Contributed Commentary by Daniel Berg 

February 10, 2021 | In 2020, our lives shifted almost completely online, forcing the need for quality digital experiences to the forefront of daily life for IT professionals. With teams expected to work remotely well into 2021, companies are increasingly rethinking how customers, partners, and stakeholders interact with them. For many companies, remote work is here to stay, so the need for digital interaction will only grow. 

In 2020, many companies started prioritizing UX for the first time. And the challenge they are facing includes how to stay agile and make continuous improvements within a remote workforce. This acutely applies to the fields of health data science and software development, where clarity, ease of use, and security are paramount. An improved digital experience informed by an agile approach is one such way that developers can create significant value and deliver on expectations in 2021. 

I’ve been working with groups to employ this approach long before 2020, and here are my recommendations for embracing a more robust digital customer experience, as well as how it can be maintained with agile methodologies despite a distributed workforce. 

Hold Story-Mapping Sessions Focused on the Prioritization of Features 

Many consider developing and “living” through the average user story, or “journey,” especially one that exists primarily online, an essential part of constructing a stronger digital customer experience. Once a client understands the end-to-end user experience and has an idea of how they want to improve it, Gorilla Logic works with them to focus on prioritizing features within a project, which will lead to a smoother workflow and quicker time to market. 

For example, consider an app created to gather and track aggregated information from medical patients experiencing a significant health event, such as surgery or illness. The app’s purpose is to follow the patient’s health journey across many different life stages. The end-user, practitioners, and other professionals may input detailed and private information into the app. Due to this information’s sensitive nature, the project includes stringent compliance requirements as necessitated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The app also integrates with external platforms, connecting assessments, scheduling tools, progress tracking, and educational content—a wide variety of features designed to provide a solution to a range of pain points. 

Instead of allocating time and resources to building an entire platform before releasing it to market, take a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach. Identify the simplest version of the app that also delivers valued features. Then, go to market quickly and obtain user feedback that developers can incorporate into future versions, along with other features already identified on the product roadmap.  

Utilize Lean UX-Informed Design 

 In a fast-paced iteration cycle, UX design must first be created with the development context in mind. Then, the design team should provide support throughout the development process to address issues as they arise. Otherwise, when teams attempt to resolve complex issues while simultaneously trying to fulfill previously defined deliverables, they can often churn through many designs. This can serve as a significant source of frustration for the group. 

By employing a lean UX approach, designers can work in conjunction with technologists and can provide input on every project stage. Concerns are validated and integrated into development. 

Leverage External Expertise 

Who better to examine a digital experience, especially one related to critical health data, than external partners? After “living” within a UX project, it can be challenging to sense opportunities for improvement. Leveraging external team members is a strategic way to gauge how a software product will be received. 

For example, consider a mobile app that collects and transfers private health data from patients to their healthcare providers. The app developers focused on creating a stable platform with multi-layered encryption protocols. Although the app is technically secure, it’s impossible to use due to its confusing interface. The original developers can’t understand the usability issues due to their proximity to the app. Ideally, the team would have called on the expertise of an external partner before the build to review the proposed feature set, technology stack and architecture. This collaborative approach would have prevented the need for a potential rebuild. 

As 2021 begins, effective teams will put more emphasis on UX than ever before. Enhancing the digital experience, especially in complicated subject areas, is a truly critical process across all industries. 

With previous positions in senior executive leadership at Sun Microsystems, SolidFire, Avaya, Skype, and JumpCloud, Daniel Berg, CEO of Gorilla Logic, is no stranger to the tech industry. Throughout his career, Daniel has straddled the line between business and technology allowing him to be challenged by various disciplines including enterprise products, consumer software, SaaS, and application services. Honored as a ‘Distinguished Engineer’ at Sun Microsystems, Daniel has a strong grasp of technology and is energized by the unique challenges and opportunities that each business presents. As a previous client of Gorilla Logic, Daniel knows and appreciates the value of the nearshore development model. He believes the best way to solve clients’ business problems is to understand their unique challenge, provide high-quality solutions, and foster lasting relationships—all important elements of the business model here at Gorilla Logic. He can be reached at Daniel.berg@gorillalogic.com