Disrupt or be disrupted, the secret to not falling behind

Disrupt or be disrupted, the secret to not falling behind

Have you ever wondered how disruptors manage to shake up industries and make waves with their innovations?

Cherokee Mahoney
Cherokee Mahoney
0 min read
April 1, 2023

The key to their success lies in a steadfast focus on UX research and customer needs, putting users at the heart of their process leads to transformative outcomes.

Disruptors’ secret sauce is all about understanding their customers and staying agile. They’re bloody fantastic at looking beyond the surface and getting to the heart of their customer’s needs, desires, and pain points. With UX research and customer-centricity at the core of their strategy, disruptors can uncover hidden opportunities, identify new markets, and create innovative solutions that truly resonate with their target audience.

They’re solving a problem for people and so people love them!

In fact, design-driven companies have outperformed the S&P 500 by a whopping 228% over a 10-year period, proving the importance of customer-centricity (DMI & Motiv Strategies, 2015). This is no small feat!

Active listening and empathy play a crucial role in a disruptor’s journey. By genuinely paying attention to what people have to say, they gain deep insights into the unique challenges their audience faces. This empathy-driven approach enables them to see the world through users’ eyes, sparking the desire to create products and services that make a real difference.

The next step for disruptors is to use empathy and dive into UX research to uncover unmet needs. They employ a variety of research methodologies to gather invaluable insights, helping them to spot market gaps and develop innovative solutions that address unmet needs.

By adopting a people-centred design approach, disruptors iterate and refine their ideas based on feedback from real users, ensuring their innovations are tailored to meet their audience’s requirements. The proof is in the pudding: companies that excel in customer experience achieve 1.7 times more revenue growth than their competitors (Forrester Research, 2016).

Of course, collaboration and cross-functional teamwork are essential components in the disruptor’s toolbox. They bring together designers, engineers, researchers, and business experts to shake up the as is and harness diverse perspectives and skills. This collaborative approach fosters an environment where ideas can be exchanged, challenged, and refined, leading to breakthrough innovations.

Disruptors know that staying ahead of the game requires agility and adaptability. They continuously revisit their UX research findings and customer feedback to adapt their strategies and products in response to changing market conditions. Companies that score high on McKinsey’s design index outperform industry benchmarks in terms of revenue growth and shareholder returns (McKinsey & Company, 2018).

If you are an organisation looking to drive disruption, harness the superpower behind disruptors’ success. A super focus on people through UX research and customer needs, backed by powerful data. By actively listening, empathising, and putting people at the heart of their design approach, disruptors create groundbreaking solutions that resonate with users and leave a lasting impact. Taking these lessons from disruptors to heart can empower us all to innovate and make a difference in our own spheres of influence.

If you enjoyed this blog why not give our article Unlocking growth when you are being disrupted.

If you have a project you would like to discuss with our User Experience team then get in touch with us today.

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