User-centered design (UCD) has revolutionized how businesses are developing products and services. The election technology industry is no different. At Smartmatic, we are proudly embracing UX design across all our processes, projects, and most importantly, across all our departments and solutions.
Desire Rosendo, one of our UX/UI design lead, shared with us her insights into what UX design is all about and how our organization is starting to live by it. “UX design is based on user-centered design (UCD). As the name suggests, the entire methodology focuses on the experiences of end users. Our goal as UX designers is to provide users with a seamless and pleasant experience when they interact with our products.”
Research, interaction, and iteration
According to Desire, the key to designing and creating a good user experience is to get involved with users; to know them and feel empathy with them. “An important part of the UX designer process is to know in depth the users, their unique needs and problems. All with the objective of having integral products.”
The beauty of UX design lies in that “it is a never-ending process based on constant research, interaction, and iteration. We make decisions and make progress, but research and improvement continue nonstop.
UX, a holistic approach to design
To create user-centered products and services, designers must combine a wide range of disciplines:
Market research. Designers must research the market, the user and their preferences. Only then can they deliver a product that is needed and welcomed.
User interface design (UI). The different elements shown on the screen must offer an optimal interface that is easy to understand and navigate.
Graphic Design. Interfaces should combine colors, fonts and other elements to produce a design that is both attractive and consistent with the brand.
Content strategy. In the age of information, content is king. Designers must implement a content strategy to make sure the content presented is appropriate, relevant and engaging.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder and former CEO, is quoted for saying “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” With this same holistic approach, our UX team is always relying on the other teams of the company such as solutions, programs, or engineering to achieve better results.
We are getting there!
At Smartmatic -confirms Desire with pride-, we are increasingly involved with the user experience approach. “It is not only a maxim for the UX department; it has spread to all levels in the company. Our goal is that everyone in the organization keeps the users in mind when devising a solution to a problem.”
Achieving this ideal goal is easier said than done. “We have traveled many paths. Sometimes learning painfully -she chuckles-. But ultimately, we have grown a lot.” Desire believes that “Smartmatic is achieving the UX design process stability that will let it thrive. I truly feel we are accomplishing our goal.”
When asked how the company is embracing the UX transformation, Desire is confident that the company is on the right track. “Everyone at Smartmatic is working to build the most satisfying experiences for the users of our solutions.”
It is a natural outcome of working as team players and lining up the whole company with a user-centered methodology. “I feel that we are consistently working more united and aligned. This is key to be successful in our goal. A goal that should always be unique across the company in order to make and offer the world’s best election technology.”
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