Many clients get in touch with us when they have a big project for us to work on. They might want us to usability test an entire website, redesign a website, or design a new app. Whatever the project, they seem to have a one off large chunk of budget assigned to UX which they are intent on ‘blowing’ in one go. Whilst there are occasions when this is needed, we find that the little and often approach is much more beneficial to the long term usability of a product. But it does take a mind-set shift within the organisation.
Break down the project into smaller chunks of UX activity
We find ourselves helping clients to reduce their initial budget and instead breaking the project down into smaller chunks. Our revised plan utilises us in a more cost effective way and ensures we are involved throughout the project and not heavily in one place and then not again for several months.
When you think about the logic of this approach and apply it to other areas of life, it makes a lot of sense. You don’t go to the dentist once every 5 years and get a load of work done at once, instead you go every 6 months to keep things in order and treat problems as they arise.
Focus on the core user journeys one at a time
The little and often approach allows us to consult with clients on a specific area of their site as they are working on it. This allows us to focus on improving a specific user journey rather than brushing over it as part of a larger project. We can get an intimate understanding of a particular part of the customer decision making process to help clients isolate barriers and deliver experiences which go beyond expectations. Clients get our support in small affordable chunks as and when they need us and we can plan and schedule the work easily, meaning we can be more responsive to deadlines.
So, next time you’re planning your budget allocations for UX, try not to think big and blow your budget all at once. Think more strategically at the key aspects of the user journey you’ll want to focus on in more depth throughout the year and split your budget accordingly.
If you’d like some advice on how you can best utilise your budget, get in touch and we’ll arrange a call or pop in for a chat.
