When I was younger and personal computers were just making their way into the work place there was the role of the “interface designer”. When your world consisted of an 80x24 text based screen (an IBM 3270 terminal) there wasn’t a lot of flexibility in what you could do. Things changed with the introduction of a graphical user interface (GUI) and the “interface designer” became the “GUI designer”. The purpose was the same, however, get the user to enter in some information so that the big back end systems could process them.
When the World Wide Web (aka “The Internet” although it is only just a part of it) came on board the “GUI designer” became a “web designer”. And while the web is still where many/most things are being done the role of “web designer” has changed. It morphed into what some people have called a “customer experience designer” or what other people have a “digital experience designer”. My personal preference is “digital experience designer” (DX) as I think the experience of the client extends beyond what they see on the screen.
The DX designer’s purpose is to ensure that the entire experience with a product / organization meets the needs of the client, not the needs of the organization and this is a somewhat different focus than traditional development. Normal development is based on the needs/desires of the organization whereas a DX designer takes those needs and translates them into something that a customer will want or will save the customer time.
For instance, if you go through the ApplyAlberta system to apply to a College/University one of the requirements is a transcript of you marks. Rather than having the student provide those transcripts the post secondary institution makes a request for the transcript on behalf of the student. An existing business requirement (transcript) is still satisfied, but is done in a manner that eases the burden on the student. Their entire experience, their entire digital interaction is what comprises the digital experience, not just the single interaction with the web site.
And therein lies part of the problem. Mobile devices outsell desktops and laptops by a wide margin. It is estimated that this year more people will be accessing the Internet through a mobile device than through laptops/desktops. So, where are the mobile versions of many of our applications? Even a site with responsive web design would go a long way towards making the digital experience, when viewed through a mobile device, a more acceptable route. Unfortunately, when I look at many sites, not just within the GoA, but world wide, the sites are not mobile friendly. My fingers are not narrow, dainty things that I can use to point with extreme precision. They are blunt instruments that work quite well at pounding the keys of my keyboard. I want, I need, the digital experience that I desire. The companies that provide that experience get my business and that is one reason why Amazon is probably one of my more frequently visited sites. Not only do they have a mobile friendly website, but an application that I can install to get an even better experience.
Building a better digital experience does not need to be expensive, but it does require a solid foundation upon which to build this experience. By creating applications and services that provide the basis for this foundation we position ourselves to take advantage of changes in requirements with a greatly reduced effort.
We need to build for the future not the past.
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