daniel chigunwe
Tariro Manamike
Imagine . . . From the moment you wake up to the time you drift into sleep at night, your day is a series of choices, each one shaping your experience and how you feel.
As you awaken and step out of your 1 500 thread — count sheets, that enveloped you in luxury throughout the night and ensuring a good night’s sleep many things shroud your mind.
You step into the shower and indulge in a luxurious ritual, applying a nourishing lotion to your skin.
Instantly, you feel it enveloping you, leaving your skin supple and radiant. The sensation lingers, reminding you of the care you have chosen to start your day.
As you dab your cologne onto your skin, you are not just applying a fragrance; you are indulging in a sensory experience that elevates your mood and boosts your confidence.
As the fragrance settles on your skin, you feel a sense of empowerment wash over you. The subtle yet distinct aroma becomes a part of your identity, subtly signalling your presence and leaving a lasting impression on those around you.
You slip into a 100 percent cotton shirt, its breathable, light fabric draping just right, providing comfort and ease as you move throughout the day.
Throughout the day, your choices continue to influence your experience. Each choice has been an opportunity to delight your senses and elevate your day.
You get to work and are reminded that you have to renew your operating license. Firstly, when you want to find the permit requirements online, you visit the website, expecting a seamless and enjoyable experience, only to be greeted by a cluttered, overwhelming mess. You are bombarded with pop-ups, banners and ads vying for your attention.
Navigation is a maze of confusing menus and links, leaving you lost and frustrated. You search for the information you need, only to be met with walls of text, jumbled layouts, and broken links.
It is a chaotic scene — a far cry from the immediate gratification you experience with a luxurious lotion or a perfectly cooked steak. You just cannot find the information you need online. You decide to call, but their phones are not being answered.
You have no option but to drive there, and when you get there, you are met by the receptionist who seems to not fully understand the business operations or perhaps they are overwhelmed.
They refer you to someone’s office to ask for information, but when you get there — you encounter a long queue of people waiting in line just to get the same service. By the way, it is almost lunchtime and these guys do not work during lunch break, so you will have to wait to be served after lunch.
There is not anywhere to sit! This organisation, that is supposed to give your permit for your business operations, is the only one that can do this. So, despite their poor service, you have to suck it up.
When the officer does come back, they tell you that you have brought incomplete paperwork, so you must return on another day for your application to be completed. You ask if they have an online method of completing the process and they tell you “NO.” You ask why. “Because that’s how business is done around here!’, they say.
I will not name people but I am pretty sure you have had an experience similar to this in your lifetime.
Incredibly frustrating but it does not have to be like this. I repeat, it does not have to be like this, there are plenty of other life scenarios that could use your endurance and patience skills but renewing a license must not be one of them. With intention, filing for your application to renew your permit might actually turn out to be a pleasant experience.
Picture another scenario
How many times have you bumped into a door because you did not know if it was a push or pull door?
Or sat in a chair that was too short for you as a tall person in a restaurant? As a tall woman who has often had to slump in a chair uncomfortably because the chair is too low, I understand this well.
Perhaps the restaurant owners were not anticipating tall customers. Representation matters to people, but I will talk about that on another day.
You can only imagine that I do not go back to such places because I am uncomfortable. While their food is nice, I just cannot sit in the uncomfortable chair. The experience shifts from the food to the chair.
Or, picture this: You are at a coffee shop, trying to use the bathroom. The door has one of those ambiguous handles that could mean “push” or “pull.”
You give it a tentative push, only to find it does not budge. You then try pulling, still no luck. Finally, someone else comes along and effortlessly slides it open.
You laugh it off, but inside, you wonder why something so simple can be so confusing. A simple sign could have solved this rather embarrassing episode.
How did we get here?
It’s a question that begs to be answered. A list of possible reasons come to mind. With regards to the website, maybe the website was designed without a clear understanding of the user’s needs and preferences.
Maybe the focus was solely on cramming as much information and as many features as possible onto the page, without considering the user’s journey or experience. Or, it is possible that the website was created hastily, with little thought given to usability, aesthetics, or functionality.
With the licensing office, maybe they just did not see the need to redesign their business processes. With the restaurant, maybe they thought that the chairs were OK for everyone and as for the door, perhaps it was an oversight or seemed obvious.
Whatever the reason, the result is the same: a poorly designed user interface in any business sphere, frustrates and alienates users.
A lack of coherence or clarity, creates a jungle where users are left to fend for themselves, navigating through a maze of confusion and frustration. I am convinced that the answer lies in a lack of intention. As a result, the bottom line suffers.
The consequences of poor design
With thoughtful planning, user research and a focus on human-centred design (HCD) principles, User interfaces can be transformed from chaotic messes to seamless experiences.
The solution: Enter human-centred design
Human-centred design focuses on creating interfaces that are intuitive, efficient and enjoyable for users, whether they are physical, sensory, or digital. It is about understanding the needs, behaviours, and preferences of your users and designing with those insights in mind.
At the core of HCD is empathy and research-not what you think the customer will want but putting yourself in the shoes of your customers to create a product that they will like. Research is key as it provides information on the user needs and pain points.
Implementing human-centred design
Because of decision fatigue, a minimalist approach is used to avoid overwhelming customers with too many options. The product must incorporate interactive elements that provide immediate feedback and keep users engaged whilst ensuring that navigation is straightforward and users can easily find what they are looking for.
By continuously testing the UI with real users and gathering feedback, iterative improvements can be made based on user feedback to enhance the overall experience. By implementing human-centred design, businesses can transform their UIs into smooth, engaging, and user-friendly experiences. This not only increases user satisfaction but also drives higher engagement, conversions and ultimately, profitability.
Case in point
MySpace: Once the dominant social networking platform, MySpace lost ground to Facebook due to its cluttered interface, lack of privacy controls and failure to innovate.
MySpace prioritised advertising revenue over user experience, inundating users with intrusive ads and spammy content. In contrast, Facebook focused on simplicity, user engagement, and personalisation, ultimately surpassing MySpace in popularity and user base.
In the airline business sector Emirates Airlines employs Human-Centred Design (HCD) principles to create a user experience that is intuitive, engaging, personalised. Emirates has achieved world-class service by employing human-centred design principles in the development of their cabin experience.
This approach focuses on understanding and addressing the needs, preferences, and comfort of passengers, leading to a more personalised and luxurious travel experience.
Unlike the restaurant where I can’t fit into the chair, Emirates has achieved world-class service by employing human-centred design principles in the development of their cabin experience.
This approach focuses on understanding and addressing the needs, preferences, and comfort of passengers, leading to a more personalised and luxurious travel experience.
Emirates prioritises passenger comfort with ergonomically designed seats that offer ample legroom and adjustable features to cater to individual needs. Their first class suites, passengers enjoy private, fully enclosed spaces with lie-flat beds, personal mini-bars, and customisable lighting.
Business class seats transform into lie-flat beds, ensuring restful long-haul journeys. These design choices enhance passenger comfort and privacy, making long flights more enjoyable and less tiring.
By understanding the diverse entertainment needs of passengers, Emirates offers a wide range of options to cater to various preferences.
The Information, Communication, Entertainment (ICE) system provides over 4 500 channels of movies, TV shows, music, and games, along with live TV and Wi-Fi connectivity.
This extensive selection ensures passengers are entertained and connected throughout their flight, enhancing the overall travel experience. Emirates also prioritises a high-quality dining experience that reflects the diverse tastes and dietary needs of its global customer base.
Passengers can enjoy gourmet meals prepared by world-class chefs, with menus that regularly change to include regional and seasonal dishes.
Special meals are available for various dietary requirements. The focus on quality, variety, and customisation in food service contributes to passenger satisfaction and a memorable dining experience at 35,000 feet.
The Emirates Group released its 2023-24 annual report, achieving record profit, revenue, and cash balance levels. Both Emirates and data experienced significant profit and revenue increases in 2023-24, as the Group expanded its operations globally to meet strong customer demand for its high-quality products and services.
For the financial year ended March 31, 2024, the Emirates Group reported a record profit of AED 18,7 billion (US$ 5,1 billion), a 71 percent increase compared to last year’s AED 10,9 billion (US$ 3,0 billion) profit. The Group’s revenue was AED 137,3 billion (US$37,4 billion), a 15 percent increase over the previous year’s results.
The Group’s cash balance reached AED 47,1 billion (US$12,8 billion), the highest ever reported, up 11 percent from last year. Combined Group profits for the past two years, totalling AED 29,6 billion, surpass pandemic losses of AED 25,9 billion during 2020-2022. Impressive numbers!
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates airline and Group said: “The Emirates Group has once again raised the bar to deliver a new record performance.
Throughout the year, we saw high demand for air transport and travel related services around the world, and because we were able to move quickly to deliver what customers want, we achieved tremendous results.
We are reaping the benefit of years of non-stop investments in our products and services, in building strong partnerships, and in the capabilities of our talented people.”
Focus on… “because we were able to move quickly to deliver what customers want, we achieved tremendous results.”
The data speaks
Design thinking companies have higher revenue and better shareholder returns. Data from McKinsey shows how organisations that regularly follow design thinking practices see a third higher revenues and 56 percent higher returns than those that don’t. So, even if you are running your small business, the evidence shows that HCD is for everyone.
Book recommendation: “Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation: What They Can’t Teach You at Business or Design School” by Idris Mootee — This book explores how design thinking can be used as a strategic tool for innovation, providing practical guidance on how to apply design thinking principles to business challenges.
A decent comfortable chair, a well designed website, a properly trained receptionist could be the differentiating factor between you posting profits or losses.
Tariro Manamike is a seasoned media and public relations professional with over a decade of experience in broadcast journalism and strategic communication. She is passionate about human-centred design, business communication, and their impact on the bottom line. Tariro writes in her personal capacity and can be reached at [email protected].
Bongani Ndlovu