Admittedly, I ask myself this question sometimes – maybe because it seems to be such a struggle getting corporations, department heads or projects leads to buy in to the value of UX. Or maybe I ask myself this question because I’m an independent contractor and winning contracts is not an easy thing to achieve, so some days, I just wonder if it’s worth the effort to try.
But like the sun rising each day, I see something that reassures me that yes we most definitely need UX in our everyday lives and in our everyday business. Last week I was feeling the UX blues – and then the mail arrived:
I plucked from my mailbox an envelope from a pharmacy chain. We recently changed our medical insurance and along with that change came the imposed partnership with the pharmacy chain. We were not expecting this partnership.
The envelope was marked “confidential for the addressee only.” Inside the envelope was a single-page-double-sided letter that, in the first paragraph, explained the partnership with the insurance company, and pointed out that they have been made aware of a specific drug currently prescribed to the addressee and the effects of that drug. The rest of the letter is general information about the services of the company and so forth.
Now allow me to replay that scenario from the reaction perspective of the receiver of that letter.
@ Reading the envelope: concern and confusion. Why is a drug retailer sending me a confidential letter?
@ Reading the who-we-are partnership statement: failure. What have I done wrong? Did I fill out the paperwork wrong? This isn’t the pharmacy I use…am I going to have to use this pharmacy from now on?
@ Reading the “your prescription history shows” statement: fear and resentment. My privacy is being invaded! I don’t recall giving my consent to share my information! I want to review my original paperwork!
@ Finally realizing the whole letter is only about helpful information: Anger. I didn’t need proof of my privacy being invaded for this type of information! I didn’t need to see a confidentiality alert [on the envelope] for this type of information! Isn’t this the same kind of information I get when I pick up the prescription at the pharmacy I always use?!
That’s a lot of reaction for just two sentences and the title of the second paragraph. I wonder how many other households received such a letter and what they’re reaction sequence looks like.
I imagine that the person or department that sent us this letter probably consulted with a pharmaceutical specialist to ensure they have correctly communicated the effects of the drug and how it should best be used. That same person also consulted with the legal group to ensure the letter would not expose the company to any legal claims that could lead to a liability suit; and lastly, I think it very possible that this letter was subjected to a spelling and grammar check by a living person or an editing tool. But what I highly doubt is that they ran this idea by a UX pro who probably could have told them, with little cost effort added that these type of reactions are possible and to help them to author a less alarming letter to introduce themselves.
But like the sun rising each day, I see something that reassures me that yes we most definitely need UX in our everyday lives and in our everyday business. Last week I was feeling the UX blues – and then the mail arrived:
I plucked from my mailbox an envelope from a pharmacy chain. We recently changed our medical insurance and along with that change came the imposed partnership with the pharmacy chain. We were not expecting this partnership.
The envelope was marked “confidential for the addressee only.” Inside the envelope was a single-page-double-sided letter that, in the first paragraph, explained the partnership with the insurance company, and pointed out that they have been made aware of a specific drug currently prescribed to the addressee and the effects of that drug. The rest of the letter is general information about the services of the company and so forth.
Now allow me to replay that scenario from the reaction perspective of the receiver of that letter.
@ Reading the envelope: concern and confusion. Why is a drug retailer sending me a confidential letter?
@ Reading the who-we-are partnership statement: failure. What have I done wrong? Did I fill out the paperwork wrong? This isn’t the pharmacy I use…am I going to have to use this pharmacy from now on?
@ Reading the “your prescription history shows” statement: fear and resentment. My privacy is being invaded! I don’t recall giving my consent to share my information! I want to review my original paperwork!
@ Finally realizing the whole letter is only about helpful information: Anger. I didn’t need proof of my privacy being invaded for this type of information! I didn’t need to see a confidentiality alert [on the envelope] for this type of information! Isn’t this the same kind of information I get when I pick up the prescription at the pharmacy I always use?!
That’s a lot of reaction for just two sentences and the title of the second paragraph. I wonder how many other households received such a letter and what they’re reaction sequence looks like.
I imagine that the person or department that sent us this letter probably consulted with a pharmaceutical specialist to ensure they have correctly communicated the effects of the drug and how it should best be used. That same person also consulted with the legal group to ensure the letter would not expose the company to any legal claims that could lead to a liability suit; and lastly, I think it very possible that this letter was subjected to a spelling and grammar check by a living person or an editing tool. But what I highly doubt is that they ran this idea by a UX pro who probably could have told them, with little cost effort added that these type of reactions are possible and to help them to author a less alarming letter to introduce themselves.
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