You can view user experience as the outcome of a series of deliberate actions aimed at achieving specific objectives. Individuals involved in these actions play a crucial role, as they are the ones actively engaged in the experience. From my observations, people are often overlooked when designing solutions meant to enhance their lives. This oversight is exacerbated in technical solutions, where functionality typically takes precedence over all else.
Exclusion of users during the product construction process leads to a loss of ownership. Introducing products that do not cater to users’ needs often overwhelms them, resulting in self-blame for their perceived inability to utilize the products effectively. Unless compelled, people typically do not allocate time to continuously attempt using products that prove challenging.
Ownership is cultivated through addressing personal concerns and allocating dedicated time to product usage, which can be hindered by various obstacles. Recently, traders in Kampala, Uganda, protested against EFRIS, a government system designed to automate VAT collection by URA. This protest highlights a lack of ownership of technological solutions meant to improve people’s lives. When users reject a product they are meant to own and use, its perceived user experience diminishes.
From my perspective, ownership also stems from anticipation, as one cannot own something they did not foresee. Historical events and planning can help anticipate and ultimately own things we care about. Government technological implementations intended for public use often prioritize functionality over user experience, neglecting individuals like those in Kikuubu, downtown Kampala. It appears EFRIS was developed behind closed doors and later revealed to traders without prior knowledge or consultation, leading to their confusion.
To encourage traders to embrace new technologies like EFRIS, URA should step back and understand the users’ behavior independent of the system. Once familiar with traders’ behavior, URA can test EFRIS with different traders before full implementation.
Testing EFRIS with various traders will uncover adaptation strategies and ensure smoother integration after multiple test iterations. Assuming users already possess knowledge of certain technological solutions is misguided. All technological solutions should undergo thorough testing before implementation, with sensitization efforts prioritized, especially for mandatory systems like EFRIS. Placing users at the forefront of product development encourages acceptance and utilization, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience.
What factors influence product ownership, and how do they impact the overall user experience?