You Need a Designer. Developers Can't Translate Emotions

December 4, 2023

Yes, they, the developers are great problem solvers, but they don’t care about the users or the experience they have with your product or service. They enjoy solving problems and building solutions that’s it. Problem solved is job done.

I had a discovery call the other day with a person behind the camera who said: This is a passion project of mine, and the developer built everything correctly but couldn’t create a design that brings out the emotions I want from this project. Aha, it clicked. In the problem statement is the solution, I thought. Then I told him:

You not only need a developer, you need a designer who will translate your ideas into strategic designs, that later, the developer with the guidance of the designer will implement those designs and tie them to the logic and code of execution.
Your users, when they can’t find the information they need on your website or app. 😄- Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Who’s fault is it? Why designers are not considered during the development of VISUAL products and services? I was at a workshop where the topic was about building a successful e-commerce webshop, and developers were mentioned, and user experience was mentioned (thank God I thought), but the designers were nowhere to be found or heard in the picture. Why is that?

As a self-improvement ambassador, I would say it's our fault. We don’t talk enough about the impact we make, the value we bring, the solutions we provide and the power we hold over the way a user feels when they land on a web page or open a mobile app.

Most of the time someone gives feedback about a poor product or service they start with: “It didn’t make a good first impression, it looks and feels confusing, slow, small, too fast, I don’t trust it is safe etc.”

What do people say when they are happy with a service or a product and give it as a recommendation? “I love their design, packaging, brand message and little gifts, they have discounts, a loyalty program, and the customer service is amazing etc!”

It all comes to one thing — building trust. By providing a good user experience, and clear, strategic design, you not only help your user trust you more but also help your business stand out in the sea of DIY-ed and programmer-build websites.

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Thank you for reading until the end, and hi from Zagreb, Croatia! 🌨️

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