9 Reasons Why Your Project Needs a UX Design Consultant
Throughout the years, we at LunarLab have seen many powerful products falter because of one simple reason. No matter the functionality, the app will simply become obsolete if it’s not user-friendly. Now, one way to make sure it will be user-friendly is to call upon specialized UX design consulting. But how does that work?
In this guide, we’ll answer this question and explore nine essential reasons why incorporating a user experience design consultant can be a game-changer for your project, from higher conversion rates to a wide range of powerful deliverables they bring along.
1. Expertise and Specialized Knowledge
UX design consultants bring a wealth of specialized knowledge and skills that are pivotal to creating user-centered products – above all else, they are experts in deciphering user behaviors, needs, and motivations. They look beyond aesthetics to craft interfaces that are intuitive and functional – for example, like LunarLab did for a childcare solution called Moxi.
They would also be wary about the often misplaced adherence to modern UX trends. For instance, while swiping has caught on in recent years thanks to Tinder, it’s not a good UX decision for products that want to go beyond a simple binary choice. That’s why an experienced UX team would talk you out of inserting it into your financing or HRM apps with complex functionality.
2. Objective Perspective
Another key value UX design consultants bring to your project is their ability to provide an external perspective – they offer a fresh set of eyes untainted by internal biases or preconceived notions. This becomes invaluable in identifying blind spots and that might have been overlooked by internal teams engrossed in day-to-day operations.
On top of that, in the rush to meet deadlines, internal teams may inadvertently miss critical aspects of user experience. UX consultants, on the other hand, are going to be thorough in their assessments, as they never stop meticulously reviewing user journeys, conducting usability tests, and analyzing data to pinpoint areas for improvement.
3. Wide Range of Strong Deliverables
An experienced UX consultant team will be able to deliver not only user research, but also a host of other invaluable assets. For instance, LunarLab organizes product strategy and workshops; creates product wireframes, hi-fi mockups and interactive prototypes; rolls out detailed product roadmaps, among other things.
This diversity and flexibility in deliverables is especially helpful when your team only needs a specific insight (i.e. user stories), not a full-scale UX package. You will have the freedom of choice between many assets without committing to the ones you don’t need.
4. In-Depth User Research
A UI UX consultant often excels at uncovering deep insights into user behaviors and needs through user interviews, surveys, and usability testing. Their comprehensive research lays the groundwork for successful UX design – it minimizes the risk of designing based on assumptions and maximizes the chances of delivering a product that meets user expectations.
Besides understanding users, consultants also analyze various market trends and competitors’ strategies. They usually keep track of industry developments and competitors to also differentiate your project in the marketplace.
5. Higher User Satisfaction and Retention
UX design consultants specialize in crafting experiences that users find not only intuitive, but also genuinely enjoyable and highly satisfying. They employ a blend of usability testing and user journey mapping to optimize every interaction with your product.
This will eliminate such bad examples as having a lengthy video as part of the onboarding experience for your app. The video will almost certainly put users off, as most people naturally prefer to learn how to use the app in just a few easy, interactive steps – not a minute-long clip.
6. Conversion Rate Boost
Ever been frustrated by confusing navigation? UX consultants excel at eliminating these barriers and making your user base effortlessly move from discovery to action. They simplify user navigation and optimize various layouts to reduce the friction users face and make conversions more likely.
For example, it’s not uncommon to see a stable, feature-rich product that has an unnecessarily long checkout process that puts users off. A UX consultant’s job in this case is to make the user’s job of purchasing easy and smooth – oftentimes through creative solutions.
7. Cost Efficiency and Resource Optimization
Another very compelling reason to engage a UX design consultant is their ability to save costs over the long term. Practice shows that addressing UX issues early in development can significantly reduce costs associated with redesigns and fixes later on. That is because consultants specialize in finding potential design flaws before they become ingrained in the product through user research and usability testing.
Additionally, UX consultants help make sure that development resources are used efficiently. Their clear design guidelines derived from user research are certain to benefit the development process, reducing a number of iterations to a minimum. This efficiency tends to accelerate time-to-market (if there is such an intent) and optimize resource allocation, allowing teams to focus on implementing features that directly contribute to the product’s success.
8. Results Testing and Validation
A pivotal aspect of UX design consultancy revolves around testing and validation of design solutions – and testing isn’t just a one-time event. It’s a continuous process based on testing outcomes, refining UX elements, navigation flows, and interactive features to optimize user experience with every sprint.
For that purpose, consultants gather qualitative and quantitative feedback through surveys, interviews, and analytics tools to gauge user satisfaction and identify various pain points..
9. Hands-On Business Transformation
The contribution of UX consultants rarely ends as soon as all the agreed deliverables (product roadmap, wireframes, user stories, etc.) are sent over to the client. In many cases, they continue to closely collaborate with team members across various departments to oversee the actual implementation of their ideas.
For instance, UX consultants may work together with the development team to ensure that the approved vision of the product is being correctly brought into life. In case of an unexpected technical change (i.e. Apple tweaking the communication method for IoT devices), the UX team may need to quickly step in and adjust the product strategy.
Recap and Conclusion
There is no doubt that a UX consultant’s expertise brings a wealth of specialized knowledge, helping teams to avoid common pitfalls – but there is also much more to them. For example, the range of deliverables offered by UX consultants, from in-depth user research to detailed product roadmaps, provides the flexibility needed for project needs. Moreover, UX consultants play a pivotal role in boosting conversion rates by simplifying navigation and optimizing user journeys, among other things
Ultimately, collaborating with experienced UX consultants tends to prove its worth. And if you consider doing that now, don’t hesitate to reach out to a team of professionals like LunarLab – we will make your app convert.
