User experience (UX) lies at the core of crafting meaningful and successful digital products. When paired with agile methodologies like Scrum, it becomes a potent catalyst for generating user-centered and innovative solutions. In this article, we will delve into how Agile UX integrates with complex projects using Scrum, spotlighting the innovative approach of the “9 Whys” technique for revealing users’ profound motivations.
Introduction to Agile UX and Scrum: Converging for Success
Agile UX is an approach that merges user experience principles with agile methodologies. It fosters collaboration between UX and development teams throughout the creation process, enabling swift adjustments in response to user feedback. On the other hand, Scrum is a well-known agile methodology that segments development into iterations termed “sprints.” This methodology champions flexibility and adaptability, vital for addressing ever-evolving user needs.
Understanding the Significance of Grasping Deep Intent
Deep intent serves as the concealed driving force behind an individual’s actions. Grasping this intent is pivotal for curating experiences that deeply resonate with users. These profound motivations often stem from personal values and beliefs, making them a potent element for shaping products and services that evoke a genuine emotional connection.
The 9 Whys Technique: Guerilla UX for Unveiling Profound Motivations!
The 9 Whys technique is a research methodology that enables thorough exploration of a user’s motivations by iteratively asking the question “Why?” It can be executed as follows:
- Commence by posing a question about the user’s action or choice.
- Upon receiving a response, inquire “Why?” based on that answer.
- Repeat this questioning process until reaching the ninth iteration.
Practical Example: Unveiling Deep Intent for an E-Commerce Site using the 9 Whys Technique
Let’s envision an e-commerce site specializing in electronics and high-tech products. The site’s team notices a considerable number of customers abandoning their shopping carts during the payment phase. By employing the 9 Whys technique, they unearth that the underlying reason for this abandonment is the customers’ frustration with the lack of flexible delivery options that cater to their schedules and preferences. This revelation shines a light on an underlying issue tied to the absence of suitable delivery choices.
- Why did the customer abandon their cart during the payment phase?
- Response: “Because I couldn’t find a delivery option that suits my schedule.”
- Why did not finding a suitable delivery option lead to cart abandonment?
- Response: “Because I’m often not at home during delivery hours, which becomes problematic.”
- Why is not being at home during delivery hours a concern for the customer?
- Response: “Because I work throughout the day and can’t receive packages.”
- Why is not being able to receive packages a concern for the customer?
- Response: “Because I order online to save time and for convenience, but it’s becoming complicated.”
- Why is saving time and convenience through online ordering important for the customer?
- Response: “Because I aim to balance my professional and personal life.”
- Why is balancing your professional and personal life a priority for the customer?
- Response: “Because I seek to reduce stress and have time for leisure and family.”
- Why is reducing stress and having time for leisure and family an objective for the customer?
- Response: “Because I believe in the significance of quality of life and meaningful relationships.”
- Why does believing in the importance of quality of life and meaningful relationships motivate the customer?
- Response: “Because it gives purpose to my hard work and daily choices.”
- Why is imparting purpose to your hard work and daily choices so essential for the customer?
- Response: “Because I want to leave a positive legacy for my loved ones and society.”
The revealed deep intent unveils that cart abandonment is linked to the customer’s aspiration for a balanced and high-quality life, along with the pursuit of delivery options that align with this intent. The customer desires to save time, avoid stress, and allocate more time to leisure and family. The absence of flexible delivery options suitable for their schedules creates a disconnect between their deep intent and the online shopping experience.
The Solution: Flexible Delivery Options and User Preferences
Armed with this understanding, the e-commerce site can implement more flexible delivery choices, such as relay point delivery, enabling customers to collect their packages at a time and place that suits them. Additionally, the site can incorporate detailed information about delivery fees and schedules for each option, ensuring that customers can make informed choices that align with their deep intent.
By catering to the customer’s deep intent, the e-commerce site can not only decrease cart abandonment rates but also provide an online shopping experience that resonates with the customer’s aspirations and requirements.
Aligning Goals with Deep Intent: Impacts on Agile UX
Understanding users’ deep intent empowers the creation of products that genuinely fulfill their needs and aspirations. In the context of Agile UX and Scrum, this profound understanding can steer design decisions and product adjustments during each sprint. Scrum’s rapid iterations enable testing and refinement based on discoveries connected to users’ deep intent, fostering continual enhancement grounded in profound comprehension.
Conclusion: Diving into the Depths of Agile User Experience
Agile UX, intertwined with the Scrum methodology, presents a formidable approach for user-centered digital product creation. By harnessing the power of the 9 Whys technique, designers and development teams can unveil users’ profound motivations, facilitating empathetic design and more pertinent products. Through comprehending deep intent, we have the capability to craft digital experiences that not only meet functional needs but also enrich users’ lives in a meaningful manner.