As UX professionals, we don’t always work on the most innovative and modern products. There are plenty of business applications that have been in use for years and were implemented using old technology. Their graphical interfaces often don’t meet the requirements of users who are now accustomed to working with intuitive interfaces on smartphones and other devices. With such outdated software, switching to new technology often requires a great deal of effort.
In most cases, the software’s range of functions has grown over time and the interfaces have become increasingly cluttered and confusing. A UX professional was usually not involved in the development process. Overloaded views are a major problem, especially for users who are just starting to work with the software. The reason is that there is often no integrated help, and users first have to undergo training or read the manual in order to be able to perform their tasks. This makes it all the more important to pay attention to user-friendliness, especially with legacy applications.
3 Factors for Good User-Friendliness
Ease of use, also known as usability, means that users can perform their tasks effectively, i.e., as accurately and completely as possible. If, on the other hand, only 5 out of 100 users achieve their goal, there is obviously a problem with the effectiveness of the software, which can be counteracted with intuitive design. On the other hand, tasks should be solvable efficiently, i.e., without excessive use of resources such as time or human effort.
Satisfaction is also one of the criteria for usability—users decide very quickly whether they like an application or not. Visual presentation and usability are therefore important factors for the success of software.
Methods and Potential Problems
What measures can be taken to achieve maximum user-friendliness when the software is outdated?
Expert Review
Depending on the duration of the UX services commissioned, the methods and measures used in the project may vary. For a short commission period or if no users are available, an expert review can be carried out, for example, in which UX professionals check the application for user-friendliness. Depending on the scope of the application, they may also focus on only a specific area of the software. Positive and negative results are then presented to the customer and possible measures for further work are discussed. For example, design drafts can be realized as part of a further assignment, which can then be passed on to development.
UX Workshop
A UX workshop offers another option for analysis. This is carried out with stakeholders, the customer, and—very importantly—(potential) users. An initial use case should be agreed upon, which will then be discussed in the workshop. There, the UX professionals ask the users about the roles involved, their tasks, problems, and wishes in relation to the interactive system.
The collected user responses are incorporated into the next steps of the workshop. As a rule, one or more customer journey maps are then created, requirements are recorded, and usage requirements are subsequently derived from them. If there were performance issues, such as long loading times, these points are also recorded and passed on directly to the development team. Resolving such issues also improves usability, as users can then work more efficiently.
In the final step, users are asked to record their initial ideas so that these can be incorporated into the subsequent concept.
User Survey and Interviews
If it is not possible to involve users in a workshop, user surveys should be conducted in advance. The UX expert creates a questionnaire on tasks, goals, and other aspects in order to analyze the context of use. If a UX professional can be involved in a project and a workshop is not desired or possible, interviews can also be conducted. During these interviews, users demonstrate how they work with the application and explain their tasks. Here, too, their problems can be identified and their wishes expressed. The statements are written down and processed.
Prototyping and Usability Tests
Based on the above methods, a UX professional then creates a detailed design prototype that covers the discussed use case. Regular communication with the customer is very important in order to clarify any questions that may arise. In addition, the feasibility of the design must be checked in constant consultation with the developers, as not every solution can be implemented without compromises due to outdated technologies. However, in times of flat design, many things can be presented in a modern way to achieve added value visually.
The prototype should then be tested for usability with users from the target group. This is done in the form of usability tests. A moderator specifies the tasks that correspond to the workflow, and the user should work on them using the prototype. The resulting findings are recorded and can be incorporated back into the prototype as changes. Regular evaluations allow usability to be continuously improved.
Conclusion
In an initial consultation with the customer, our UX experts can determine which method is most suitable for the customer’s project. The approach ultimately depends on the specified time frame, budget, and availability of users.
If the existing software cannot be programmed with new technology, our BREDEX UX professionals can still achieve good usability with the right method by redesigning the workflow and user interfaces.
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