What comes to mind when I say: digital personalization?

Personalization is the method used to bring an enhanced digital experience to users when visiting a website or working on an application. This is accomplished by studying various data point references and applying content targeting behind the scenes to increase content relevancy. This approach has been rapidly growing in the recent years and developing some controversy along the way. It’s also one of the most popular features I get questions about as a technology consultant.

Personalization vs. Customization

Personalization and Customization are two terms that are often mistakenly used interchangeably in the industry. Both of these features bring value to the digital experience and can complement each other during an implementation, but they are not the same. Customization can be any feature that has been especially configured to serve a functionality in a website that otherwise would be not available. This can also include any configuration setting on which the user can customize their preferences on how they choose to interact with an application. For example, selection of language, theme, notification preferences, etc. Personalization, however, is that additional layer in a digital experience, that enables an application to make smart decisions and facilitates the provisioning of relevant content to the end user.

Personalization performance tracking presents a challenge to IA specialists when all that is being gathered in the system are data points and metrics that lack the necessary depth of dimension to explain user behavior. For example, we can capture the number of visitors to an website and also the time spent interacting with the site but this data is incomplete if we forget to introduce the UX aspect of measuring the ‘why’ users would behave that way when visiting the site. A simple assumption could be the fact that users really enjoyed using the application and that’s why they spent a long time interacting with it. A more in-depth study might provide a clearer perspective declaring the users took a long time finding information and that’s the reason why they spent more time in the site. These are both valid scenarios that can only be proven when User Experience is introduced in the analysis as a new test factor.

Avoiding the Creep Factor

As User Experience specialists, our job is not only to analyze data and provide results based on these metrics, but we also help test this data in a multi-dimensional manner on which Intention, Failure and Success can be measured and traced back to a successful connected experience.

When studying user behavior and coming up with content targeting solutions, User Experience specialists take a thoughtful approach on which sensitivity, and empathy are applied in a holistic manner. This is where UX brings that test-and-learn attitude to the table on which the main purpose of personalizing a product is to find solutions that better serve the user. Measuring this information provides that sharp understanding of the product’s audience and calls the user to focus by thoughtfully serving relevant information that can potential enhance their experience and save them time when performing a tasks.

In the past few years, users are becoming more aware of digital content targeting and in some cases it has developed a sense of fear and lack of trust, especially in the ad industry. As a technology consultant, I’ve been part of projects on which personalization was successful implemented in applications and products and has had a positive impact in their processes. This could only have been accomplished due to a combined effort of technology specialists taking a holistic approach during the application implementation. There are many practices that as User Experience experts we tend to apply when measuring data. Sometimes, it can be necessary to spend time measuring the level of distrust and disengagement in an organization before introducing a new feature. In every step of the way, think empathy and sensitivity.

A Successful Personalization

Transparency is important when implementing content targeting. Providing additional information as to ‘why’ a certain type of content is being presented to the user can be helpful to build trust and even loyalty. Netflix, for example, lets the users know that a certain list of Movies or TV Shows genre is being presented to them due to previous selections they’ve made in the past. In a corporate website, it can be extremely helpful to display content that is to be consumed by a particularly user group based on the tasks or role they perform in the organization. A manager that is part of the leadership team in a company, can benefit from seeing a targeted Leadership News Feed, Documents Awaiting My Approval, or My Team’s News Feed right in the homepage.

Some other helpful content targeting can be due to localization. Presenting content that is specific to me as a user based on my current geo-location or my office location. For example, weather or time information, regional news, division news, etc.

Brighter Future

Due to rapid technology advancement especially when it comes to digital data collection, data usage, and content targeting, there are many new privacy policies that are being established to help provide user privacy protection and regulate better quality procedures around connected experiences. The implementation of GRDP (General Data Protection Regulation)  in 2018 is a great example of regularization that made a great impact especially on international organizations that have a presence in Europe. Many other companies like Facebook are being forced to re-examine their processes and abide to privacy regulations that protect the user and the information they choose share.

An empathetic approach and the application of privacy policy regulations when establishing digital strategies can ensure the success of connected experiences in a world that is constantly evolving and relies on technology on a day-to-day basis.

Takeaways

• User Experience specialists bring the necessary empathy, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity to deliver a solution that serves the user’s needs in a positive manner.
• AI needs to be supported by IA / UX in order to provide a successful personalization, with the correct ‘test-and-learn’ methodology that best serves the user.
• User Experience specialists introduce personalization as a new dimension into design proposing content targeting variations based on user needs, roles, location, etc.
• Personalization used properly provides an enhanced layer in user’s connected experiences.
• A holistic approach in design is important to establish the level of Intention, Failure, and Success, when implementing personalization.