CONNECTING UX AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
In the present world of globetrotting clientele with heightened awareness of latest trends UX objectives is essential to ensure that every interaction is intuitive, efficient, and engaging. As per Fancy George CEO, Thomas Workplace the term UX has evolved and it is one of the crucial aspects of any business and sector. In design parlance, require- ments are the wish-list of things the client wants and hence, user experience. The designer design needs to offer a good balance of both 'form & function' in order to have user experience.” Sachin Goregaokar, Partner, GA Design expressed, “Architects have always been designing spaces with client needs in mind. While UI/UX has now come to be known , more from Mobile App industry, architects had always been creating designs and material applications for the people that would be using them.” Santosh Wadekar, Design Director, studioSW agreed, “While strad- dling both the worlds of art and technology, UX is something that inherently as a designer we get it on board, Designers fist understand the client’s requirements or wish-list and come up with best options to create a unique space/product.” Jamshed Banaji, Principal, Banaji & Associates added, “I would say, architects are the original UX professionals. UX is the summation of all the feelings that a client has from the start of his experience to the end of his experience of the space designed by an architect, whether it is a private or a public space.” Deepak Sapru, Chief Executive Officer, Quba Group shared, “In my 20 years of working with multinationals and Indian companies wildest expectations? It is all about truly listening to the customer and it honestly doesn't have to cost much.” Sachin Goregaokar gave an ex- ample, “As designers and architects we tend to have a particular way of going about ‘form follows function’ or ‘function follows form’. In a factory project in Gujarat, as the client didn’t want a typical factory experience of the building, we designed garden pathway and connected the building with trees and created a biophilic environment around the whole space like a forest. So, people coming in, didn’t feel like it was a factory and experienced a pleasant environment.” Santosh Wadekar shared his experience of designing a sales lounge of a developer during Covid, “During pandemic, while people were reluctant to venture out, they also longed for a going out. So, we created the sales lounge that had sales counters/tables set far apart for social distancing, designed it as an inviting space that did not feel claustrophobic and had a good vibe to it which prospective buyers could enjoy and take a break from being locked indoors. The strategy worked really well and the client saw record buyers’ visits.” Jamshed Banaji concurred that nothing can beat the physical experience of a space and for that a personal interaction with the client is important. Technology can fall short of stimulating the sesses. We go by the traditional methods of knowing the client, understand what they really need. And then delivering a true user experience as per the client’s brief.” Deepak Sapru shared the same views, “Touch, See and Feel are very crucial in design industry. A client can best experience a product through sensory exploration. And, I don’t think this is going to change any time soon, even after all the technological advancements.” The basic mantra remains the same.” CHALLENGES KEEPS COMING Challenges are continuous in the field of design, says Jamshed Banaji. He adds, “Put yourself in the client’s shoes and understand where they're coming from. That's one way of dealing with any kind of objection or any kind of challenging situation.” Deepak Sapru added, “While, catering to the user’s demands, we also need to keep raising the bar and innovate to introduce better products. Sometimes, creating awareness about a better product becomes a challenge.” Santosh Wadekar, “I think as an industry we have come a long way in terms of client awareness and the designers being more understanding of what a user wants and where to step in to drive innovation.” Sachin Goregaokar shared, “We do a lot of redevelopment projects and through a completely overhauled space planning, we design a completely new way of living. However, changing lifestyle is challenging and we have to deal with it from the start to the delivery of the project.” Fancy George summed up, “Ar- chitects have mastered the art to understand the customers and to provide them with an experience that is customised to their needs. However, challenges, old and new will remain a part and parcel of the design journey.” Architects sometimes have to think for the customers to understand their true needs - Fancy George The UX strategy will keep changing with times and designers have to stay in sync - Santosh Wadekar Technology can fall short of stimulating the sesses - Jamshed Banaji Understanding the ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ of the end user is how we design spaces - Sachin Goregaokar
Tags : Fancy George Thomas Workplace Sachin Goregaokar GA Design Santosh Wadekar studioSW Jamshed Banaji Banaji & Associates Deepak Sapru Quba Group