An examples of user flow for DIY furniture, could mean:
- The directions not being clear
- Complex manual diagrams and confusing instructions
- The product’s holes not lining up with the screws
- Missing pieces leaving you frustrated
This is user experience that could be improved with better user flow.
In this blog post we will learn what user flow is and look into creating a smooth user flow for your business.
Let’s dive right in.
What’s a User Flow?
User flows are instructions users should take to complete a task.
These documents help:
- Customers towards their goals
- Businesses to ensure customer success and prevent churn
For DIY furniture, companies could improve user flow by giving customers step-by-step video instructions.
Posting videos on a knowledge base, as a resource for confused or frustrated customers.
Also including FAQ pages so people contact support teams when products have missing pieces.
User flow is like customer service, knowing when customers will have a problem with products or services and providing solutions before.
User Flow Diagram
User flow diagrams map the customers journey and highlight where to improve user experience.
These diagrams break down tasks that customers perform with products or services and:
- Find where businesses can interact with users
- Provide customer self-service
User flow diagrams help you find ways customers use products that you never considered.
Also helping to identify broken features or missing components before the product’s release.
Create Smooth User Flows
Think about questions your diagram will answer
Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think about the problems they face and how to overcome them.
Customers solve problems in different ways, so make sure you take this into account.
When relating to customer’s experience, ask the following about user flow:
- What they’re trying to accomplish with the product
- Why they need to accomplish it and their motivations
- How the product helps them accomplish their goal
- What might hold them back from using the product
Create user personas
A user persona is a representation of your target audience, including:
- Their likes
- Dislikes
- Habits
- Needs solved with your product or service
Also featuring demographic information, like:
- Gender
- Age
- Income
- Location
Because visualising your typical customers helps you:
- Design a intuitive and user-friendly diagram
- Know who the product is for and how they’ll use it
Build a user journey map
Next build a user journey map to show the actions users will take when using your product, including:
- Completed actions timelines
- Thoughts and emotions influencing each action
- Touchpoints where users will complete important actions
Understand entry points
Then think about the entry points customers will use to access your website or product.
User journeys depend on where, when and how customers find your business.
User flows also depend on customers’ entry points, determining if users are recurring, loyal customer or first-time visitors.
So you need to personalise your solutions for both types of users for customer success.
Write an outline
Writing an outline of your user flow can help you find errors.
Because reviewing a written document is easier than analysing a diagram.
And an outline helps you focus on your diagrams content.
So, make sure it’s user-friendly and intuitive then make your diagram visually appealing.
Remember, reference your outline when adding and removing components to keep the main diagram’s structure.
Try multiple diagrams
Try a few diagram formats before sticking to one.
So you can add text to different templates then get feedback on which works best.
After that, move onto adding colour, images and visuals to highlight certain points.
Remember it may take some time until you find your best pick, so test out a few diagrams.
Use shapes, graphics, images and labels if needed
Don’t get carried away with shapes, graphics, photos and symbols because adding too many can distract users from the diagram’s goal.
So help users find the right path by keeping out all irrelevant information in the diagram.
So, pick a minimalist design with extra elements that are helpful or clarify a point.
Prototype your user flow diagram
After completing your user flow diagram, test it.
Pick a sample test group that represents your target audience.
Show them your diagram so they try some of its actions.
Then survey these participants for feedback.
They can find unnecessary actions or missing instructions, even a different approach to completing a task.
And this feedback will help you create a more user-centred final user flow.
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