Everyone and their dog are now in agreement about the importance of user experience quality. At least they should be, as it is evident that at least in the high-end phones it’s the devices that can provide a good user experience that make the most money. RIM has been very successful in creating a good mobile email experience and Apple for media and content distribution and playback. And a good UI, I’ve got to admit.

It’s just marketing really, but marketing that actually has substance. A good user experience is part of the product’s overall promise. One doesn’t even have to try a Mercedes-Benz CL AMG 65 and know that it promises a superior overall user experience to a Toyota Corolla, even though both are very good cars (Granted, Toyota is maybe a bad example since most people are very satisfied with one, but picking on a Lada or a Geely would just have been too easy).

There are now more and more common features shared between automotive and mobile worlds in terms of user experience, as cars get human-machine interfaces that increasingly rely on visual feedback (big LCD screens), one of the latest examples being the 2010 Range Rover joining the exclusive group of cars that have replaced traditional gauges with a big LCD screen. But lest this blog entry become too long, I’ll just stick to mobile phones for now.

The challenge of dealing with user experiences is that there is a huge set of contributing variables. The user experience really isn’t just about a pretty GUI. The variables could be described as a value chain that contains the basic components forms the basis for successful implementation of a good user experience. Controlling the value chain (guiding it with a vision) is where the differences are made.

Different contributors to the value chain all bring something crucial to the overall user experience picture. Basically they should all have a common goal, which is hard to maintain in a competitive environment, but doable as witnessed by some successes in the market. In the end they all should deliver pieces towards something that consumers find a pleasure to use.

The requirement is that the parts of the chain either understand what the overall picture is in terms of the desired user experience, or they are carefully steered to fit their offering with a well-planned user experience requirements.

This is where we run into trouble. First of all, there is no common set of target applications with a defined level of user experience quality that everyone should strive for. The lack of common benchmarks is a real problem, since it’s hard to make a comprehensive contribution if no-one knows what the desired level for the end result actually is (of course there may be a gut feeling, which are often correct, but gut feelings are hard to use to run a complicated process and define accurate targets).

In some cases the client really does know what it wants and is able to issue good requirements. Often the notion is vague and steered by gut though.

Secondly, the quality of the software implementation is extremely important. Let’s face it; software is where the difference is largely made nowadays. Yet software is often made with too little budget and unrealistic schedules.

Thirdly, the proliferation of new technologies that make today’s high-quality user experiences a reality complicates things further. Graphics acceleration and real-time graphics content creation and playback is now required in industries that have very little experience in them, which is basically any industry outside of computer games (although the mobile phone industry has accumulated some expertise in the area recently).

So what are missing are a way to benchmark user experiences on a comprehensive level and a way to use that to bring the members of the user experience value chain pull in the same direction while allowing for competitive differences to keep the market evolving. Any volunteers for the task, perchance?

As has already been stated, the common goal of the value chain is to provide the user with a good User Experience – a product the consumer will want to buy and be happy with.

The value chain itself consists of IP vendors (CPU cores, video & audio cores, graphics cores, software platforms and components), semiconductor manufacturers, software vendors, UI designers and, of course, device manufacturers (mobile phone, consumer electronics, automotive tier 1, etc.). The process is of course led by the device manufacturers, who take their ultimate orders from the consumer, but there is call for visionary, entrepreneurial qualities on all stages – new innovations do not happen in a vacuum even if some people wish they did.

To make a good user experience possible there needs to be someone who can provide a vision that will hold the chain together. Often this is not possible, and a common hunch of what is wanted will have to suffice. But there is also need for a toolkit that can be used to benchmark and assess the level of the eventual user experience before it is done so that the desired end result and its contributing factors are known at the planning stage.

It is too late to try and fix the entire stack once the end result is delivered and found lacking. Some fixes and improvements are possible to make, but a patch is only something that covers a hole with a new layer without actually fixing what caused the hole in the first place.

To wind down, I see that there is need for companies that can provide insight on user experiences from a software implementation perspective to all of the value chain members and help them form a better picture of what is required. And I think that what is needed is a tool that helps in the specification process by providing at least a glimpse into what is expected of user experiences in 2-5 year’s time. I also believe that the ones with a clear idea on how their combination of the value chain parts brings best value to the consumers in terms of user experiences are the ones that end up winning the current round for consumers’ hearts and business. And since I’m in Business Development, go-to-market planning and partnership building role, I’m planning to do my utmost to see that Symbio is one of those companies. We certainly have all the makings for that.

More on the benchmarking in my next posting, perhaps.

About Symbio TechBlog

The Symbio TechBlog discusses topics related to convergence, software product development and user experience technologies as we see them evolve in the market and our daily lives. Our goal is to provide you with insights on demanding software challenges in different industries and establish an interactive forum for exchanging ideas and experiences.

Symbio has deep domain expertise in multiple industries ranging from IT, Telecommunication, Life Sciences, Automotive, and Industrial, all of which need to come to terms with the increased technological complexity in products and services. Driven by complex customers and end user demands, our experts aim to share their knowledge on a wide range of topics.

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