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Commentcomment ______________________________________________ 11h, personalisation, a mainstay of most digital project briefs.
Ubiquitous in the agency world and almost as misunderstood as UX
itself. Ask anyone working in a digital agency what it is and you’ll likely
get a nod of recognition but difficulty in pinning it down. All they know
is the client wants it, so they’re delivering it.
I believe that personalisation is something designed and implemented by the
website, app or software — as opposed to customisation, which is a set of choices given
to users to personalise their own experience. So why is personalisation regularly on
the agenda? Is it something that users expect? Or is it simply that personalisation
works?
When you dig deeper into the topic, it becomes clear that it isn’t a given and it
doesn’t always work. In fact it can have a negative impact on the user experience.
Let’s explore the reason it’s so popular lately. Done well, personalisation can
provide a streamlined experience, allowing users to cut through irrelevant content. It
can reduce cognitive load and decision fatigue by only showing useful information and
choices.
Take for example Thread, where users input personal information such as clothing
sizes, body shape, and style. Thread then cuts out anything that doesn’t fit, literally, to
serve up a streamlined, personalised fashion experience.
As well as improving the user experience, good personalisation can make an
encounter more immersive. The Xbox racing game Forza populates the racetrack with
AI cars that use game data from friends’ driving performances to create their own
‘drivatars’. So, rather than driving against randoms, it feels like I’m racing against (and
beating!) my friends, even though they’re not currently playing with me.
It’s easy to see why there’s a high demand for personalisation. But the reason all of
these examples work is because the context of use matches the user need and the
design intent. They’re designed specifically to enhance user experience and assist in
reaching goals better, faster or more enjoyably. Often, the true intent of personalisation
is simply to sell more. It’s to satisfy a business need, rather than a user-led need. Or, it is
implemented poorly and doesn’t account for the complexities of human behaviour.
Netflix is touted as a great example of personalisation. But is it? I find it frustrating. If
I watch one comedy, afterwards that’s all I’m recommended. The personalisation
algorithm simplifies my complex interests down to my history of previous clicks.
Very has stated a desire to become ‘the world’s best personalised shopping
experience’. How does this vision manifest? If you visit their website and look at Ted
Baker clothing, all you’ll see is Ted Baker products on the homepage when you return.
Is that really the best we can do?
Reducing complex human beings down to their last set of choices as an accurate
prediction of what they want seems short-sighted. It’s the equivalent of walking into a
bookstore and all the shelves being covered up except for cookery books because I
watched an episode of MasterChef recently.
I am all for personalisation, for the right reasons. But when it becomes an add-on to
every project in a desperate need to keep up with the Jones’ there’s very little value in
it. I believe it is your job as a designer of digital experiences to question these
personalisation briefs. Why is it required? What’s the business case? What’s the user
need? What do we mean by personalisation? How can we really enhance the user
experience? If you’re not satisfied by the answers, take a stand.
If you don’t, who will?A
Does personalisation enhance or detract from the user experience?
How personal is
personalisation?
DamianRees
Founder& UXdirectorIt’s easy to see why
there’s a high demand for
personalisation. But, the
reason all of these
examples work, is because
the context of use matches
the user need and the
design intent
experienceux.co.uk