Where to start when creating end user trust

Although increasing ERP end-user productivity could be a complex undertaking when building RIA's there's a lot to gain by paying attention to the user interfaces when creating them. In a study done by Forrester they concluded that poorly designed user interfaces can profoundly affect the bottom line. The expenses associated with a bad UI, over the course of the application’s lifetime, may end up being many times the cost of the application itself.”  In my case I’m at the moment focusing on how to increase end-user productivity when creating rich internet applications (RIAs) using Microsoft and SAP technologies.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a solid foundation when wanting to create RIAs that are intended for increasing end user productivity. You need to gain the trust of the end user and it all begins with a solid foundation. The problem is that the foundation is of low interest to the business or so they think - they want to see something that they can click on with nice colors, graphics and features. I strongly advise you to stay strong and start with the foundation and not with the nice colors, graphics and features. Make sure to address the foundation first and identify the requirements for creating end-user trust.

So how do you do that? Well of course it differs from project to project. But it begins with your end users and the environment they reside in. Based on my experience I have created a checklist that can be used when identifying what basic requirements you need to have in place on your way to gain end user trust. We all know how quickly we loose trust in an application if it performs badly on a number of parameters. Go through the list and pick the topics that are relevant for your organization. If your RIA is not intended for mobile devices then leave the subject out. The important thing is that you address each subject of relevance and create your foundation based on them.

To some the list might seem obvious but never the less here it is. And remember, to get increased end user productivity requires end user trust. We want smiley faces from our end users. Smiley faces equals increased end user productivity but is a complex thing to get if you don't build on a solid foundation. Remember that the list is about the end users, so the more you know about the users the better. Think people-centric. Guidelines can be found on the internet with industry standards and up to date statistics if you want something to benchmark against.

 
List.
Focus areas and UX Requirements

1. What kind of Web browsers do your target group use?
   E.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome.
2. What kind of Mobile browsers should you aim for reaching out to your users?
   E.g. Opera, Safari, Blackberry and Android.
3. What about Availability? Remember your decision here can have a huge impact on your infrastructure. 
   E.g. 24/7 updated information – worldwide. Personal service in local office hours.
4. Screen resolution.
   1024 x 768 – when reaching a global market you should seek the lower middle, not the top users of hardware. People with a lower screen resolution will not be able to see all content and functionalities on the screen.
5. Device requirements.
   The requirements must consider all functionalities of the system: e.g. document handling, tables, list pages, search functionality.
6. Mobile guidelines.
   The requirements must consider common updated mobile guidelines.
7. Load time responses.
   E.g. A delay of 0.2-1.0 seconds is acceptable.
8. Graphical layout.
   Less is more: each screendump should only display the content and functionalities that the user finds necessary and the specific time.
9. Design principles.
   The design should follow the company’s corporate CVI (Corporate Visual Identity for digital media)
10. Languages.
    E.g. the system should support the use of Danish, English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Indian English and Dutch.
11. Personas.
    All scenarios and requirement specifications should be based on personas covering the target groups in question.
12. Usability principles.
    The system should respect usability guidelines and involve user testing.
13. Communication.
    The system should respect the company’s corporate communication strategy.
14. Help.
    The system should respect every best practice help for FAQ, customer service (chat, telephone, and mail), iHelp, links and manuals).

Every element of the list could of course be debated in detail so feel free to comment on the matter or contact me for further dialog. I’m always happy to share.