Role of User Interface Design in Adoption of Innovations
It’s customary to promote innovations by emphasizing the benefits such as efficiency, cost saving, better quality, and so on. But before an innovation could benefit the users, there lies a big question: will the target audience adopt or even try an innovative product/solution? There are many factors influencing the acceptance of innovation in industrial/enterprise environment. We are discussing one such pivotal factor in this post: the role of user experience or, more specifically, user interface design.
Intuitive Design and Navigation
The industrial/enterprise apps now compete with the flawless user experience provided by consumer apps. The most common feature of a successful app design is that these are intuitive to learn and use.
The consumer apps come with an intuitive interface and are ready-to-use on download; without the need of a lengthy on-boarding tutorial. In contrast, most industrial/enterprise apps still require instructions/tutorials before the users are able to fully benefit from the app. This is an opportunity for industrial apps to take a page from the wide acceptance of consumer apps designs that get wide-spread acceptance from their audience. So, before launching your next innovation in the market, increase the chances of its adoption by focusing on the the user interface of your innovative products/solutions.
Meaningful Content Hierarchy and Organization
Prioritizing the information/features is a tricky undertaking for inherently complex industrial apps. Many apps designed for handheld devices struggle in prioritizing the key information, resulting in information overload or a clutter on the screen. The success of minimalist consumer apps shows that it’s vital to avoid overwhelming the users. One way to replicate this strategy in industrial setting is to gradually release the product/app features, transitioning from minimal to full-scale applications.
Integration with Existing Systems and Operations
The industrial/enterprise apps often rely on integrating various third-party apps and modules to accomplish various tasks. This integration, sometimes, poses a challenge to the ease of user experience. The best way to ensure a seamless entry/exit to third party apps is to hand the control to the users. By making it voluntary to use a feature keeps the user in charge and they can explore the functions/features at their own pace. Also, guiding the users through each step of the way with intuitive navigation is a good strategy to prepare users for the options provided by third party integration.
Interested in how we are applying these concepts in our apps? Check out our products or contact our consultants to book a demo.
