Like clockwork, the Summer Olympic Games open with a flurry of fanfare and excitement every four years. Ranging from archery to wrestling, more than 300 individual events are featured.1 Each day is packed. Athletes, coaches, and fans race from venue to venue, as moments tick away under the burning flame. You could not see every event in person, even if you dedicated all your time to the pursuit. We face the same challenges with many experiences, from watching the Olympic Games to designing software.
Since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, more than 100 events have been discontinued, everything from dueling pistols to the standing high jump. A spectator at the 1900 Paris Games watched the grisly spectacle of live pigeon shooting. Off the shores of Southampton, Olympic motor boat racing captivated a handful of lucky onlookers during the 1908 London Games . While some events hold our attention, others fall out of favor over time.
We should not be surprised to learn that when combining the interests of 200 National Olympic Committees,2 thousands of athletes, and millions of spectators, we are left with a multitude of possible sporting events, not all of which are suitable for the world stage. Pairing down all these choices to a manageable number of competitions becomes an Olympic-level achievement in itself. Likewise, when we create a digital experience, we too need to pare down a multitude of possibilities. Should we add a button here? Should we remove a link there? Each item, should it make our cut, will compete for the user’s attention. Cumulatively, these items become one experience in our users’ lives. They read a tweet. They visit a website. They launch an app. Users determine which are worthy of their attention and which are not.
One Choice Out of Many
Consider for a moment all the things a person could be doing right now. Countless choices exist, from watching TV, to writing the great American novel, to playing with their kids. Along with the things this person could be doing are the things he or she should be doing: paying bills, preparing for the following workday, taking out the trash, etc. Lastly, add to these with all the things he or she would rather be doing: taking a vacation, eating a good meal, or doing other things best left to the imagination. Now, you and your team want to carve out a bit more time from this person’s day. Your creation is worth it. Right?
Experiences are in constant competition for user attention–both directly and indirectly
Competing with everything is an antithetical statement for many project teams. As a member of a project team we are focused on the act of creation. We know that we compete within market segments: Brand A is better than Brand B, App #1 offers more than App #2, etc. Yet, we are often far less honest with ourselves about how small of an impact our creations make on users’ lives. Yes, it would be wonderful if users loved our project as much as we do. But they do not. They do not care if our app sells. They do not care about our industry. They do not care about you or me.
Embrace, Not Accommodate
Users do care about themselves. They seek solutions to their needs. Needs range from locating emergency assistance to satisfying idle curiosity. Necessity. Utility. Entertainment. Companionship. Advice. You name it. Reasons span the vital to the mundane and are only limited by a user’s imagination, circumstance, and attention. However, every reason shares a single, common attribute: users would rather embrace a solution than accommodate it.
Try to recall the last time you were required to do something unpleasant, such as fill out a tax return form. You had to find the correct documents. You had to calculate the precise totals. You had to file by a specific date. None of this was likely done joyfully—you accommodated.
Now, try to recall a pleasant situation, such eating a bowl of salted caramel ice cream. You may have considered consuming on a bowl of broccoli, noshing on a plate of pinto beans, or devouring a saucer of semolina, but ultimately you chose what you wanted to experience. You did not accommodate a bowl of ice cream—you embraced it.
How do we create experiences that users will embrace? We already have the answer: users embrace what they willingly choose above all else—what they believe will best meet their own needs. If a user seeks information, she will choose what she believes is the most informative. If a user seeks entertainment, he will choose what he believes is the most entertaining. If they cannot find what they need, they may accommodate a solution, but that solution will never take home a gold medal. It only temporarily satisfies until a stronger competitor enters the marketplace.
The Never-Ending Game
Designing experiences often feels like playing a never-ending game, fraught with high hurdles to jump and selfish users to satisfy. Although these challenges are daunting, you are no more disadvantaged than anyone else. Each experience competes with all others. User experience is a broad but equal playing field, daring all players to strive for greater knowledge, and inspiring all audiences to seek out better experiences.
Key Takeaways
Users could, should, and would rather be doing a multitude of activities.
Users should embrace your solution, not accommodate it.
Users embrace experiences that they willingly choose above all others.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do I clearly understand the problem I wish to solve?
How are users currently handling the problem I wish to solve?
What products and services are similar to what I am creating?
What else—both commercial and personal—is competing for my users’ time, money, and attention?
Do I recognize the real impact I am making in users’ lives?
Do users embrace or accommodate what I create?
How do I create an experience that users will embrace?