The document provides an overview of a presentation on 10 things every CEO needs to know about user experience (UX). It discusses how UX design involves coordinating, acknowledging, and reducing negative interactions between people, devices, and events. It emphasizes that UX is an ongoing process, not a fixed-term project, and that CEOs should not view their website as just a software development project but rather as an integral part of customer service.

1. 10 things every CEO
needs to know about UX
Eric Reiss
@elreiss
Keikendo UX Summit
August 28, 2013
Buenos Aires, Argentina

2. Why do you have a website?
“Because everyone has one.”

3. Why do you have a telephone?
“Because everyone has one.”
“Because we can’t do business without one”

4. Why do you have a website?
“Because we can’t do business without one”

5. Fact #1
The majority of business leaders
turn to the internet as their
first source of information.
(And this has been true since 2007!)
Source: Gartner Group

6. Fact #2
B2B is the fastest-growing
internet segment
Source: IDG

7. Fact #3
Over 50 billion searches for commercial
information are made each month
Source: SEMPO

8. Fact #4
Argentina has the highest rate of
internet penetration in South America
(even higher than Spain)
Source: Internet World Statistics

10. So, what is UX?

11. us·er
noun
1: a person who makes use of a thing;
someone who uses or employs something
2: a person who uses something or
someone selfishly or unethically
3: a person who takes drugs

12. ex·per·i·ence
noun
1: having been affected by or learned
through observation or participation
2: the length of such participation

13. Eric’s 1st Law of UX:
If a site does not solve your
user’s problems, it will not
solve your company’s either.

14. So, let’s start with the user

15. When would you use (simultaneously):
An ergonomic seat designed for one person
Optical lenses invented by Benjamin Franklin
Alcoholic mixture invented by Dr. Iain Marshall
Incandescent device invented by Thomas Edison
Fabric made on a loom invented by JM Jacquard
Rouge Royale (marble)
Baskerville Light (typography)
Domesticated mammal
(This is often how our clients look at their content)

16. When would you use (in simpler terms):
Armchair
Bifocal eyeglasses
Manhattan Cocktail
Lightbulb
Wool pullover
Tabletop
Book
Cat
(This is an easier way to look at content)

18. Eyeglasses
Wool pullover
Lightbulb
Marble tabletop
Armchair
Book
Gus the Cat
Manhattan Cocktail

19. Sensory assistance
Warmth/comfort
Sensory assistance
Convenience/comfort
Convenience/comfort
Education/information
Companionship
Chemical stimuli

20. Needs are always situational!

22. Eric’s 2nd Law of UX:
User experience is the sum of
a series of interactions between
people, devices, and events.

23. Eric’s 3rd Law of UX:
There are three types of interaction:
active, passive and secondary

24. Eric’s 4th Law of UX:
UX design represents the conscious
act of coordinating interactions,
acknowledging interactions, and
reducing negative interactions.

25. Three types of interaction:
Active (things we control)
Passive (things we don’t control)
Secondary (things that have indirect influence)

26. Active interaction
Photo courtesy of: musthavemenus.com

27. Active interaction
Copyright could not be traced. Used for educational purposes only.

28. Passive interaction (partly)
Photo courtesy of: johnmariani.com

29. Passive interaction
Photo by Massimiliano Uccelletti, photonet.com

30. Secondary interaction
Photo courtesy of: koit.radiotown.com

31. Secondary interaction
Photo courtesy of: tomatolover.com

32. UX design combines all three activites
Coordinating interactions that we can control
Acknowledging interactions beyond our control
Reducing negative interactions

33. Coordinating interactions
Photos courtesy of: Brooklyn Public Library, shipwrightsarms.com.au

34. Coordinating interactions
Photo courtesy of: capetownwineblog.com

35. Coordinating interactions
Photo courtesy of: Rootology under Wikipedia Commons License

36. Acknowledging interactions
Photo courtesy of: TinyFarmBlog.com

37. Reducing negative interactions
Photo courtesty of: kenlevine.blogspot.com

38. Reducing negative interactions
Photo courtesy of: marchedimanche.typepad.com

39. Reducing negative interactions
Photo courtesy of Andrew Sullivan

40. Now, let’s talk with those CEOs

41. 1. Don’t confuse marketing
with communication.
1.

42. Awareness
Interest
Desire
Action
A
I
D
A

43. Make your online presence part of your
total customer-service package

44. Off-line On-lineCEM
Customer Experience Management

45. 10 things customers will tell you
1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!
2. Go the extra mile.
3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.
4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.
5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.
6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave.
7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs
8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
9. Don’t make me feel stupid.
10. If you make a mistake, admit it.
Sources: Paco Underhill, Eric Reiss

52. 10 things customers will tell you
1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!
2. Go the extra mile.
3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.
4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.
5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.
6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave.
7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs
8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
9. Don’t make me feel stupid.
10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

54. 10 things customers will tell you
1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!
2. Go the extra mile.
3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.
4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.
5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.
6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave.
7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs
8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
9. Don’t make me feel stupid.
10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

58. 10 things customers will tell you
1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!
2. Go the extra mile.
3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.
4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.
5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.
6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave.
7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs
8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
9. Don’t make me feel stupid.
10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

60. 10 things customers will tell you
1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!
2. Go the extra mile.
3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.
4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.
5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.
6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave.
7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs
8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
9. Don’t make me feel stupid.
10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

65. 10 things customers will tell you
1. Don’t tell me how great you are. BE great!
2. Go the extra mile.
3. Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop.
4. If I know what I’m looking for, help me find it.
5. If I have questions, I want straight answers, not a salestalk.
6. Tell me if you’re going off to look for my size. Don’t just turn and leave.
7. If you expect me to buy something, tell me what it costs
8. Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
9. Don’t make me feel stupid.
10. If you make a mistake, admit it.

73. 1. Don’t view your website as a
software development project.
2.

74. Click to add man-walks-into-bar joke
Click to add punch line

78. Dell specifications
3.6 GHz processor
256 Gb RAM
CD/DVD writer/reader
15” screen
Built-in speakers
6 hour battery life
Portable

80. > >

85. Whenever possible, purchase software
from single-focus vendors

86. 1. Don’t couple unrelated
initiatives.
3.

87. CMS
CRM
ERP
DM
KM

88. CMS = Content Management System
Publish to the Web
CRM = Customer Relationship Mgt.
Track, use, and maintain customer data
ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning
Optimize use of people and materials
DM = Document Management
Electronic filing system
KM = Knowledge Management
Share expertise internally

90. Deal with just one project
(and just your project).
Then take care of the other stuff.
(and stick to single-focus vendors)

91. 1. Don’t be afraid to set
measurable goals for your
UX initiatives.
4.

92. “If you build it,
they will come...”

93. What are the
customer service metrics
for an airline?
“Flying on time.”

94. What passengers say:
“Why publish schedules if I can’t use them?”
“I plan my meetings according to arrival times”
“I book connecting flights based on your promises.”
“I have people waiting to pick me up when I land.”
“Faster check-in. Now that’s service!”
“Better food. I’d like that.”
“More legroom. I’ll pay extra for that.”
“On time? That’s your job! So do it!”

95. Three awful metrics
We want more hits
We want folks to spend more time on our site
We want people to write to us

96. What are the “right” metrics?
Better lead qualification
Shortened sales process
Streamlined logistics
Increased conversion, conversion, conversion

97. Insist that UX becomes an
integrated part of your company’s
business activities

98. 1. Don’t confuse your personal
needs with those of your
visitors.
5.

99. Five common errors
“We need pictures of ducks. I like ducks.”
(Executive ego)
“Look what they just did”’
(Competitor envy)
“We should talk about ‘innovation’”
(Strategy by buzzword)
“We need an app”
(Tech over tactics)
“That change doesn’t fit our standard design”
(Form over function)

100. The Creation
(of a meaningful experience)

101. Owner-visitor relationships
We want to
build loyalty
We want to tell
our story
I got what
I came for
I got the
message
I think it sounds
reasonable
I’m ready to
deal with them
I will come back
We want to be
understood
We want to be
believed
We want to be
trusted
Valuable
experience

102. Fact #5
If you do not meet the needs of your visitors,
you will never meet your own business needs.

103. Encourage research. Accept surprises that
go against your basic assumptions.

104. 1. Don’t view UX as a
fixed-term project.
6.

105. Allocate > Analyze > Architect > Apply > Accumulate > Assemble > Adjust
7 A’s

106. Once you start the process,
make sure to keep it going.

107. 1. Don’t confuse print design
with online design.
7.

115. Brand
Content Function
(What we want them to remember)
(What we want them to know) (What we want them to do)
”Borrowed” from Dan Roam

116. “Do you want art?
Or do you want your
sales to go up?”
Rosser Reeves

117. Acknowledge and embrace best-practices
that run counter to your design guide.

118. 1. Don’t let your personal
opinion cloud your focus.
8.

122. Seek out proven experts and
support their work.

123. 1. Don’t be afraid to ask
stupid questions.
9.

124. Fact #6
There are no stupid questions...
the first time you ask them.

125. Fact #7
But there are lots of stupid answers...
the ones you don’t understand.

126. „Es hört jeder doch nur,
was er versteht.“
Goethe

127. “He hears only that
which he understands”
Goethe

128. XML
„Es hört jeder doch nur,
was er versteht.“
Goethe
CMS UX
UCD
CMUxD
CSS

129. Fact #8
Two-way communication
must work two ways.

130. “He hears only that
which he understands”
IRRGoethe
TCO PP
DFD
COQBPR
EBIT

131. If in doubt, ask. Always.

132. 1. Don’t hide in your office.10.

133. Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge

134. A British Airways timeline
Colin Marshall
joins BA
1983 1986
BA named
“Airline of the Year”
2004
Colin retires
2009
Willie Walsh
can’t meet
payroll
1999
BA has world’s
largest fleet of Boeing
747-400s

135. Demonstrate your
active support for the project.
Keep the whole team inspired.
Forever.

136. Muchas gracias!

137. You can (usually) find Eric at:
The FatDUX Group ApS
Strandøre 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
www.fatdux.com
Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77
Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44
er@fatdux.com
skype: ericreiss
twitter: @elreiss