1. CEx Sells February 2011
Confidential Information
Breakfast Briefing
This document is provided for client use
only and is not for distribution with third
parties without permission of Bienalto.
What we learned
from interviews
with 15 experts
Dr Zafer Bilda
Experience Design
zafer@bienalto.com

2. Interviews in USA & Australia

3. Background
15 Participants’ Job Titles
UX Designer/ Architect/
Lead / Director
CEx Consultant/ Manager
Interaction Designer
Research Scientist
Service Designer

4. Interview Structure
11 Controversial Statements
Agree, Disagree, Challenge

5. 1. You may design great
experiences without any
user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher number of clicks to a site or increased sales of the product show the
success of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

6. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX
practitioner is to deliver User
Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher number of clicks to a site or increased sales of the product show the
success of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

7. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop
programmers making
important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher number of clicks to a site or increased sales of the product show the
success of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

8. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing
Personas you may end up
with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher number of clicks to a site or increased sales of the product show the
success of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

9. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to
practice UX, there will be no
need for UX practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher conversion or increased sales of the product show the success of
the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

10. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX
because it is the new trend
in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher number of clicks to a site or increased sales of the product show the
success of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

11. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become
customer centric if a UX
practitioner becomes the
CEO
8. A higher number of clicks to a site or increased sales of the product show the
success of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

12. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher conversion rate or
increased sales of the
product show the success of
the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

13. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher conversion rates or increased sales of the product show the success
of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX
practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

14. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher conversion rates or increased sales of the product show the success
of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10.UX practitioners should be
involved in all customer
service channels
11. UX is not a job, it is a way of thinking

15. 1. You may design great experiences without any user research
2. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver User Centred Design
3. UX was invented to stop programmers making important design decisions
4. With or without developing Personas you may end up with the same design
5. When all clients learn to practice UX, there will be no need for UX
practitioners
6. Companies promote UX because it is the new trend in marketing
7. Companies can only become customer centric if a UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
8. A higher conversion rates or increased sales of the product show the success
of the design
9. Non-designers cannot be UX practitioners
10. UX practitioners should be involved in all customer service channels
11.UX is not a job, it is a way of
thinking

16. 6 statements
Companies promote UX because it is the new trend
in marketing
The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is to deliver
User Centred Design
You may design great experiences without any user
research
UX practitioners should be involved in all customer
service channels
A higher conversion rates or increased sales of the
product show the success of the design
Companies can only become customer centric if a
UX practitioner becomes the CEO

17. Companies promote UX
because it is the new trend
in marketing
Would you like
customer experience
with that ?

18. Companies promote UX
because it is the new trend
in marketing
Somewhat true
12
Disagree
3

19. Companies promote UX because it is the
new trend in Marketing
Agree Disagree
“ That is quite possible. It’s a
scary thing to be part of a “ Yes, the whole UX thing has
become topical. But I don’t
commercial organisation – think companies are doing it
to stay ahead of the wave. because they want to be
But I don’t care whether it’s trendy. It started 15 years
a trend or not. When we get ago when we were
that message to them about promoting usability; now we
what difference UX will are promoting UX. In couple
make, it’s not the trend of years, someone will come
anymore, it’s a foundational up with another label. But
’’
thing (US) it’s all about understanding
the philosophy behind that
’’
label (AU)

20. Summary of Responses
UX is foundational, not a trend
Companies use buzzwords,
without truly understanding
what they mean.
UX needs to be given equal,
collaborative footing within
the marketing function.

21. My Conclusion
Marketing and UX should
work together
Don’t want marketing to take
over UX
How about “Experience
Departments” delivering
experience and service
design?

22. The ultimate goal of a UX
practitioner is to deliver
the user centric design

23. The ultimate goal of a UX
practitioner is to deliver
the user centric design
Disagree
12
Partly Agree
3

24. The ultimate goal of a UX practitioner is
to deliver the user centric design
Disagree
Agree “ variety of goals, such as
UX practitioners have a
“ For howmosttry to I agree.
It’s
the
we
part, communicating to and
educating clients,
differentiate ourselves from maintaining relationships,
developers, marketers and creating business value,
managers. We are more and efficiently delivering
compassionate towards
our users and what they
answers. (US)
’’
are looking for in a product
’’
or its features. (US)

25. Summary of Responses
The goal of a UX practitioner
is to deliver:
a good design, a loveable
design
a design that lends itself to
“use in practice”
business value

26. My Conclusion
This statement is a myth
UX expert has to convince,
balance, and compromise
It is not only to deliver good
design but also the politics of
design that a UX practitioner
has to deal with.

27. You may design great
experiences without doing
any user research

28. You may design great
experiences without doing
any user research
Disagree
7
Agree
8

29. You may design great experiences
without doing any user research
Partly Disagree
Agree
“ There are some applications
“ I agree. It’s possible if the
person who is doing the
we built for general use
(internally) – because we are
design has amazing insights users ourselves. It gets
and is a great visionary. Just harder when the application
take Apple – they don’t is used by a special small
seem to be listening a lot. group of people. We don’t
Sometimes, listening to know anything about their
users may limit thinking lives – so we need to talk to
outside the box… (US)
’’ them, yet sometimes we
don’t get to. We need to pick
up all the things they hate
and do.” (US)
’’

30. Summary of Responses
Possible on the condition that:
You are highly familiar with
the domain or product
You are an expert or
visionary
You know your users – you,
as the designer, are the user
of the product.

31. My Conclusion
Detailed insights into human
behaviour is essential
Good design decisions to
create great user
experiences
Informed decision OR
gamble on your intuition?

32. UX practitioners should be
involved in designing all
customer service channels

34. UX practitioners should be
involved in designing all
customer service channels
Agree
12
Disagree
3

35. UX practitioners should be involved in
designing all customer service channels
Agree Disagree
“ Yes. Every touchpoint is a
design opportunity, and
“ Certainly not. Most UX
practitioners I know do not
each should be coherent understand what it really
and support each other. means to engage in
That is the goal.
’’ customer service, or to
maintain a customer
relationship and add value
to the company at a
strategic level.
’’

36. Summary of Responses
Three different views
1 UX cannot stop with one
channel, because it
encapsulates the overall
experience for the
product - “UX should go
where the product goes”.

37. Summary of Responses
Three different views
2 UX can be a resource at
any of the touch points
because each one is a
design opportunity.

38. Summary of Responses
Three different views
3 UX practitioners’ strategy
and approach may not be
suitable for customer
services.

39. My Conclusion
UX should go where the
product goes
It is a UX expert’s preference
whether to transition to
service design or not.
I believe service design
should become part of what
we do.

40. Higher conversion rates
and increased sales show
the success of the design

41. Emotional Connection

42. Higher conversion rates
and increased sales show
the success of the design
Disagree
10
Agree
5

43. Higher conversion rates and increased
sales show the success of the design
Disagree
“ Customers may buy the
Agree product, but they may not
use it. The UX metrics
“ I agree. I believe that design
has to be tied to business
should be whether it is
useful, usable, and
strategy, or at least desirable. After that, it is
designing towards a profit. So it is dangerous to
business strategy. Design is define success with such a
for a purpose. It’s not just high level goal. It is also
’’
art – it’s business (US) affected by marketing,
engineering and
management (US)
’’

44. Summary of Responses
There are other factors
economy, price, market
competition
overall customer satisfaction
social currency
comfort and aesthetics
brand aspects & awareness
eco-social responsibility

45. My Conclusion
Design is successful when it is
taken up by the people.
evaluation is complex and
psychological
success is multi dimensional:
business, marketing,
services, technology and
design

46. Companies can only
become customer centric
if the UX practitioner
becomes the CEO

47. Chief Experience Officer

48. Companies can only
become customer centric
if the UX practitioner
becomes the CEO
Disagree
11
Partly Agree
4

49. Companies can only become customer
centric if the UX practitioner becomes
the CEO
Disagree
“ No, not at all. You need the
vision from the top. But just
Agree having the CEO is not going
to guarantee anything. It has
“ I think it is a very good idea
that a CEO cares and
to be at all levels – from the
bottom as well. People who
are in the trenches doing the
knows about UX, or they
have a flair for it. Steve Jobs work have to have the
definitely does. As long as appreciation, just as the
they trust somebody who people managing those
does UX. (US) people. Likewise, the project
’’ managers who do the
planning have to learn about
UCD, as do the product
designers (AU)
’’

50. Summary of Responses
UX is a leadership field
CEO with an understanding
of UX can be quite
successful

51. Summary of Responses
But UX is not enough...
Leaders have to value design
and be open to change
Even CEO is not enough...
UX needs to carry weight at
all levels of the organisation

52. My Conclusion
This is obviously a myth
And of the question, how can
companies become customer
centric?
It almost needs magic at all
levels to achieve this feat –
which no company has yet
truly mastered.

53. Executive Summary
UCD and research are only
tools to help us create a
good design
Everyone in your team have
the potential to make good
design decisions.

54. Executive Summary
Good design requires
collaboration at all levels
Experience designers should
get involved with service
design