As a designer in the UX world, your job is to champion the user. That underrepresented group that lacks a seat at the decision making table. You negotiate with stakeholders from all of the other departments, and of course, project stakeholders. Sometimes it feels like you are alone, fighting for what’s best for the user. It can be tempting to dig in, believing any design compromise will jeopardize success.
But, is that really what’s best for your users? What if the product takes twice as long to launch and your business is now third to market in a changed landscape? Or, it ends up costing users twice as much because of the engineering hurdles your design dictated, and sales are slow? Is that still success?
While you are a champion of the user, you’re also a champion of the business. Whether you’re aware of them or not, design decisions have varying costs that impact everything from the bottom line to market perception. Taking these into account will help you be a more savvy partner that can strike the right balance between user experience and business success.
So the next time you find yourself digging in, remember that you don’t fight to win. You fight to understand. Ultimately, that’s what is best for your users.