The role of technology in building ‘User Experience’

Choosing a technology should be driven by the experience a product or service aims to provide its users – form should follow function, in other words. While we may have heard this before, we’ve still seen technology often taking the lead and influencing decisions related to user experience. While choosing the technology is important, understanding of the existing processes users follow to accomplish their tasks can provide a broader perspective. Empathise with the user, their values, what works well and what doesn’t.

Answers to many such questions lie in understanding the real problem a design or technology is meant to solve. A clear understanding of the current user experience can provide the right insights, which are crucial to solving the problem. This might involve streamlining processes, reducing friction, or introducing features that directly address user needs. In the process, we may discover that one technology is more effective than ...