Enterprise UX stands tall as one of the most talked about forms of UX designing. It is a complex field whose target audience is working professionals. Let’s face it; they are used to bad UI.
While challenges are common for any kind of UX design, enterprise UX design needs to push the ordinary to offer something different and, in many cases, provides a lot more to make the interactions memorable.After all, it’s the workplace we are talking about. And a lot happens there.
What is Enterprise UX Design?
Understanding enterprise UX design will tell you why it is a category on its own. While we have different types of UX, Enterprise UX talks about designs that specifically target professionals, and in a more practical sense, it refers to apps that offer B2B solutions for organisations. Basically, people in the workforce need Enterprise UX to get their job done on a day-to-day basis.
While designing an enterprise UX, think about the employees of organisations, and how the enterprise software design can make their work life easier. The easier it is for them to do their jobs, the better their businesses. The outcome of enterprise application design affects businesses financially, thus making enterprise UX a field of complexities.
It’s not that enterprise UX design has not been made before. However, few of them have been effective. Which is why we mentioned right at the beginning that the workforce is used to bad UX design. A good enterprise UX is not just related to business but also the productivity of employees. And there’s more.
When done right, enterprise UX will provide the following benefits:
- Improved interactions
- Better productivity and
- Effortless understanding
- Reduced errors
Even if these aspects aren’t met, you can also conduct a UX Audit and look to add more value.
How’s Enterprise UX Design is different from Consumer UX
Enterprise UX design and consumer UX design fall under the same umbrella of UI/UX designing. However, in terms of differences, they are worlds apart. This fact is oftentimes overlooked by vendors who provide basic enterprise UX Design that looks like something done by a software developer. It is important to be mindful of the differences. We list the most important differences below:
Users
As the name suggests, consumer UX deals with consumer applications that help users find solutions to their problems. These are common apps, and since there is an abundance of them, you can be sure of competition.
Now, consumer UX is put in the same category as enterprise UX. However, they are characteristically different from each other. These differences exist mainly in their ideation, execution and goals.
For enterprise UX, applications are primarily designed for domains, and users are working professionals who will need the app to carry forward their work-related requirements. The difference here lies with the user. In consumer UX, buyers are the users. It’s upon the user to configure it and the designs are also relatively simpler.
While efficiency is important in enterprise UX, it might not be a priority for consumer UX. UX for enterprise is designed keeping in mind that they will be on it continuously all through their working days. That might not be the case for consumer UX, where users come in as and when they need.
Functionality
There’s a strong belief that enterprise application designs are complex. This might be true to a great degree since the functionality of enterprise UX software is very varied. These applications need to support more than multiple functions and accompany the interests of many users based on their job positions.
Comparatively, consumer applications only have a single function to accomplish. These apps target users based on their problems and move ahead to be the solution. As a result of competition, you can always find an alternative to a consumer application compared to enterprise UX design.
Challenges
Challenges are a part of UI/UX designing, and every agency offering design-related services knows what they must overcome. Similarly, both consumer and enterprise applications come with their own challenges.There can be no comparison between them since they cater to
different segments of the user-base altogether.
But if we were to draw a comparison, enterprise applications would stand out with the bigger challenges. These apps handle complex data, and users must use them to adhere to the organisation’s rules and regulations.Also, conducting an enterprise UX research is a difficult task since designers do not know the actual ways in which their designs will be used by the end-consumers.
The people who buy enterprise UX applications are not the ones using them. This disparity between the buyers and the consumers makes it difficult for designers to integrate data into the designs.
Apart from data, enterprise applications will also have a range of transactions that may differ from consumer applications. Enterprise software UX designs might come off as more complicated and need to be more goal-oriented for users. The users will need an enterprise UX design that is more compatible with the complex tasks they perform on an everyday basis.
Restrictions
Enterprise applications are bound to have more restrictions and security features as it has company-centric data. Substantial financial losses could be underway if these applications lost this information.They need to be designed to create better focus and drive higher productivity and end results from consumers.
Consumer applications aren’t any different, as they can also have personal information. However, regarding security features, enterprise applications are known to be the more protective guide.Enterprise software and UX design have a higher information density and may lead to cognitive overload if not designed well for the users.
Both these applications are designed to operate in a specific way, and these changes also reflect their approach toward enterprise UX designing.
What makes enterprise UX design important?
Enterprise UX is booming, and in doing so, this design field is adding relevance to its existence. In fact, the bar has been set quite high considering the necessity of such softwares in workplaces around the world. We tell you the how and why.
Promoting sales
Sales fall under the bracket of survival and existence for an organization, making it a key indicator for growth. And anything that promotes sales invariably plays a significant role. The softwares that an organization uses determines the productivity and the culture of the workplace. This is more true in today’s times than ever before.
This is where enterprise UX design comes in. Organizations depend on several tools, such as customer relationship management and top marketing tools like SEMRUSH. Since the target group for these tools are enterprises, our field of design comes into play.
These tools are not only used to promote sales but also to.
- Be competitive
- Achieve business goals and
- Improve the business model
In these areas, enterprise UX design has a huge role to play as it adds value to an organization’s efforts. Apart from following the common elements to create a credible interface, enterprise UX is also responsible for ensuring data management.Data is a crucial aspect in this day and age. And any compromise on it can lead to severe repercussions. The UX design has to be such that employees do not feel any doubts about the whereabouts of their confidential data.
Achieving employee satisfaction
These tools are designed for employees who will be using it for their everyday tasks, including the seemingly minor tasks like logging in for the day or keeping their data. No wonder then that there is a potential impact a tool or a product has on their employees. Considering that employees are using these tools, it makes sense to purchase them while thinking about Return on Investment (ROI).
If the element of design is too much for enterprise-related tools or applications, employees might need to align their efforts, and hence, the outcome would simply defeat its purpose. This is why UI/UX designers need to remember the critical elements of an interface and explore the core requirements for enterprise UX design.
So, you see, Without proper research, enterprise UX fails to capture the core of the project, which in turn will affect outcome, sales, and ROI.
Customer support
Enterprise UX plays a crucial role in customer support. Oftentimes, customers might shy away from using the services of an enterprise because of the shoddy UX design that takes forever to navigate. Moreover, multiple features, such as live chat and support tools, need a robust UX design that pulls more customers towards the enterprise.
That apart, features like live chat and support tools are often seen in apps, websites, and other platforms. Providing ample support enhances enterprise user experience and enables customers to solve all their problems.
Achieving customer loyalty
Looking at enterprise user experience design from the customer’s perspective will help you realize it is all about the experience. The tools designed need to be as user-friendly as possible. It needs to reflect what the customer wants and ensure the process is smooth. There’s no point in designing a complex UX design software that makes it difficult to process the work of the customer. Rest assured that they won’t return to you!
A fine example of this is the conversion funnel that routinely describes a buyer’s journey. Here, end-users experience depends on the enterprise design of the software or service. If that experience is top-notch, customer loyalty could be on the way.
Top Challenges Faced by Enterprise UX
A lot of organisations supposedly lag behind when it comes to investing in enterprise UX design. It does not get the same importance or priority as is given to consumer UX design. This might be because of the differences in priority, goals as well as the quality of design between the two.
As mentioned above, challenges are a part of UI/UX designing since every project invites problems of its own. However, there is great value in designing an experience UX that promises better service to people who provide services to others. For example, medical professionals, banking executives, digital marketing experts or sales people.
That being said, finding solutions is a systematic process that requires the team to brainstorm and bring fresh ideas to the table.
Challenges start to disappear as things begin to get finalized and enter other stages of UI development.
Meeting customer needs
Enterprise UX is provided for organisations and specifically for the employees of that organisation. So, meeting employee needs is an important parameter, and they must be satisfied.That can be a bit difficult considering the buyers and the users are not the same people. You will not see employees getting an enterprise UX for themselves; these are often decided for them by C-suite executives and boardroom members.
However, consumer behavior, which is influenced by,
- Personal
- Psychological
- Social
These factors cannot remain the same and keep evolving. Needless to say, enterprise UX also needs to evolve dynamically. Meeting customer needs is one of the first challenges designers face while working on enterprise UX design projects. Hence, designers must ensure that they follow a flexible approach that leaves ample room for customization.
Highly specialised requirements
Enterprises will be willing to spend big bucks to get what they need based on the ROI. Unlike customers, Enterprises will quickly look into solutions and, if things don’t work out, will quickly look into alternatives.Also, enterprise user experience is influenced by factors such as productivity, sales and employee satisfaction.
There are some highly specialised requirements that designers need to meet if they are going to design an app or any other platform for enterprises. The design has to promise greater amount of focus and commitment to time which is vital for productivity in enterprises. Certain functionality might be of paramount importance to employees and cannot be hidden or kept in a repository for premium subscription. Or else, the enterprise will move to something similar but less pricey. A simple, minimalist design is appealing but it cannot overshadow the essential requirements of employees. There’s less to compromise on and a lot to work with.
Thanks to their level of expertise, new designers might need help to cope. Also, the ongoing competitiveness in the market has created opportunities for better yet simple enterprise design. All they need to be is easy to navigate and more effective to complete daily tasks for employees across the organisation.
Competitive market
The market for Enterprise UX is competitive but it’s a little different from what one usually sees. Enterprises prefer working with well-established agencies or designers. That makes the entry barrier quite bigger if you are not one of them. While agencies might already have a reputation, freelancers need help building things from scratch. They might be good but the industry already makes its favourites.
Moreover, enterprises also consider the margin for error because they want to keep it at a minimum. If they find a reputable agency that provides top-tier designs, they are bound to go after the same.
Creating simple designs
Enterprise UX, as a field of design, is expected to reach $347 Billion by 2027. However, they are different from designs that target customers or B2C designs, as we call it. The users are different in case of enterprise UX. While customers buy products for personal requirements, users, in this context, use such tools or products for work. So, enterprise software designers will not concentrate on selling the product but on making the design simpler.
But, making a design simple isn’t as simple as it seems because it is a complex process and needs to be backed by research.
Once these parameters are met, the task of an enterprise UX/UX designer becomes clearer. They understand the path forward and inculcate elements that produce results.
Conclusion
Considering the fact that organisations are looking for specialised tools and services, the interest in enterprise UX is expected to increase. Let’s not forget that organisations want their employees to work with the latest forms of innovation and technology, given the tech-driven world we are living in.
So, there you go. This might be an excellent time to become an enterprise UX/UX designer. You don’t have to look far ahead. We are right here! If you’re looking for such services, consult us.
FAQs
When do you need an enterprise-level platform?
Generally speaking, an enterprise requires an enterprise-level UX solution to improve the productivity and efficiency of employees, especially if you want to
- Improve access to information
- Streamline workflows
- Enhance collaborations
- Ensure security and compliance
How to design Cross-Platform Digital Experiences in Enterprise UX?
Designing cross-platform digital experiences in enterprise UX is all about what your user really needs.The following strategy helps:
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Identifying your user’s needs.
Without identifying what your user needs, we cannot plan a platform for them. As designers we need to know our user’s goals, pain points, and how they would want to use the platform on different devices. Conducting user research will help gather invaluable insights.
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Time to define your user’s journey.
Once you understand their needs, next comes the process of mapping. Through the process of user journey mapping you will be able to identify any gaps that may have come while designing enterprise application.
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Invest in developing a design system.
By creating a design language specific to the brand, you will be able to maintain consistency across different devices and platforms. A design system is part of creating a design language, including due importance to typography, color palette, and UI components.
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Always, think mobile-first.
Mobile version is no longer a good-to-have, it’s a must-have as a huge chunk of users access enterprise level platforms through their mobile devices. Therefore, keep in mind the limited net bandwidth, small screens and touch interactions.
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A responsive design.
You need a responsive design that offers a digital experience adapted to different screen sizes and devices. This ensures that your design is accessible to all users, regardless of the device they are using.
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Test and iterate your design.
It’s okay to kill your darlings. By regularly conducting user testing on different devices and platforms we as designers can ensure a consistent and positive experience for our users. Don’t shy away from using good old feedback forms to know what your end-user wants, and adapt accordingly.
What is the turnaround time to complete enterprise UX
The turnaround time to complete enterprise UX can vary widely depending on the scope and complexity of the project. After all, it involves multiple stages of research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation – each of which can take time to complete.
Other factors that may influence the turnaround time for enterprise UX design is how many people are working on from the design agency, the number of end-users, the workflow complexities and back-end systems involved. Of course budget too is crucial.
Thus developing a robust enterprise UX design project can take anywhere between several months or years to complete. However, smaller projects with a narrower scope may get completed quickly, potentially within a few weeks or months.
