“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s an age-old adage, and one that millions adhere to. But, where would we be if all we ever did was keep with the same old way of doing things? As a designer, time and time again I see clients nervous to make a change. To change the look of their site, the UX of a process. It’s too risky, too costly, too scary. So why should we?
1. Small Changes Yield Big Rewards
Change doesn’t always indicate doing a radical overhaul. The beauty of a good experience is often found in the details. Recently, Spotify changed the placement of its search icon, moving it from a buried hamburger menu to front and center on the bottom nav bar. While seemingly insignificant, the change made it easier for users to search for music. This lead to more searches overall, and more music enjoyment.
2. Innovation Shows Forward Thinking
Companies like Facebook don’t wait until a process or a design is too clunky to use. They think ahead. They change things before they “have” to do it. This makes these companies seem innovative – ahead of the curve.
3. Change Can Remedy Outstanding Problems
I recently worked with a client that was constantly having trouble with the layout of their form. It was clunky, and didn’t lay out well in mobile. There was hesitation to move to a new form, mostly because the connection wasn’t made between the form’s layout and its effectiveness. We prototyped a version of the form that contained standard form field size, larger input text size and more obvious calls-to-action. When the form launched, we actually found that not only was it mobile friendly, it was also easier for users to complete. This solved a problem that wasn’t even apparent in the first place.
4. Evolving Allows You to Continue Your Story
A client’s story is always ongoing. Often times, the look and brand need to evolve to keep up. It’s easy to cling to what worked yesterday, but that rarely reflects where the brand is going. Take a look at Google, for example, their logo has evolved and adapted as their story has gone along. Allowing for visual change can often help in continuing to tell the story of a brand.
5. Change is How You Test the Market to See What Truly Differentiates You
Testing can often be an intimidating word in the mind of clients. However, testing out a new web design, app design, etc. can show you what the market thinks. You might even be surprised to find that your audience is already wanting more than you are giving them. Try something different, and you just may be surprised.
