes. With a few simple text prompts or even a sketch upload, Uizard generates fully designed screens and flows for your team to improve on.
  
  With Uizard, all you really need is an idea. The platform has several ready-made templates for wireframes, landing pages, apps, and component libraries to help turn concepts into fleshed-out products.

• Pros: Each of these platforms claim that the possibilities are endless with AI, but it’s especially true with Uizard. From text-to-mockup UI generation to turning sketches and screenshots into editable designs, Uizard can potentially cut down the product design process from years to months (or even months to weeks).

• Cons: AI tools (even one as revolutionary as Uizard) lack the user empathy capabilities of a living, breathing human. You can upload sketches or take screenshots of your favorite products all day, but it still can’t guarantee all the features or functionalities that suit your target user.
  
  Treat a product like Uizard as just a jumping-off point instead of a fix-it-and-forget-it solution. Let the AI generate the blueprint for your product, then massage it to make room for content the user needs to accomplish their goals.
  
  And it also goes without saying…TEST IT!
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Khroma

• The Value: “Khroma uses AI to learn which colors you like and creates limitless palettes for you to discover, search, and save.”

• Why We Use It: So many brands are instantly recognizable through their color palettes, so picking the right ones is a daunting task for designers and stakeholders. Khroma streamlines that process by having you choose 50 options from its massive library — and based on your selection, its neural network generates palettes, typography, or gradients.

• Pros: Out of all the platforms we’ve talked about so far, Khroma is by far the easiest to use (you don’t even have to create an account). The process can be lengthy since there are so many options, but it’s a fun exercise to try in either a client meeting or a brainstorming session.
  
• Cons: There aren’t a whole lot of downsides to Khroma. However, it’s not the best platform for real-time collaboration since your data is only saved locally on the browser and device you use. But you can download your data and re-upload it to another device.
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Resemble.ai

• The Value: “Resemble’s AI voice generator lets you create realistic human-like voice-overs in seconds.”

• Why We Use It: We know users absorb information better through videos. But there’s not always room in the timeline or budget to hire a voice actor and have them record explainer videos. That’s where resemble.ai comes in.
  
  Whether you want to use your voice or a pre-recorded one from their community, resemble’s algorithm adds enhancements, emphasis, and emotions to the right words to create a personable voice-over that speaks to your target audience.

• Pros: Resemble thinks outside of the box with AI voice-over features. Outside of turning your script into the voice of your target user, the platform also has localization features to translate speech into different languages — a huge plus if you have a large international audience.
  
  Whether you want to use your voice or a pre-recorded one from their community, resemble’s algorithm adds enhancements, emphasis, and emotions to the right words to create a personable voice-over that speaks to your target audience.

• Cons: This con is less about Resemble and more about voice AI in general. All AI platforms are subject to misuse. So if you’re uploading your voice, proceed with caution.
  
  This is likely to create more trouble for public figures (and users wanting to appropriate their voices and likeness). Just be aware of any legal repercussions arising from voice AI platforms.
  
  In short, we know you want Morgan Freeman to narrate your product, but we don’t recommend using AI to make that a reality.
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ChatGPT

• The Value: “We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”

• Why We Use It: ChatGPT has taken the creative world by storm for better or worse. We could talk all day about the ramifications of this system on our news and entertainment. But for now, we’ll focus on the potential benefits of this AI tool for UX/UI designers.
  
  Many designers struggle with creating messaging that amplifies their visuals and the brand’s personality. With a suggestive prompt, ChatGPT generates content that expands on ideas or shaves them down to fit the allotted space in the design.
  
  Since ChatGPT’s model is conversational, you can continue training the algorithm if you’re not fully satisfied with the results. Drop in your commands to shorten the copy or tweak the voice and tone so the system gives you exactly what you need.

• Pros: Messaging is extremely important in engaging your target audience — it needs to be just as strong (if not stronger than) the visual components in your product to encourage repeat usage. ChatGPT is the best writing assistant you can ask for if you're not confident in your writing abilities.
  
  ChatGPT is a member of the OpenAI family of products, and it’s quickly becoming a one-stop shop for AI services. Features like DALL.E and API help designers and developers create original images that bring concepts to life and integrate existing applications or systems into their digital products.

• Cons: Though ChatGPT’s algorithm is constantly learning (in a non-scary way), the copy it generates has a limited and repetitive vocabulary. You can ask the AI to vary up the language a bit — but you'll want to keep a thesaurus on hand just in case.
  
  Another big drawback of ChatGPT is that it doesn’t always generate accurate information. Always fact-check the data it spits out to avoid misleading your users. Also, make sure to correct the AI by entering your findings (so the algorithm can take notes).
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Poised

• The Value: “Poised is the AI-powered communication coach that helps you speak with confidence and clarity. Private and secure, an essential tool for digital-first workplaces.”

• Why We Use It: A remote job (like the ones at CreateApe) is an introvert’s dream! But that doesn’t mean we don’t need solid communication skills. After all, our clients put their trust in us to create an impactful product — and we need to show our confidence when presenting our creations to them.
  
  Poised reads your speech in real time during meetings and provides feedback on everything from your tone to the filler words you use. It also recognizes trends in your speech patterns and tracks your progress to help you improve your presentation skills.

• Pros: Public speaking is one of the most common phobias (surveys typically indicate that 72-75% of the human population share this fear). With recommendations from Poised, you can adjust your speech on the fly and calm the fear about how you're perceived by your audience.
  
  But the benefits of Poised aren’t limited to presentations. In fact, this system is perfect for interview prep with tips about passive voice misuse, speed, filler words, and interruptions.
  
• Cons: Poised only works in English (for now). But if English isn’t your first language, this system can still be helpful for grammar and word pronunciation. There is also a slight delay in the real-time feedback feature. We recommend using Poised when your meeting has three or more participants to give you time to digest new information.
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See The Benefits Of These AI Tools For UX/UI Designers!

As you can see, we think AI tools are a valuable asset for UX/UI designers, providing opportunities to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and generate new ideas.

While some of these products are still working out kinks, they significantly support and augment our busy, multi-tasking workflows. By strategically leveraging these eight tools, we’ve reduced tedious tasks and expanded our creative horizons as a team.

The key lies in understanding how to work alongside AI effectively. Recognize that it’s only as good as the input and guidance you provide. By mastering these AI tools for UX/UI designers, you can optimize your workflow, fill skill gaps, and deliver fully-realized products to your clients.

So even if you’re hesitant about AI, play around with a few systems and see how they can help you improve your processes. Who knows, you may find yourself taking a liking to a specialized field in UX/UI design through AI exploration!

If you’re looking for a fun agency job where you can use AI to take your designs to the next level, we’re always looking to add talented new apes to our shrewdness. Check out our open positions and apply today!

Ahhh, UX Design Critiques…Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re a vital part of guaranteeing our designs are the best they can be.

As much as a designer wants their creation to be 100% their vision, we occasionally need outsider perspectives to help us spot flaws or reconsider user goals to ensure we’re fulfilling the product's purpose.

Though 92% of people believe constructive criticism helps them improve their overall performance, many employees (in any kind of work setting) struggle with taking and giving it. But why is that when the majority acknowledges its importance?

It all comes down to how it’s delivered. What seems constructive to the giver could be construed as pointed or downright bullying to the receiver (in vice versa).

The fact is that interpersonal communication skills influence the delivery and usefulness of our feedback. So, how can you ensure that your criticisms land just right and lead to actionable next steps?

7 Tips For Better UX Design Critiques:

• Be straightforward
• Ask for explanations
• Offer suggestions
• Link feedback to goals and KPIs
• Ask open-ended questions
• Keep critiques relegated to in-person or video meetings
• Remove your biases
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Why Are Design Critiques Necessary?

UX design has a few too many moving parts for a single designer to handle on their own. Chances are that multiple team members, from interaction designers to web developers, will touch the project to ensure everything works as intended.

Even if a product requires several team members, everything has to gel together to create a cohesive experience.

By building a collaborative culture where cross-functional teams can offer diverse perspectives and keep each other aligned, critique sessions become a valuable asset in communication and risk mitigation.

In layman’s terms, design critiques (when done right) help your team feel supported and spark ongoing learning. And isn’t that what every designer wants out of their career?

Plus, the more your team shares tips and tricks with each other, the better the products will be in the long run. Through frequent critique sessions, designers and developers can continuously improve their processes and methodologies, leading to higher efficiency and cost-effectiveness (project managers, hint hint).

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Why Are Critiques So Intimidating?

With as many benefits as critiques have, you may wonder “How could anyone hate getting feedback on their work?”

Listen, digital product designers are artists. And we’re a sensitive bunch! There are a few (valid) reasons why someone would be apprehensive about getting their work criticized:

• Vulnerability: Designers put a piece of themselves into their work. They fear criticism and rejection.
  
• Fear of Negative Feedback: Nobody likes to hear negative feedback, even when it's constructive and especially when it’s something they put their blood, sweat, and tears into.
  
• Imposter Syndrome: Designers may worry that their colleagues will see them as impostors. This is true for junior designers or those new to a team.
  
• Time Pressure: Tight project deadlines can create apprehension. Designers may worry that they won't have time to make necessary changes.
  
• Perfectionism: Designers often strive for perfection in their work, and critique sessions can highlight imperfections. The fear of not meeting their high standards can exacerbate insecurities.

Critique sessions should be a safe space where everyone can share thoughts and not feel judged. The goal is to create an environment where no idea is a bad idea, kind of like an initial brainstorming session.

But how can you manage a collaborative critique session (where nothing’s off the table) and still remain productive?

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Setting Up Your Critique Session

Organizing a smooth critique session requires a lot more than just gathering participants. To keep things moving, the meeting organizer should limit the number of participants to the project team and a few design leads. A smaller audience allows people to focus on the big picture and leave space for everyone to share their thoughts.

Unfortunately, critiques can’t always be intimate affairs between close colleagues. So whether your meeting involves a select few or the entire organization, here’s what you can do to facilitate a structured, productive session:

• Define Clear Objectives: Begin by establishing goals. What specific aspects of the design are you seeking feedback on? What are the desired outcomes? Clear objectives help participants stay focused.
  
• Define Roles & Responsibilities: Typical roles include the designer presenting the work, reviewers providing feedback, and a facilitator/moderator managing the session.
  
• Set An Agenda: Outline the structure of the session, including time allocated for each component. You should also share this agenda with your teammates so they know what to expect.
  
• Time Management: Stick to the allotted time for the agenda. This helps maintain the session's momentum and ensures that everyone has a chance to participate. Use a timer to remind participants when a discussion is running too long.
  
• Record The Meeting: Use platform features or special software to record the meeting for participants to revisit later. With all the new AI tools available, you can find something that reviews your tone and delivery to improve your presentation skills.
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7 Tips To Elevate Your UX Design Critiques

Creating a no-judgement zone for constructive feedback is easier said than done. After all, the success of your session hinges on factors outside of your control.

It’s not just about the criticisms you give — it’s about how the receiver interprets your feedback and the active participation of everyone in the meeting. It’s more than strategizing products and design processes, it’s an essential team-building exercise that contributes to the ongoing success of your company.

Now that we’ve illustrated the pivotal role of critiques, let’s talk about ways to improve interpersonal communication through criticism.

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Be Straightforward

We get it, you’re not out to hurt someone’s feelings when you’re critiquing their work. But being vague or sugarcoating your feedback won’t lead to actionable takeaways.

Now, we’re not telling you to rip someone’s designs to shreds. Instead, try a balanced approach to your criticisms. State the positives, but highlight the drawbacks (sometimes known as the compliment sandwich).

By offering measured and straightforward suggestions, you’re giving the presenter clear feedback, helping them understand the exact issue you’re trying to convey without completely tearing them down.

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Ask For Explanations

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. What you don’t know is what you don’t know! If you’re critiquing a project you’re not involved in (or the person presenting is handling a different aspect of the project), you might not fully grasp the presenter’s thought process.

If you’re unsure about an approach, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or further insights. Remember, designers immerse themselves in data throughout the project. They may have sound reasoning or verified metrics to support their design decisions.

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Offer Suggestions

Design critiques are just as much about user experience as the products we create — and nobody wants to feel like they’re solving a problem alone. Instead of explaining “what” is wrong and “why” it’s wrong, suggest alternatives and work through their blockers.

By transforming the critique session into a collaborative problem-solving opportunity, you’re encouraging a mindset of "we're all in this together,” where everyone bounces ideas back and forth to find the best solution.

This is also a chance to define user testing flows (or A/B tests) to see which solutions work better for the intended audience. Because you never really know what target users will respond to until you get the product in front of them.

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Link Feedback To Goals

Between iterations and client suggestions, it’s easy for the user’s needs to get lost in the shuffle. That’s why we need our team members to hold us accountable and help us remember the problems we’re trying to solve.

When critiquing a design, referencing research findings and user data bridges the gap between subjective opinions and objective reality. It also helps the designer understand that something could make sense to them logically, but not to the person they’re designing for.

When you present suggestions rooted in user research, you're not just offering opinions but contributing to the user-centered design process. This approach reminds your team of the shared commitment to creating designs that meet user expectations.

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Ask Open-Ended Questions

Asking open-ended questions during a design critique sparks critical thinking, detailed feedback, and in-depth discussions within the team. Think of them as a thought experiment to improve product designs.

Open-ended questions don't have a single, specific answer. Instead, they invite the designer to provide context, rationale, and insights into their design choices. They also help designers feel less self-conscious about getting involved since there are no wrong answers.

This open-ended approach prompts the designer and other participants to consider various scenarios and user perspectives, leading to a richer discussion.

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Remove Your Biases

We all have our own opinions on what looks and feels better. But we’re rarely the exact persona we’re designing for. So if you hate a color, trend, or phrase, it’s probably not useful feedback (unless you can find verifiable evidence supporting your bias).

User-centered design places the user's perspective and needs at the forefront of the design process. Its name alone acknowledges that what may be appealing or intuitive to one person may not necessarily align with the preferences and expectations of the target user group.

Remove your biases to ensure that the design solutions discussed in the critique are grounded in evidence and objectivity, creating a laser focus on the end user instead of personal whims.

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Keep Critiques Relegated To In-Person Or Video Meetings

While written critiques serve their purpose, especially for asynchronous communication and documentation, they don’t capture the depth and immediacy of in-person or video meetings.

In-person or video meetings provide an environment where participants can socialize, read expressions, sense tone, and communicate the purpose behind their feedback. Since we know how easily context gets lost over text, face-to-face meetings don’t leave as much room for misinterpretation.

These methods ensure that the intent behind the feedback is accurately conveyed, leading to a more productive and collaborative critique session.

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Tips For Receiving Design Feedback

Yes, giving feedback can be uncomfortable sometimes. But let’s not forget that the receiving end can also throw us for a loop, especially when we’re so invested in a project and showing it to someone who’s not as involved.

We can be told to remove our egos from the situation a thousand times, but there’s still that feeling of disappointment when our hard work doesn’t go to plan. Don’t be upset with yourself when you feel this way — it happens with the best of us.

Here are a few tips to help you cope with negative feedback and turn it into something positive:

• Be Prepared To Answer Questions: Anticipate that reviewers may have questions about your design decisions. Be ready to provide context, rationale, and user research findings to help them understand your choices.
  
• Remain Open-Minded: Be receptive to different viewpoints and resist the urge to become defensive. Remember that critique sessions are about improving the design, not personal validation.
  
• Take Notes: Keep a notebook or digital note-taking tool handy during the critique. Jot down feedback, suggestions, and questions as they come up. This helps you capture valuable insights and ensures that you don't forget important points.
  
• Promote Equal Participation: Show your audience that you care about their feedback by asking follow-up questions and leaving room for discussion. As the designer, you can facilitate this by inviting quieter team members to share their thoughts and opinions.
  
• Avoid Immediate Rebuttals: When you receive feedback, it's natural to want to defend your design choices. However, it's often more productive to listen and absorb the feedback first, even if you don't agree. Take time to reflect before responding.
  
• Focus On Problems, Not Personalities: Remember that critique sessions are about evaluating the design, not the individuals involved. Keep the conversation centered on design issues and avoid personalizing feedback.
  
• Schedule Follow-Ups: After the critique session, schedule follow-up meetings to discuss and address the feedback received. This demonstrates your commitment to improvement and gives you a chance to present revised design iterations or ask for guidance if needed.
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Use UX Design Critiques To Your Advantage!

In the ever-evolving world of UX design, one thing remains constant: design critiques are necessary to ensure that our designs reach their full potential.

Designers often invest their hearts and souls into their creations, but the input of outsiders can help spot flaws and realign user goals to fulfill the project's purpose. While many still struggle with giving and receiving it, the key to effective critiques lies in the delivery and communication skills involved.

By mastering the art of design critiques, designers can create a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement, ultimately delivering better user experiences.

Design critiques are not just beneficial for team-building; they are a valuable tool in the UX designer's arsenal for success. So go forth, critique, and (as usual) be kind.

When you think of digital product failures, what comes to mind? It was probably a popular app that fizzled out or a “revolutionary” technology that was dead on arrival.

Digital products come in many sizes, shapes, and flavors. From websites and ebooks to SaaS systems and wearable devices, UX research and design affects online and real-world experiences equally. If one area falls short, it’s only a matter of time before the entire company crumbles.

According to Forbes, 70% of businesses either have a digital transformation strategy in place or are in the process of creating one. But a new cyber focus won't guarantee profitability or longevity — which is the biggest takeaway when observing noteworthy product failures.

As Yoda said in The Last Jedi, “The greatest teacher, failure is.” (Don’t come for us OT and prequel purists.) We follow this advice as UX designers because negative feedback and product failures give us a blueprint for defining best practices.

With Yoda’s nugget of wisdom in mind, let’s look at some infamous digital product failures and see what lessons they impart in this rapidly changing marketplace.

Our Top 6 Digital Product Failures

• Nike fuel band
• Microsoft Zune
• Myspace
• Crypto.com
• Vine
• Quibi
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What Causes Digital Product Failures?

We don’t want to dissuade you from launching your own product, but so many things can go wrong in the design or marketing process. In UX, the littlest design error or server crash can tank conversion flows.

This is why all our creations are thoroughly researched, tested, and QA’d before we launch them. Even then, there’s no long-term guarantee for success. Without a solid ongoing strategy, marketing plan, or sustainable business model, even the hottest products can become flops.
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Typical Factors:

• Lack of funding
• Minimal marketing efforts
• Assumption-based designs
• Premature launch
• Not adapting to market trends
• Edged out by competitors
• Faulty technology
• Failing to engage the target market

Of course, this isn’t the definitive list of all the things that can go wrong in business. Other factors like company acquisitions and legal challenges have the power to kill brands before they can leave a mark on their respective industry. 

Whether these contributors were out of the company's control or not, we can learn a great deal from their shortcomings and prepare ourselves for whatever the unpredictable digital market has in store.

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Revisiting The Top 6 Digital Product Failures Of Yesteryear

Maybe you used these digital product failures back in their heyday and have a nostalgic fondness for them. Or maybe you remember being sorely disappointed that they didn’t live up to the hype.

Whatever your perceptions are, we can still take a page from their book — but not for inspirational purposes.

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Nike Fuel Band

Who needs an Apple Watch or a FitBit when athletic wear behemoths like Nike have their own digital fitness tracker?

The answer is all of us.

Don’t ditch your preferred health devices anytime soon. Even though Nike was one of the first companies to offer fitness wearables with the Fuel Band in 2012, the novelty wore off quickly. They failed to grab a loyal audience and discontinued the product after just five years.
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What Went Wrong?

If you asked Jordan Rice, the former senior director of Nike NXT Smart Systems Engineering, the same question; he’d probably say “Shallowness.”

It’s no secret that health and wellness data are difficult to interpret, hence why we generally let Doctors take our vitals and set milestones for us. The Fuel Band presented users with lots of data about calories burned and steps taken, but its limited features didn’t help them contextualize what those numbers meant in the broad scope of their goals.

As fitness wearables evolved with more powerful sensors and robust data sources, the Fuel Band became obsolete in Nike’s respective markets.

“We tried to put data in the consumer’s hands, but I don’t know that we put depth in that data — a lot of it was data for data’s sake at times,” Rice said during a keynote presentation at Cambridge Consultants’ Innovation Day in 2017.

“I began to ask myself a little bit, how deep is this connection that we’ve actually created? Are people connected to the brand and the products? Is this data actually meaningful to them? [Is there] depth, are they taking any insight away from this, and are we really creating a gimmick?”

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Did Nike Recover?

Nike’s brand is still going strong with athleisure enthusiasts and sneakerheads everywhere. However, with the subsequent failure of their Sportswatch, it’s safe to say that their wearables experiment has pretty much tanked.

But Nike’s digital transformation wasn’t all doom and gloom. Once Apple announced its first smartwatch in 2014 (around when the Fuel Band started to go downhill), Nike quickly jumped on board with a running app developed specifically for Apple’s new device.

As of 2023, Nike and Apple are still compadres in digital fitness through the Nike Run Club — a powerful (and free) app for runners to track their calories, distance, and heart rate.

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Key Takeaways

• Translate Your Data: When a user is on a fitness journey (or just wants to monitor their health status), they need to understand what the data means to them.
  
  Are they burning enough calories daily to meet their weight loss goals? Are they taking enough steps to maintain their cardiovascular health? Is their high heart rate contributing to their high blood pressure?
  
  If the fuel band had more relevant features to put its data into context for the users, it would have made the experience more sticky for tracking health long-term.
  
  
• Keep Up With The Tech: Wearables were a new frontier when Nike released the Fuel Band, but they failed to adapt to the technological advancements.
  
  Let’s do a quick side-by-side comparison. When stacked next to the Apple Watch, the screen feels primitive and lacks the customization features of its counterpart. The Apple Watch ticks all the right boxes, feeling sleek and sophisticated while accommodating a workout.
  
  With a few ongoing design tweaks (and maybe some user testing), Nike could have found a way to update the look and feel of their product without sacrificing their brand identity.
  
• Have A Back-Up Plan: Thankfully, the Fuel Band wasn’t the nail in Nike’s coffin. Honestly, could you imagine a world without Jordans?
  
  While we can’t all have Tim Cook on our board of directors, keep your finger on the pulse of the industry at all times. If things go downhill for your company or product, look for avenues to keep your digital presence alive through partnerships.
  
  Even if your product isn’t the game-changer you were hoping for, a partnership can bring in strategic opportunities that allow your company to keep innovating despite setbacks. Who knows, there might be a Nike Run Club waiting in your future!
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Microsoft Zune

“Another one bites the dust…” - Apple, probably.

Seriously, we can’t overstate how much the iPod shook up the MP3 industry. With its sleek design and more storage space than any portable music player before it, other products couldn’t compare. That didn’t stop them from trying though.

Microsoft released the Zune in 2006 to compete with the iPod, boasting a larger screen with the same features and price. On top of that, they created the Zune Marketplace where users could purchase music, similar to the iTunes store.

So, if it functioned as well as the iPod, why was it such a hardcore flop?

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What Went Wrong?

While Apple meticulously planned, designed, and tested every version of the iPod, Zune rushed to keep up with them and always fell short. Zune is the perfect case study for building products around assumptions instead of research and discovery.

The first mistake Microsoft made when creating the Zune was assuming they had a viable market share. After all, Apple was raking in major dough with the iPod. Where could they go wrong? (Spoiler: they went very, VERY wrong.)

The Zune was about the same price as an iPod, but Apple already dominated the industry and lower-priced MP3s were still in circulation. Users couldn’t justify spending the big bucks on a lesser-known product.

The other mistake was that Zune failed to innovate with its features and functionalities. We always say not to try too hard to reinvent the wheel, but there has to be a unique value proposition if you want to emerge as a true competitor.

Besides the Zune-to-Zune song-sharing feature (which wasn’t tested or validated with users), the product was an iPod ripoff. As a result, Microsoft failed to capture even 10% of the marketplace and eventually discontinued the Zune in 2014 — losing almost $3 million in revenue.

When reflecting on the catastrophic failure of Zune, President of Yeti LLC Tony Scherba cited the lack of user research as the source of the digital product failure. He stated: “If it had (done user research), Microsoft would have learned before release that consumers didn’t truly value Zune’s features. The company assumed they did, and that was its downfall.”

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Did Microsoft Recover?

Microsoft’s poor timing was one of the biggest contributing factors to this digital product failure. Just a year after its release, Apple dropped their first iPhone — a smartphone with an MP3 built-in! That should have been the end of Microsoft in the portable tech landscape, right?

Even though Microsoft was late to the smartphone game (again), they launched the Lumia touchscreen phones and tablets in 2011 to phase out the Nokia brand. But since Nokia was an established brand and Lumia wasn’t, customers didn’t take the bait. Microsoft’s mobile business was discontinued in 2017.

It was a valiant effort, but alas, the Apple vs Android debate rages on without a mention of Microsoft. The company still lives on through the Office suite, Surface devices, and Xbox, but we can assume Microsoft smartphones are dead (for now).

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Key Takeaways

• Research Matters: Not only did Apple beat Microsoft to the MP3 market with the iPod, but they built their product strategy around immersive user research. The iPod designers were passionate music fans — but to create a product for music lovers on the go, they went to great lengths to observe potential users in their natural environments.
  
  This information is critical in product design, development, and marketing decisions. Microsoft should have followed Apple's lead when constructing the Zune and sought to gather user feedback throughout development continuously.

• Don’t Copy: They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but not when you’re trying to sway users away from their preferred digital product. When you're up against a tech giant like Apple, you must give your audience a reason to switch.
  
  Digital products give you space to experiment with technological capabilities, so it feels like a wasted opportunity to peddle a carbon copy of an already successful product. If Microsoft had done a more in-depth competitive analysis, they could have discovered a stronger value proposition for Zune.
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Myspace

Spike up your scene hair and alert your top eight friends…We’re throwing back to the early 2000s with this one!

Myspace, one of the first social media platforms, was a MASSIVE hit when it launched. With robust profile personalizations and new avenues for gaining an online following, it paved the way for digital connections, music subcultures, and the age of the influencer way before Instagram.

Speaking of other platforms, Myspace was easily usurped when Facebook and Twitter came around with simplified platforms. If users craved the personalization Myspace offered, then why did it fail?

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What Went Wrong?

While many tech-savvy users cited their personalization features as a big draw, the lack of consistency between pages created confusion in accessing basic features like user profiles and messaging portals for the average user. 

The customizations caused crashes because they were not compatible across browsers, creating more avoidable frustrations in the user experience. 

The complicated UX resulted in a product that was confusing, frustrating, and difficult to use — leading to low adoption rates. It also showed competitors its weaknesses, allowing them to improve the structure and nudge Myspace out of the limelight.

Had Myspace prioritized an intuitive experience over flashy profiles and interactions (or followed Facebook and Twitter with the streamlined UI), we’d probably be following Tom Anderson as closely as we follow Mark Zuckerberg or Jack Dorsey.

(Yes, we know Elon Musk runs Twitter now. But Jack Dorsey got the ball rolling, and we have to give credit where credit’s due.)
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Did Myspace Recover?

Until the last few years, Myspace has been a nostalgic footnote in the digital age. The hip teens and twenty-somethings who created the first profiles are all grown up now — and who doesn’t want to go back to the age when our only responsibility was updating our profile song?

But as Myspace’s former co-owner Justin Timberlake once said: “What goes around, goes around, goes around, comes all the way back around.” As social media becomes more commercialized and inundated with ads, users fondly remember the platform’s alternative roots and (in some circles) crave a comeback!

We saw this nostalgia in full force when an 18-year-old from Germany replicated the code to Myspace’s website and branded it SpaceHey. This rootsy and spirited “rebrand” launched in late 2020 and garnered an impressive 750,000 users as of August 2023.
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Though SpaceHey isn’t an official Myspace project, it launched a thousand think pieces from digital publications about the merits of resurrecting the platform in the age of TikTok. While it’s too soon to tell if the real Myspace will return, we have a few notes for its future resurgence.

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Key Takeaways

• Embrace Iteration: Before it became the social media juggernaut of the early 2010s, Facebook had a slow start polishing its platform. It went through several iterations before it caught on, adopting several new features and redesigns from 2005-2010. Even now, Facebook goes through new iterations and user flows to maintain its relevancy.
  
  If Myspace does make a comeback, they’ll have to keep a close eye on their competition and remain open to incorporating new layouts and technologies. Remember, the final product is rarely perfect, and optimization is the key to staying ahead of the curve.

• Keep The Focus On The Users: When conceptualizing a design, you should seek to understand the needs and motivations of users and design the product around their instinctive behaviors. We think SpaceHey is pretty successful in this category, tapping into the nostalgia of its audience and bringing back the features they loved.
  
  But the user experience isn’t just about design, features, or functionalities — it’s also about the environment you cultivate! In the Vice article we linked above, the users interviewed cite the focus on art and music as a major plus for SpaceHey’s identity.
  
  By conducting user research, creating personas, and testing prototypes, you can uncover these nuances and design validated solutions to ensure positive digital experiences and ongoing product value.

• Optimize For Mobile: Most people still used flip phones when Myspace was a big deal. For those who don’t remember, mobile internet access was non-existent around that time. So, while mobile optimization wasn’t the reason for the platform’s downfall, it’s something to pay close attention to if Myspace comes back.
  
  Whether we like it or not, social media platforms NEED mobile optimization if they’re going to succeed. If users are adamant about keeping the vintage look and feel with the same high-level customizations, Myspace will need to spend extra time ensuring the UI is responsive across devices.
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Crypto.com

Let’s ask the question that absolutely no one on the face of the earth has been asking themselves for the last year or two…Is cryptocurrency finally dying off? If people were already apprehensive about investing in this non-tangible currency beforehand, the Crypto.com hacks didn’t help.

As the market grew between 2020-2022, many investors started managing their assets on online platforms. But as we know, with sensitive information like finances, privacy and security should never be skimped on.

Crypto.com made the fatal mistake of not considering these factors when developing the platform — resulting in data breaches, loss of customer trust, and negative publicity for the company.

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What Went Wrong?

Crypto.com became the number one target of attacks due to the large amounts of money being transferred. Because the platform lacked data encryption and password managers, hackers easily bypassed the two-factor authentication and gained access to online wallets.

About $18 million worth of Bitcoin was stolen from 500 users, resulting in a PR firestorm where the company had to reimburse the stolen assets. Even though they performed a systems audit and improved the organization’s security posture after the fact, the damage was done.

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Did Crypto.com Recover?

A digital business can bounce back from a security breach, but on such a large scale with a massive sum of money stolen, user trust (the thing all financial management platforms should prioritize) was dead from then on.

Crypto.com officially closed its U.S. Institutional Services in June of 2023 as a result of government regulators filing lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase. While the company claimed the closure was due to the current market landscape and limited demand for their services, we aren’t wrong to assume the hacks played some role.

While the retail trading app still exists, the current regulatory environment for bitcoin trading, coupled with the crowded marketplace for digital management apps paints a grim picture for the future of Crypto.com.

Since the closure was recent, it might be too soon to tell if Crypto.com will survive or not. The lawsuits are from U.S. regulators — so it could still thrive with its international customers. But we can use the hacks as a cautionary tale about the importance users place on security and privacy.

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Key Takeaways

• Conduct Frequent Security Assessments: Every digital company should ensure its products are designed with security and privacy in mind. That includes performing regular maintenance to guarantee sensitive data is properly encrypted.
  
  When you protect your user’s information, you protect your business assets. Data protection, encryption software, and regular product maintenance are worth the investment. Keep in mind that softwares can change between versions and leave data vulnerable, so frequent audits are a must.

• Be Transparent About Data Collection: After Facebook’s data mining scandal in 2018, users are far more cautious with their online privacy. You must be forthcoming about how you’re using their data to improve the user experience and build trust.
  
  Make sure your privacy policies are easy for the user to find and understand, and notify users of third-party cookies to obtain consent. Additionally, companies should educate users about the measures they have in place to protect their data. Give them that extra reassurance that their data is in good, trustworthy hands.

• Don’t Trade Quality For Fad-Chasing: This isn’t particularly directed at Crypto.com, but it’s important to remember when you’re creating a product to capitalize on a digital trend. Timeliness is crucial, but quality matters more at the end of the day (looking at you, Zune).
  
  Yes, the competition is stiff in the crypto management market. But if users prioritize safety and intuitive features, focus on making those aspects the best they can be. Never rush to put out your product, especially one that handles finances or healthcare information.

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Vine

The concept of quick-bite content wasn’t completely novel in the early 2010s. If you think about it, some of the earliest viral YouTube videos were only a few seconds long. Vine built its entire identity around this idea, allowing people to create short 6-second clips that cater to our waning attention spans.

Vine was purchased by Twitter in 2012 and quickly became the most downloaded video-sharing app on the market. Users were flocking to the platform to watch viral videos and (hopefully) launch themselves into internet fame with a low-effort yet hilarious clip.

Ask any millennial to reference an internet video. They’ll either quote something from the early days of YouTube or throw in a classic Vine. But how did a platform that gave us so many legendary moments die out so quickly?

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What Went Wrong?

Vine’s 6-second video technology meant anyone could become a content creator. But with other video-sharing platforms emerging, Twitter failed to capitalize on Vine’s early success with future iterations — ultimately leading to its downfall.

The problem here came from Twitter overestimating the value of their property due to its exponential growth in a short period. But with our limited attention spans, it was way too easy for users to get distracted by a shiny new platform.

The newfound popularity of Instagram and Snapchat sent Twitter into panic mode, fearing that strategizing with Vine would make their platform irrelevant. Instead, they shifted their focus to their 30-second video feature.

This lack of product strategy, internal creative differences, and virtually no ad revenue spelled disaster for Vine. Its top creators also needed a way of content monetization, leading to them abandoning the platform in droves before it eventually shut down in 2016.

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Did Vine Recover?

Though Vine died out eight years ago, the memes it popularized still live on through YouTube and TikTok compilations. They could make a comeback, right?

Well, yes and no. The nostalgia’s strong enough to draw some curiosity, but could it reasonably compete with TikTok?

When Elon Musk officially acquired Twitter in 2022, one of the first ideas he explored was reviving Vine. Through a poll posted on Halloween last year, nearly 70% of users responded favorably — indicating some market demand.

However, a one-off poll isn’t the same as thorough research and competitive analysis. And we know that users rejected Vine as a Twitter-only feature (look up the Vine Camera debacle for more information). If Musk is serious about a renaissance, he should play his cards carefully.

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Key Takeaways

• Strategy Never Ends: Vine quickly gained notoriety through viral videos brimming with personality and celebrity-generated content. But after all the glitz and glamour wore off, competing platforms lured users away with similar functionalities, but more substantial value.
  
  When you capture an audience’s imagination like Vine did in the early 2010s, give them incentives to stick around long-term. If the platform had implemented some better video editing technology, sounds, or filters, it could have competed with Snapchat and (eventually) TikTok.

• Pay Your Creators: While paying people for short snippets of content with minimal production value doesn’t seem like the most lucrative practice, it’s worth it for the amount of traffic and ad revenue you can bring to your product.
  
  We see the power of influencer marketing in our everyday lives. With the attention Vine got from established entertainers and rising internet stars, they should have leveraged a partnership program with these users to help them produce original content — bringing their online followers back to the platform.

• Acquisition ≠ Success: When Twitter bought the platform from its founders for a whopping $30 billion, they probably thought Vine was set for life. Unfortunately, not all acquisitions are made equal.
  
  When you’re making a deal to sell your property, discuss product strategy and long-term vision before you surrender the rights. Now, all the work Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov, and Colin Kroll put into their idea is down the toilet — which can’t be revived by the original team again due to legal limitations.
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Quibi

Besides Crypto.com, this is one of the more recent digital product failures. But it’s hard to remember the last time a product launch was this disastrous.

Lauded as a revolutionary new way to consume content on the go, Quibi was a new streaming service created by former Disney chairperson and DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. With a creative mind like Katzenberg leading the project and the arsenal of Hollywood stars creating original content for the platform, it should’ve been a slam dunk…right?

Yeah, no. Quibi crashed and burned less than a year after its launch. How do you manage that with so much star power and nearly $2 billion in funding?

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What Went Wrong?

Honestly, it might be quicker to talk about what didn’t go wrong:

1. A Reno 911 reboot (which went to The Roku Channel after Quibi went under).
2. An original series called “Survive” starring Sophie Turner, who always deserves more work.

That’s about it. But because there’s a lot to learn from digital product failures like this, we’re diving into it anyway.

As a mobile-first platform with short-form content designed to be watched during your morning commute or at the gym, timing was an issue. Quibi officially launched in April 2020, right around the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns. As you can guess, this rendered the whole purpose of the product pretty well useless.

“But people could’ve stayed home and watched on their phones, right?” Absolutely! The circumstances surrounding the pandemic were 100% out of Quibi’s control. But instead of regrouping and adapting to the situation, they released the product as-is with some deeply flawed functionalities.

The biggest complaint that users had was that the platform wasn’t mobile-first, it was mobile-only. You couldn’t live cast the programs on your TV, severely limiting its usage scenarios and running counterintuitive to the binge-watching experience.

It wasn’t just the restricted functionalities of the service that hindered Quibi; it was the content itself. About half of the $2 billion budget went to securing big-named actors for original programming, and the rest went to releasing shows that wound up shelved by their respective studios (and probably for a good reason).

But really, even in 2020, did we need ANOTHER streaming service? Were people willing to shill another $5/month for a Punk’d reboot? The whole project reeked of poor planning and no understanding of how users consume mobile content.

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Did Quibi Recover?

While Quibi’s meme-worthy implosion was recent (shutting down for good in late 2020), there have been no rumblings about a comeback. It’s safe to say Katzenberg and co-founder Meg Whitman have shelved it indefinitely.

But that’s not to say mobile-only content streaming couldn’t work. After all, users devote hours to their TikTok wormholes — where 3-5 minute videos rake in millions of views and shares. Where do they succeed where Quibi failed?

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Key Takeaways

• Pay Attention To Market Viability: We live in very different times since the advent of streaming. Netflix proposed a cheaper solution to cable TV, but now the market is so inundated with streaming services that watching all your favorite programs across them costs as much as your old cable package.
  
  With any new streaming service released in 2023, positioning is everything (mobile or otherwise). What does your platform offer that your competitor doesn’t? Why is a subscription to your service worth the five bucks?

• Prioritize Content, Not Celebrities: Look, we’re not above celebrity culture. It’s an effective marketing tactic that can introduce your product to a new audience. But even our favorites can produce some serious stinkers.
  
  These days, streaming services live and die by their original content. A well-known celebrity or IP provides recognition, but users need to be confident in the material they’ll be seeing long-term to convince them to keep their subscription.

• Understand Your Technology: Katzenberg gave us some pretty modern stories from his time at Disney and DreamWorks, but Quibi was his “Ok boomer” moment. It’s pretty clear neither he nor Whitman understood why we’re on our phones all the time.
  
  Yes, the portrait-to-landscape transition made for a more pleasing viewing experience. But TikTok and Instagram have that social component, driving the FOMO that keeps us swiping away. With digital products, everything’s connected (the technology, content, and interactivity). If one (or in this case, all three) areas are lacking, you have a sure-fire recipe for a failure.
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So, What's The Point Of All Of This?

The more we learn from the wrongdoings of other companies, the better our products will be in the future!

As a digital design firm, we care about creating memorable experiences and pushing the boundaries of what we can do with technology. However, these things take time, trials, and (occasionally) errors.

Like most of our blogs, our aim is not to offend — it’s to educate! Actually, we went pretty hard on Quibi. But Jeffery Katzenberg is probably keeping busy with a new business venture, so we hope he doesn’t mind.

These digital product failures show us the vital role strategy and UX design play in the success of digital products and businesses. Instead of beginning a new venture blindly, we can look to these cautionary tales to guide us and help us protect our brand.

Conceptualizing a new product is an exciting time for a company. If you want extra reassurance that you’re taking the right precautions, our strategic and user-focused design process will help you hit all the right notes with your target audience. Start a project with us today!

As a design team working across numerous products and disciplines, we’ve seen plenty of industries with poor UX design.

This isn’t to throw shade at you if you feel like your digital product is lacking in the user experience front. Because if we’ve learned one thing in our collective 20+ years, every problem has a solution.

Before talking to a UX consultant or agency, realize you’re not alone! Our research and evaluation phases include a robust competitive analysis, and we’ve seen the same design flaws tank user experiences, no matter how established the product is within your designated industry.

But the good news is that you can capitalize on these weaknesses to benefit your business. With the right strategy and a little know-how on the basics of UX design fundamentals, you can avoid the common design issues in your industry and lead its digital expansion by example.

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Full Disclosure

The industries with poor UX design we included in this article are based on our opinions (with a few facts to back up our conclusions).

While we’ve certainly created projects and apps for some of these industries, there are a few fields of business in this list that we haven’t touched yet. While our opinions are formed by research and best practices, this blog intends to get the wheels turning and start a conversation on how to improve user experiences in these vital industries.

Furthermore, we’re not singling anyone out or trying to hurt feelings. While we generally like showing examples of what NOT to do, we’d rather tell you about what audiences feel when interacting with products in that industry to show you avenues for improvement.

If we mention a company by name, it's either a UX success story or to cite a specific case study that illustrates our point.

Now let’s get to the list proper 😎

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5 Industries With Poor UX Design

Digital market trends have tipped toward more user-centric experiences for years, but some industries still need to catch up with the times. And you know what happens when household-name companies refuse to catch up.

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Industries with poor UX design (from video rental chains and office supply manufacturing giants) toppled due to their inability to adapt to the digital age. But while new companies quickly took their place and made our lives easier, the industries listed here aren't going away anytime soon.

While this is good news for the major players involved, it creates confusion and frustration for the users — giving them a sense of dread every time they interact with one of these products. Is that really how you want users to feel whenever they need you to accomplish a goal?

We’re using this space to (gently) call out industries with poor UX design. But we’re not ones to dwell on the negative, so we’re also drawing from our experience and knowledge of best practices to discuss ways to improve them!

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Government

You’d think that our federal and local governments could create some less annoying websites with all the tax dollars we pay (okay, we promise that’s the last bit of shade we’ll throw).

Governments have several moving parts, so figuring out where to pay your taxes, update your voter registration, or apply for a permit is already confusing. Digital portals cut down on hectic office visits, but the overwhelming amount of information you have to sift through makes the process even more stressful.

Poor information architecture and disorganized content hierarchy aren’t the only problems with most government websites. The visual designs are painfully outdated — which is a huge factor in a user deciding whether or not they should trust a website.

And unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last seven years, the Government needs to gain our trust now more than ever.

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How A User-Centric Experience Saved The UK Government £1.7 Billion In 2015

If you’re a government employee that needs to convince your stakeholders of the value of UX in Government services, take a page from our friends across the pond!

In 2015, GOV.UK transitioned most of its public services to a digital platform. The website itself isn’t the most visually exciting interface. But prioritizing its most visited services above the fold during the two-year transformation program led to a higher follow-through with voter registration, making a lasting power of attorney, and carer’s allowance.

The impact of the streamlined digital transition was stellar. In the following months:

• 98% of driving tests were booked online
• 85% of self-assessment filings were executed electronically
• 12 million eligible citizens registered to vote using digital services
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Simple Ways To Improve Your Government’s Digital Services

A simplified sitemap and a clean, legible interface go a long way. But there are a few key things to remember when revamping a website for government services.

1. Prioritize Service Portals Over News & Updates: We know YOU think the latest Government happenings are super interesting. But users don’t want to scroll through a pile of articles to update their voter registration or get new vehicle tags.
   
   Conduct user testing to pinpoint the services with the highest activity on your Government’s site. Then ensure they can find those web portals when they first land on the page. Save news and blogs for social media accounts.

2. Prepare For The Worst: While we don’t like to dwell on the negative, the COVID-19 Pandemic showed us how unprepared our state and local Governments were for disasters. Even though the worst of the pandemic is over (*knocks on wood*), you never know which new fiasco could be around the corner.
   
   New bills or laws have serious ramifications for your citizens, business owners, and taxpayers. Be prepared to give your site visitors the lowdown with alerts and relevant FAQs — also, ensure your prominent service portals are ready for an influx of users.

3. Improve Page Loading Speeds: Since Government websites are large products with multiple pages, some may load slower than others. If a user needs to make payments or apply for a loan or permit, you must maintain these pages to function at optimal speeds.
   
   Quick load times facilitate higher transaction completion and lower checkout abandonment rates. Plus, it relieves a massive burden on your customer support team. Keep a web development team around to perform regular website maintenance and alleviate customer frustrations.
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Healthcare

One word: Paperwork.

While some hospital systems and healthcare practices have websites that make insurance verification and online booking a breeze, it’s no secret that all the paperwork involved makes them one of the most notorious industries with poor UX design.

A study from 2018 by the American Medical Association showed that 70% of physicians spent ten or more hours on paperwork and other administrative tasks per week. This takes away valuable face-to-face time in the patient experience and casts a negative light on the whole industry.

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How An Incident Management System Helped Performance Health Partners Focus On Delivering Quality Care

While the patient end of healthcare is paramount, provider burnout has far-reaching consequences for people in their care. It’s not just patient records they’re responsible for — they have to manage their own tasks and report incidents on behalf of their employer.

This example of excellent UX comes from the CreateApe camp! And we’re not just tooting our own horn. We created an incident reporting tool for Performance Health Partners to help their healthcare clients document safety and compliance events within their employee population.

By reducing the time it takes to report an incident and follow the proper protocols, our digital tool alleviated providers of tedious administrative tasks, allowing them to spend more time with their patients, eliminate a portion of after-hours paperwork, and improve overall outcomes for the hospital’s population.

This isn’t just an assumption, either. Our Incident Management System was ranked #1 by Best In KLAS earlier this year after scoring 13.3 points higher than the average KLAS software! A Best In KLAS designation indicates that a digital tool enables a healthcare provider to efficiently meet the needs of their patients and providers alike.

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Simple Ways To Improve The Digital Healthcare Experience

1. Consider Patient And Provider Needs Equally: Provider burnout affects us all. And with the rapidly dwindling number of healthcare workers and increasing patient populations, we need to eliminate as many barriers as possible.
   
   This could be as simple as asking for patient intake forms when someone books an online appointment or an electronic payment portal. Anything that reduces wait times and after-hours paperwork for physicians — the solutions you implement should be mutually beneficial.

2. Incorporate Telehealth Appointments: Only some check-ups require an in-person visit. And since the Pandemic turned us into a bunch of homebodies, telehealth appointments are a quick and easy avenue for symptom reporting and prescription updates.
   
   This may seem obvious since most providers already offer telehealth appointments. But you should always ensure your video conference platforms are optimized and secure. Plus, features like an online waiting room and time estimates can significantly improve the telehealth experience.

3. UX-ify Patient And Provider Portals: Healthcare portals don’t need to be the most visually exciting thing on the planet, but an organized information architecture and easy-to-navigate dashboard go a long way.
   
   The patient's experience outside the facility walls can drastically alter the perception of their care. Always provide quick access to patient records, diagnostic results, provider messages, and payment flows. The easier patients can find the services they need, the less burden on your receptionists.
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News Websites

Print may be dead, but it’s still alive online! However, whether it’s a huge publication or a niche digital rag, many news sites are littered with user experience flaws that drive people away from their most interesting stories.

A news website doesn’t seem super complicated on a surface level. But when you consider the categories, writers, and archives that go into a user’s interaction with the site, the sitemap becomes much more elaborate.

Couple basic search features and filters with excessive pop-up ads and gated content — you get another industry with poor UX design.
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Where News Websites And Apps Fall Short Of User Expectations

We'll use a case study by Sally Chen from UX Collective to demonstrate why news platforms (specifically the Apple News App) consistently rank among industries with poor UX design. By looking at Chen’s findings and user research, we can see a lot of similar problems between other news products.

Through Chen’s audit, she discovered that the app’s functionalities were limited. To make the experience more adaptable to the user’s taste and encourage repeat usage, she conducted user tests to see what consumers wanted from their news sites.

These common pain points were cited:

• “For You” stories were not relevant to the user’s interests
• Skipping the “Follow Your Favorites” step due to an overwhelming number of options
• “Save”, “Like”, or “Share Story” options were too hard to find
• The search page automatically suggests topics the user is not interested in
• Way too many notifications
• No search bar to quickly find saved stories
• No theme or font options for comfortability and accessibility
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Simple Ways To Improve Online News Navigation And Consumption

Chen’s UX fixes focus on news applications, but websites can benefit from these strategies too!

A simple interface that lists your stories isn’t enough for the average news reader anymore. These days, users have too many interests, biases, and reading habits — and they expect those intricacies to be catered to if you want to hold their attention.

1. Survey Your Users: How can you gauge your audience’s unique interests so you can entice them with new content? A survey is a safe bet, making users feel more engaged with your brand.
   
   With a survey, you can ask your users various questions to tailor your content to their tastes and attention span, such as their favorite topics, authors, political leanings, etc. You can also use your survey findings to shape your onboarding flows with updates from trusted publications, new pieces from their favorite authors, and localization elements.

2. Provide (Limited) Free Articles: We understand that news platforms need to make money since physical copies don’t sell well. We also believe that journalists should get paid for the hard work they put into their articles. But still, users are unlikely to purchase a monthly subscription without content previews.
   
   We’re not suggesting you give away the whole store. But 3-5 free articles a month are sufficient to give the user a taste of your content and let them decide if they want to pay up for more. You can also sweeten the pot with access to exclusive member content when they join.

3. Simplify Search Bars: It’s okay to recommend the newest articles on your search page, as long as they don’t overpower the search bar. A better approach here is to recommend popular topics or keywords (like Chen did in her Apple News App redesign).
   
   Plus, adding a search bar to your “Saved Stories” screen will help the user find the content they want to read later much faster (if you’re like us and save too many stories to keep track of).
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Law/Legal

Whether you’re part of a large firm or an independent practice, many legal websites make the same mistakes — making them one of the most well-known industries with poor UX design. Your legal website should reflect you and your services, but it also needs to speak to the types of clients you serve.

Many lawyers would agree that the hardest part of their job is gaining and keeping their client’s trust. Since the first interaction with a lawyer is through a website, you should show (not tell) your commitment to their best interests.

So, while your website should boast your skills and experience in the legal field, it’s imperative to balance that line between you and your users to persuade them to set up a consultation.

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How A Focused Website Design Increased Law 888’s User Base

And another one from the CreateApe team!

Law 888 is an established personal injury law firm in California specializing in immigration, social security, criminal defense, and worker’s compensation law. Despite their excellent reviews, their website was cluttered with unfocused information and branding.

When we tested with their target users, their major pain points were the lack of educational content to help them understand their case (law is complicated, people) and limited translation options for the website’s content (when the majority of their clients were Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese-speaking).

Instead of reorganizing the sitemap and translating the copy into plain-spoken language, we updated the branding to reflect their average client. We deeply studied Hispanic, Latino, and Chinese cultures to understand what resonated with them, then translated everything into the new visual design.

The success was palpable. Plus, with some strategic SEO implementation, we increased their website visits by 5,000 users!

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What Speaks To The Average Client?

The most important thing to remember for users seeking legal representation is that they’re going through a STRESSFUL time. They’re likely learning a bunch of new jargon and processes on the fly — and all they want is to feel supported.

You may feel compelled to talk about yourself or your practice with your website, but that won't inspire a potential client to get in touch. Instead, use this first digital touchpoint to help them understand their rights and options when navigating the complicated field of law.

1. Avoid Distractions: We love clever load screen animations or a parallax scrolling effect. But as the kids say, read the room. When interacting with a law site, the user wants to find the information that applies to them quickly.
   
   Aim for clean and fast-loading search features, content displays, and screen transitions. And this goes without saying, pop-up ads, autoplay videos, and flashing images. The more control you give the user over their own experience, the more trust you subconsciously instill between them and your practice.

2. Optimize For Mobile: A common faux pas we’ve seen among our legal clients is an unoptimized (or altogether missing) mobile experience. Since 92.3% of internet users access the web through a mobile device, it’s imperative to translate your experience across devices.
   
   Plus, since users may need to access your contact information on the go, ensure they can find your email and phone number easily for whatever problems they run into while preparing for court.

3. Use Clear, Concise CTAs: A call-to-action button can make or break a consultation inquiry. So you must ensure they’re not buried too low in the web page or relegated to embedded links.
   
   Ideally, they’ll have a spot above the fold on your home page. But you’ll want to intersperse them throughout your services and about us pages so they’re easily accessible throughout the user journey. And don’t forget a strong call-to-action on your contact form.
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Finance

Our list is in no particular order, but we’re putting banking and financial digital products low among industries with poor UX design because most fintech companies keep their platforms relatively simple. Perhaps a little too simple…

It seems counterintuitive for a UX design company to point out oversimplification as a negative. But let’s be real, some of these product designs are snoozefests. As we said earlier in the Government section, looks are everything (especially for tech-forward millennials and Gen-Z’s starting their first accounts).

Also, when it comes to keeping their banking information and assets secure, users need that extra context to provide guidance and avoid misunderstandings related to their money.

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Common Fintech Pain Points

Just like the legal field, the finance industry is full of fancy jargon and elaborate concepts that are too complex to explain in plain language. But while some of us may never seek legal counsel (if we’re lucky), we all need to know how money works.

Unless you’re a Wall Street player or an avid investor, it’s hard to make these financial topics interesting enough to help users understand how taxes, interest rates, debt, and assets impact their income. At the end of the day, the average user only cares about making ends meet.

On top of the inherently dull nature of finances, the lack of friction is an unexpected struggle for fintech products. Users want an accessible and easy-to-use product, but it can’t be so seamless that it accidentally leads them to make mistakes with their money. 

With the cost of living and inflation at an all-time high, misinterpreting balances and budgets could have severe consequences. Take the case of Alexander Kearns as a cautionary tale for the effects of poorly designed financial UX.

(We’ll let you read this one on your own. But as a trigger warning, this article does discuss suicide.)
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Encourage Financial Literacy & Confidence With An Excellent User Experience

While Kearns’ case is an outlier, it shows us the impact that industries with poor UX design have on their users. It also demonstrates just how far some simple tips, alerts, and notifications can go in preventing a tragedy (or at least recklessness with money).

But how should banks and investment platforms toe the line between easy-to-use and conscientious? Since money is a major concern for everyone, a consumer-first mindset is especially paramount for fintech products.

1. Implement Extra Security Measures: Healthcare isn’t the only field where digital products store sensitive information. To gain the user’s trust and confidence, reassure them that their account information, assets, and transactions are safe from prying eyes.
   
   Users generally prefer quick access, but not when their money is on the line. Don’t be afraid to use extra validation methods, such as two-factor authentication or security questions, as a protective barrier against bank and credit card fraud.

2. Explain How Alerts Apply To Them: Excessive alerts and notifications from your organization are a total turn-off. But knowing is half the battle when it comes to responsibly managing finances. That’s why you should always keep the “What’s in it for me?” angle in mind.
   
   If your UX makeover just launched, show users where to find their cards, transactions, and other account details. If there was a major change in their balance, alert the user of any direct deposits or overdraft fees. And if a stock is performing well or completely tanking, provide information about the next steps to avoid reactionary mismanagement.

3. Incorporate Gamification: We know we made fintech UX sound so serious — and it is! But that doesn’t mean your experience should be sterile and boring. They need to be engaged in your content to truly understand their finances. And gamification is a fun, immersive way to help them connect the dots.
   
   A gamified interface looks different depending on the type of platform. For a banking app, you can incentivize the users to set budget goals and show them how they’re performing from month to month (and where they rank among a percentage of your customers). For investment platforms, it could be social elements or knowledge assessment quizzes for newbies or seasoned investors.
   
   The goal is to get creative and find what drives that sense of healthy competition (and repeat usage).
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Feel Called Out?

Maybe…but if you’re involved in these industries with poor UX design, we hope you don’t feel singled out. The industries we discussed here all share a common need for significant improvement in user experience.

It's important to remember that these criticisms are not meant to attack or shame, but rather highlight the areas where UX design enhancements can benefit both companies and users.

As we've seen, even well-established industries with significant user bases can falter without seamless solutions. But these practical strategies can enhance your company’s perception (and your whole industry by extension).

By recognizing the frustrations with your industry’s digital offering, you can capitalize on those weaknesses, ensure trust with your users, and lead by example.

If you feel like any part of this article applies to you and your company, there are two things to remember: you are not alone and it is okay to ask for help. 

Working with a UX designer or an agency (*ahem*...*AHEM*) can get you closer to understanding your product’s flaws and guide you on the proper path to fixing them. Start a project with us today!