In some of the most popular, most used apps, there are extensive personalization touches. Many of these go unnoticed by the majority of users. For example, consider how many apps greet you with a welcome message that contains your name. Even if it’s only an online handle or gamer tag, this is still an example of personalization. This trend is now making its way into every sector of our lives, including the world of design.
What does personalization really mean. Well, perhaps the most familiar example is those personalized recommendations commonly seen on sites like Amazon and Netflix. These sites recommend future content that it thinks users will like, based on their past preferences.
Many businesspeople and professionals use LinkedIn. The LinkedIn feed is full of posts connected to industries or companies that you have recently been researching. It can even suggest other people to connect with, who just happen to work for the company you’ve been looking at. What are the odds? Very high if your service uses personalization algorithms.
These are just two examples of how the design world is now increasingly embracing the opportunities offered by personalization.
Brands Take Personalization to the Next Level
Being able to highlight connections that users might not notice on their own, or recommend products and services that they are likely interested in purchasing, are both things that the design industry has great scope to make use of.
Take Netflix as an example. According to a post on their own tech blog, they are now even personalizing the artwork that users see for each film. They will base the images they serve on the kind of images that have previously enticed users into watching content.
Why is Personalization So Powerful?
Now that personalization has become a core component of the design industry, as an effective means of bridging gaps between users and the services they use, it is beginning to be used in new and exciting ways. Another indicator of how successful personalization can be is that it is being covered by a number of top design websites, such as DesignRush. The DesignRush article is worth reading and can be found here.
The core objective of personalization has remained unchanged. It is designed to tailor both content and functionality to a user’s preferences, both the ones they specify and ones that they might not find themselves. For designers, this makes personalization a powerful tool for overcoming many of the most common difficulties designers face.
How Effective is Personalized Design?
Brands and products make use of personalized design extensively; some better than others. Some people are even predicting that in the future there will be computers capable of reading thoughts and understanding our preferences better than we do.
When used effectively, personalized design bridges gaps between users and the services they use. It creates a more immersive experience and, most importantly of all, it leads to better design practices, which benefit creators and consumers.