You are waiting for the bus, or the metro train. You don’t know when it will arrive. At home you have a truly delicious sandwich waiting for you. How long will you have to wait? Will it be two minutes or ten? The sandwich has freshly made hummus inside. You love hummus. What if the train is delayed by an hour? What if the bus never arrives? Will I be stuck here forever? Most importantly, if I’m late, will my husband eat my sandwich???
Do you recall this feeling of anxiousness? Ok, maybe the sandwich thing is a little too specific to me, but I’m sure you’re familiar with this frustrating situation.
In one of his TED talks, Rory Sutherland, currently the Executive Creative Director of OgilvyOne, gave us the example of the single biggest improvement to customer satisfaction on the London Underground (per pound spent). It was unrelated to train speed or to train frequency. The single biggest improvement in customer satisfaction was achieved by maintaining accurate waiting time displays on the platforms. Why?
Because waiting seven minutes for a train with a countdown clock is less irritating than waiting four minutes, not knowing when the train is going to arrive.
The level of uncertainty we experience while waiting is one of the biggest enemies of comfort and therefore also satisfaction. If you want to serve your customers well, empower them and make them feel in control.
Knowledge is everything
Passing control over to your customers or users means less frustration, less confusion and no sense of helplessness. The waiting time at the station is only an example, but in general, it’s all about knowing (or at least, feeling like you know). When, where, how, with whom. We are becoming more and more addicted to real-time information. The unknown makes us feel extremely uncomfortable.
How to fulfill this need?
Start by providing feedback at every step the way. A simple hourglass or loader is better than a frozen screen when your system is processing information in the background. An error? Display the reason and provide guidance on how to succeed in a different way. Feedback provides reassurance, even if it concerns negative results.
The missing ingredient
On Dec. 10, 1930, John D. Duff applied for a patent. His innovation? An “invention [that] relates to a dehydrated flour for use in making pastry products and to a process of making the same.” The invention, known today as cake mix, was not a success. Why? Because suddenly it was too easy! Consumers felt that simply mixing cake mix with water was artificial and not enough.
As Bonnie Goebert and Herma M. Rosenthal wrote in their book “Beyond Listening: Learning the Secret Language of Focus Groups”:
“The consumer felt no sense of accomplishment, no involvement with the product. It made her feel useless, especially if somewhere her aproned mom was still whipping up cakes from scratch.”
The solution? The necessity to add an egg to a prepared cake mix. This simple psychological trick was enough to bring back the feeling of achievement. Using a cake mix was suddenly all right.
Some sources claim that this revelation about American women wanting to feel more involved in the cake-baking process is a myth. True or not, I believe it’s a good parable of the emotions that we feel when we are in charge and we achieve something, even if it’s a very small achievement.
What is the ‘egg’ in your product?
What little ingredient can provide users with a sense of accomplishment or agency? How can this feature engender pride, but at the same time be simple enough so it doesn’t overcomplicate the user experience?
Blend the old and the new
Did you know that early plastics were designed to look like wood? Folders on your computer probably resemble paper tabs, the alarm clock app on your phone has a round clock face icon.
People are often scared of the new. By its nature, the unfamiliar is an unknown quantity. You can leverage past experiences to help users understand the unknown. Disruptive innovation is great, but if a user is overwhelmed by new features that he hasn’t seen before, he might be reluctant to use your solution.
Incorporating old, familiar ideas into new technologies (even if they don’t have any function anymore), is called skeuomorphism. By making the new look like the old, you’re helping users overcome fear. Learning and adoption are easier as the user remains in his comfort zone. Eventually, you won’t need the old anymore, but this trick definitely facilitates the transition.
This year I visited a great exhibition in Qatar Museums Gallery – DRIVEN BY GERMAN DESIGN. Among many interactive exhibits was a station in which one could remix the original sounds of the Porsche 918 Spyder. By pressing keys, turning knobs, analyzing sonograms and adjusting frequencies, visitors were able to design their perfect car sound.
After many years spent on research into making cars run more quietly, it’s interesting to see how much effort and money is put into adding sound. This, of course, makes perfect sense for electric cars – without a humming engine, pedestrians need to be alerted that a vehicle is approaching.
Success stories
I bet every day you’re using multiple solutions that make you feel empowered or relaxed and in control by providing the right information at the right time.
Ordering an Uber ride? Tracking the location of the driver and the estimated time of arrival allow you to predict and manage your time efficiently. Checking the driver’s rating reassures you that you’ll probably reach your destination safely.
Waiting for a package? Tracking packages provides details (sometimes way too many) about the route, current status and expected delivery date.
Waiting for an elevator? Displaying the simple indication of the elevator’s current floor location makes your wait less anxious.
Making connections
Well designed products and experiences can induce a feeling of pride, pleasure and being in control. This builds an emotional connection with the user – attachment, love or even addiction.
Sometimes the better the solutions, the harder it is to notice them. They just make our lives easier and we can shift our attention to other things. Don’t take them for granted. Observe how a service or product is making you feel. Can you see why? Get inspired and provide the same level of fulfillment in the products that you’re designing or offering. Control freaks are everywhere. They might be hard to please, but once you gain their trust, they end up being very loyal customers.