Principle: Talk to Users
Description
Talking to end-users is one of the most critical aspects of UX in almost any organization, regardless of industry or domain.
Full story
It's exceedingly common for companies to invest time and resources into different facets of product development, except for user interviews. Product design ideas- and requirements are instead often conceptualized internally, where those ideas eventually become slated for implementation once they've achieved sufficient stakeholder support. When the idea of user interviews are brought up, it's unfortunately often dismissed as either irrelevant or time-consuming. Ironically, user interviews are often capable of pulling the curtain back on unsustainable aspects of a project in sometimes as little as just a couple of sessions. Validating ideas with users is a reliable way to Fail fast - or at the very least it's a viable cost-savings approach. Therefore, talking to users is strongly recommended - if not critical.
Suggested reading:
- User Interviews: How, When, and Why to Conduct Them by Nielsen Norman Group
- Interviewing Users by Nielsen Norman Group
- Writing an Effective Guide for a UX Interview by Nielsen Norman Group
