User-centred design

User-centred design improves the customer experience associated with a website, a product or a service.

Benefits of user-centred design

User-centred design could bring many advantages to your business. For example, it could:

• increase your sales - customers are more likely to buy a product or service that meets their needs
• boost competitiveness - customers are less likely to choose other business' products if your product meets their needs more effectively
• build positive user experiences - increase loyalty and a good reputation for your business or brand
• help you gain insight - this, in turn, could lead to innovative new products or services
• save your business time and money - by testing things with end-users when it is still cost effective to make changes

By involving the customers in the design process, user-centred design could also:

• help you design more effective and safer products
• give your customers a sense of ownership in your product or service
• remove the need to change the design late in the process, avoiding high costs and time delays

It's important to adopt a user-centred approach at the earliest opportunity. This gives everyone who needs to be involved - such as research, engineering or marketing teams - a clear picture of how you will call on their expertise to benefit the project. A good strategy will reduce the risk of conflicting initiatives, wasting your business' time and money.

Undertake any design project with a clear picture of your new product or service's end-user in mind. Often, you will have a much better chance of business success if you actively involve your end-users in the design process. Find out more about the user-centred design process.

See also how to research and develop ideas, new products and services.