in the entire process of creative collaboration, the process of validating a hypothesis is a decisive step. when dealing with digital product and service development processes, it is important to realize that we are dealing with another paradigm and therefore, unlike the analog paradigm, everything is in constant transformation.
do, test, fail, learn and redo – these are the five verbs that summarize the cycle of incremental and iterative maturation of products, services and businesses in the figural context. products and services are not ready-made, they are created to be reformulated and evolve, over time, all the time.
from this perspective, there are four aspects related to this dynamic that must be considered and that deserve attention.
cognitive aspect, validation and understandings
cognition is directly related to recognition and understanding. in the phygital context, a significant part of digital products and services can be so innovative it may require a greater effort from the larger customer user to understand what is being offered.
although many well-known references serve as the basis for most digital services and products, variations in core functionality or association of functionality can completely change the product or service.
therefore, validating a digital product or service involves presenting it to people and asking if they understand, initially what the product or service is, and then if they understand what it is for. it is often necessary to bring people closer to new products or services by bringing references to existing ones that promote some recognition, even if tangential.
aesthetic aspect, validation and preferences
the aesthetic question is directly related to sensitivity and perception. from this perspective, the digital scenario has brought an explosion of possibilities and experiences. digital products and services use resources from different media that provoke stimuli of all kinds.
in addition to the diversity of the object, the cultural plurality of the people who interact with these products, through multiple devices and interfaces, brings a non-trivial number of variables in this aesthetic relationship between the subject and the object, in this case, digital product or service.
to validate a digital product or service, from an aesthetic point of view, is to realize how much people, users of existing ones and potential users of the new, like and feel good when using such objects. more, it is to understand what can be improved in this experience, what can be more attractive to arouse the interest of the potential user and make them a loyal customer.
social aspect, validation and pride
social status is a concept that defines the position of people in the structure of society. in such a way, the greater the social ascension, the greater the social status (position, rank, prestige) of the subject.
one of the main indicators of social status is people’s access to products and services. in the digital context, for some time, the issue of access was strongly related to the devices that the subjects have. however, with the new responsive engines, digital products and services are accessible from different devices.
in this sense, the essential issue here, from a social point of view, is no longer access, but pride in using a certain device. do people feel proud to say that they use the said product or service? would you recommend this product or service to other people on your digital networks?
technological aspect, validation and functionalities
in the physical context, techniques and processes adopted during the production process strongly influence the ability to adapt products and services to user experiences. it is necessary to invest in technologies that enable the development, execution and iterative evolution of products and services in order to guarantee a good user experience.
the essential issue related to technology in the validation process of digital products and services is how flexible, incremental and iterative are the production techniques and processes, enabling rapid adaptations, constant changes and, especially, updates and improvements in products and services for that the experience evolves in time, all the time.
how can Ii use strateegia to validate user experience?
among the many free journeys available on strateegia, ux design principles is the one centered on user experience. an appropriate roadmap to guide the development of digital interfaces that can be applied both in the development of new products and in the improvement of existing ones. to understand how to design and make your products more efficient, effective and enjoyable to use.