Introduction to Competitive Analysis
UX design is not about reinventing the wheel. Our artistic side might want to deliver something more creative and original, but our more practical technical side knows that users crave simplicity and familiarity. It would be frustrating as a user if every website and application you interacted with had a different way of organizing information and interacting with elements. So when it comes to designing a product, it’s important to take inspiration from existing competitors. Competitive analysis describes the process of researching and analyzing products with functionality similar to that of the product you’re building. This gives the designer a good list of do’s and don’t’s, while also providing stakeholders with an idea of how the product can succeed. Examining similar products helps designers build a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.
What to Look At
Look for products that serve a similar purpose to the product you are designing. If these are tools used internally within a company, it may be hard to explore them in depth. Ideally, you’d be able to make yourself an account if necessary and explore a product as if you were a user. Nevertheless, all products likely have a website explaining what they do, highlighting features, and spotlighting customer reviews. Use the information you have at your disposal; it might take a little bit of research.
Next, narrow down the competitors into an approachable number. Let’s start with 3, although this could vary vastly depending on what’s out there.
If there are lots of existing products that are similar to what you’re designing, make sure you keep in mind why you’re designing something custom. It’s likely that there are a few business needs that are not properly addressed in these existing products. Narrow down your competitors by which come closest to addressing these needs. If there are still too many, start with what’s most popular. These will provide you with a lot more information to work with. They’re also a great reference point to stakeholders. If you have to present your findings, it will help to compare your project to familiar experiences.
If you can’t find many good contenders, congrats! You have an interesting and potentially very rewarding challenge before you. If you can’t find existing products that serve a similar function, focus on individual features. For example, if scheduling is an important function in your final product, explore common tools that serve this purpose. This could be Microsoft Outlook, or even the website of your local nail salon. Break down your project by identifying the most important features and analyzing each individually.
At the end of the day, it’s as simple as making a pros and cons list. The pros are what you’ll want to emulate in your design, and the cons are issues you’ll want to remedy.
What to Look For
Other programs exist and likely work well for others. What is it they accomplish and how do they do so? When users approach experiences they like familiarity and consistency, and you don't have to fix what’s not broken. For both of those reasons it’s important to reuse effective design patterns and take inspiration from similar successful products.
Then again, you’re designing a custom solution, which affords you the ability to tailor the experience to the users' unique needs. Ask yourself where existing products fall short. Note missing features, and peruse customer reviews to uncover pain points.
Here are some questions to aid in your analysis:
Navigation: How is information organized? How do pages flow together? Do you get lost?
Tasks: What tasks does this product enable users to accomplish? Is each process efficient?
Users: How does the target audience of this product compare to the target audience of yours? How might that affect features and functionality? Look at product reviews; what do users think?
Look: Is it aesthetically appealing? Is the layout familiar? How does it make you feel at first glance?
After you’ve explored each product and created your pros and cons list, you can synthesize your findings into key takeaways. Make note of common issues across competitors, effective patterns you can reuse, and any other observations. Lastly, summarize your analysis. Reiterate what you will take inspiration from, and what you will avoid. Then explain how these takeaways will inform your approach to your project and make it successful.
Your research doesn’t end here. Competitive analysis uses similar products to help to identify effective design patterns to reuse, and pitfalls to avoid. Next is turning your attention back to the unique goals of your project by communicating with users and creating personas. We at Moser Consulting are available to aid in project discovery and research. Contact us to learn more!
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