Enterprise UX Design : Designs for the Workplace
Tags: enterpriseuxdesign, enterpriseux
Published: 2023-07-24 05:34:40



Enterprise UX stands tall as one of the most talked about forms of UX designing. It is a complex field whose target audience is working professionals. Let’s face it; they are used to bad UI.

While challenges are common for any kind of UX design, enterprise UX design needs to push the ordinary to offer something different and, in many cases, provides a lot more to make the interactions memorable.After all, it’s the workplace we are talking about. And a lot happens there.

## What is Enterprise UX Design?

Understanding enterprise UX design will tell you why it is a category on its own. While we have different types of UX, Enterprise UX talks about designs that specifically target professionals, and in a more practical sense, it refers to apps that offer B2B solutions for organisations. Basically, people in the workforce need Enterprise UX to get their job done on a day-to-day basis.

The users of these apps are employees of organisations, and the requirement is to make their work life easier. So, the outcome affects businesses financially, making enterprise UX a field of complexities.

If it’s done right, enterprise UX will provide,

- Improved interactions
- Better productivity and
- Effortless understanding

Even if these aspects aren’t met, you can also conduct a UX Audit and look to add more value.

How’s Enterprise UX Design is different from Consumer UX
Enterprise UX design and consumer UX design fall under the same umbrella of UI/UX designing. However, in terms of differences, they are worlds apart. The most important differences are listed below.

## Users

As the name suggests, consumer UX deals with consumer applications that help users find solutions to their problems. These are common apps, and since there is an abundance of them, you can be sure of competition.

For enterprise UX, applications are primarily designed for domains, and users are working professionals who will need the app to carry forward their work-related requirements. So, the difference between these types of UX lies with the user.

## Functionality

There’s a strong belief that enterprise applications are complex. This is due to the fact that these applications will have to support more than a single function and accompany the interests of multiple users based on their job positions.

Comparatively, consumer applications only have a single function to accomplish. These apps target users based on their problems and move ahead to be the solution. As a result of competition, you can always find an alternative to a consumer application.

## Challenges

Challenges are a part of UI/UX designing, and every agency offering design-related services knows what they must overcome. Similarly, both consumer and enterprise applications come with their own challenges.

But if we were to draw a comparison, enterprise applications would stand out with the bigger challenges. These apps handle complex data, and users must use them to adhere to the organization’s rules and regulations.

Apart from data, enterprise applications will also have a range of transactions that may differ from consumer applications.

## Restrictions

Enterprise applications are bound to have more restrictions and security features as it has company-centric data. Substantial financial losses could be underway if these applications lost this information.

Consumer applications aren’t any different, as they can also have personal information. However, regarding security features, enterprise applications are known to be the more protective guide.

Both these applications are designed to operate in a specific way, and these changes also reflect their approach toward UI/UX designing.

## What makes enterprise UX design important?

Enterprise UX is booming, and in doing so, this design field is adding relevance to its existence. Today, there are several reasons why enterprise UX design is important, and some of these reasons are listed below.

## Promoting sales

Sales fall under the bracket of survival and existence for an organization, making it a key indicator for growth. And anything that promotes sales can automatically be considered a significant factor.

This is where enterprise UX design comes in. Organizations depend on several tools, such as customer relationship management and top marketing tools like SEMRUSH. Since the target group for these tools are enterprises, our field of design comes into play.

These tools are not only used to promote sales but also to.

- Be competitive
- Achieve business goals and
- Improve the business model

In these areas, enterprise UX design has a huge role to play as it adds value to an organization’s efforts. Apart from following the common elements to create a credible interface, enterprise UX is also responsible for ensuring data management.

## Achieving employee satisfaction

Organizations are keen to understand the potential impact a tool or a product could have on their employees. Considering that employees are using these tools, it makes sense to purchase them while thinking about Return on Investment (ROI).

If the element of design is too much for enterprise-related tools or applications, employees might need to align their efforts, and hence, the outcome can be ignored. This is why UI/UX designers need to remember the critical elements of an interface and explore the core requirements for enterprise UX.

Without conducting proper research, enterprise UX fails to capture the core of the project, which in turn will affect outcome, sales, and ROI.

## Customer support

Enterprise UX plays a crucial role in customer support. Multiple features, such as live chat and support tools, fall under this category, pushing organizations to understand the importance of Enterprise UX.

Features like live chat and support tools are often seen in apps, websites, and other platforms. Providing ample support enhances user experience and enables customers to solve all their problems.

## Achieving customer loyalty

Looking at enterprise UX design from the customer’s perspective will help you realize it is all about the experience. Tools designed by Enterprise UX must provide the best experience that benefits customers and enables them to solve all their problems.

A fine example of this is the conversion funnel that routinely describes a buyer’s journey. Here, end-users experience depends on the enterprise design of the software or service. If that experience is top-notch, customer loyalty could be on the way.


## Top Challenges Faced by Enterprise UX

As mentioned above, challenges are a part of UI/UX designing since every project invites problems of its own. Finding solutions is a systematic process that requires the team to brainstorm and bring fresh ideas to the table.

Challenges start to disappear as things begin to get finalized and enter other stages of UI development.

## Meeting customer needs

Enterprise UX is provided for organizations and specifically for the employees of that organization. So, meeting employee needs is an important parameter, and they must be satisfied.

However, consumer behavior, which is influenced by,

- Personal factors
- Psychological factors and
- Social factors

It is constantly evolving and differs from person to person. Meeting customer needs is one of the first challenges designers face while working on Enterprise UX design projects.

Designers must ensure that they follow a flexible approach that leaves ample room for customization.

## Highly specialized requirements

Enterprises will be willing to spend big bucks to get what they need based on the ROI. Unlike customers, Enterprises will quickly look into solutions and, if things don’t work out, will quickly look into alternatives.

Due to that, there are some highly specialized requirements that designers need to meet if they are going to design an app or any other platform for enterprises. Thanks to their level of expertise, new designers might need help to cope.

## Competitive market

The market for Enterprise UX is competitive but a little different from what one usually sees. Enterprises go behind [well-established agencies](https://www.peppersquare.com/in/services/ui-ux-design/website-design/) or designers. While agencies might already have a reputation, freelancers need help building things from scratch.

Moreover, enterprises also consider the margin for error because they want to keep it at a minimum. If they find a reputable agency that provides top-tier designs, they are bound to go after the same.

## Creating simple designs

Enterprise UX, as a field of design, is expected to reach $347 Billion by 2027. While customers buy products for personal requirements, users, in this context, use such tools or products for work. So, enterprise designers will not concentrate on selling the product but make the design simpler for all.

And making a design simple only sounds simple because, in reality, it is a complex process backed by research.

**An enterprise applications design needs to be
**

- Simple and
- Efficient

Once these parameters are met, the task of an [enterprise UX/UX designer](https://www.peppersquare.com/ui-ux-design/) becomes clearer. They understand the path forward and try to include the correct elements.

## Conclusion

Considering the fact that organizations are looking for specialized tools and services, the interest in enterprise UX is only expected to increase. In addition, organizations want their employees to work with the latest forms of innovation and technology.

Hence, it is an excellent time to be an enterprise UX/UX designer, and if you’re looking for such services, you can always consult us.

FAQs
When do you need an enterprise-level platform?
Generally speaking, an enterprise requires an enterprise-level UX solution to improve the productivity and efficiency of employees, especially if you want to

Improve access to information
Streamline workflows
Enhance collaborations
Ensure security and compliance
How to design Cross-Platform Digital Experiences in Enterprise UX?
Designing cross-platform digital experiences in enterprise UX is all about what your user really needs.

Identifying your user’s needs.
Without identifying what your user needs, we cannot plan a platform for them. As designers we need to know our user’s goals, pain points, and how they would want to use the platform on different devices. Conducting user research will help gather invaluable insights.

Time to define your user’s journey.
Once you understand their needs, next comes the process of mapping. Through the process of user journey mapping you will be able to identify any gaps that may have come while designing enterprise application.

Invest in developing a design system.
By creating a design language specific to the brand, you will be able to maintain consistency across different devices and platforms. A design system is part of creating a design language, including due importance to typography, color palette, and UI components.

Always, think mobile-first.
Mobile version is no longer a good-to-have, it’s a must-have as a huge chunk of users access enterprise level platforms through their mobile devices. In effect, it means keep in mind the limited net bandwidth, small screens and touch interactions.

A responsive design.
You need a responsive design that offers a digital experience adapted to different screen sizes and devices. This ensures that your design is accessible to all users, regardless of the device they are using.

Test and iterate your design.
It’s okay to kill your darlings. By regularly conducting user testing on different devices and platforms we as designers can ensure a consistent and positive experience for our users. Don’t shy away from using good old feedback forms to know what your end-user wants, and adapt accordingly.

What is the turnaround time to complete enterprise UX
The turnaround time to complete enterprise UX can vary widely depending on the scope and complexity of the project. After all, it involves multiple stages of research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation – each of which can take varying amounts of time to complete.

Other factors that may influence the turnaround time for enterprise UX design is how many people are working on from the design agency, the number of end-users, the workflow complexities and back-end systems involved. Of course budget too is crucial.

Thus developing a robust enterprise UX design project can take anywhere between several months or years to complete. However, smaller projects with a narrower scope may get completed quickly, potentially within a few weeks or months.