In the UX/UI design world, success isn't solely about creating user-friendly interfaces; it's also about aligning with the needs and goals of stakeholders. One powerful tool in achieving this alignment is to conduct interviews/calls with the stakeholders. These conversations, are essential for gathering insights, defining project parameters, and fostering stakeholder engagement.

> **Stakeholders** are individuals, groups, or entities with a vested interest in a project's success. They can be internal, such as executives, employees, or project teams, or external, including customers, suppliers, or regulatory bodies. Understanding stakeholders' perspectives and interests through interviews is vital for aligning project goals, making informed decisions, and ensuring successful outcomes.

## Understanding Stakeholder Interviews/Calls

Stakeholder interviews act as a channel linking design teams with individuals or groups who hold significant stakes in the project's results. Unlike user interviews, which focus on understanding user behaviors and preferences, stakeholder interviews aim to uncover insights that shape the design process, define success metrics, and ultimately meet stakeholder expectations.

## The Why Behind Stakeholder Interviews/Calls

* **Gathering Context and History:** Every project carries a backstory – its origins, past solutions, and underlying constraints. Stakeholder interviews uncover this context, providing invaluable insights into the project landscape, thereby streamlining the design process and minimizing friction.

* **Identifying Business Goals:** While UX practitioners prioritize user needs, stakeholders are invested in business objectives. These interviews shed light on business challenges, objectives, and success metrics, ensuring alignment between user-centric design and organizational goals.

* **Aligning on a Shared Vision:** Stakeholder interviews facilitate collaboration by fostering a shared understanding of project vision and objectives. By addressing divergent perspectives early on, teams can cultivate a cohesive vision that guides project implementation.

## Timing Is Key

Although stakeholder interviews or calls are feasible at any point of the project, initiating them early on maximizes their advantages, making it imperative to conduct them at the beginning of the project. 

Ideally, these interviews kick off a project, onboard new stakeholders, or realign efforts in case of deviations from initial plans. Early engagement not only demonstrates stakeholders' importance but also ensures that their insights shape project trajectories effectively.

## Conducting Effective Stakeholder Interviews

* **Set Clear Goals:** Define interview objectives to guide discussions and ensure relevance. Whether seeking insights, securing support, or establishing communication preferences, clarity in goals fosters productive interactions.

* **Prepare Thoughtful Questions:** Craft a semistructured interview guide that prompts meaningful discussions while allowing flexibility. Focus on topics such as success metrics, priorities, historical context, and workflow preferences to elicit comprehensive insights.

* **Build Good Relationships:** Initiate interviews with introductions that establish good relationships and convey the purpose of the conversation. Encourage transparency and honesty, reassuring stakeholders that their input is valued and confidentiality maintained.

* **Wrap-Up and Follow-Up:** Conclude interviews by expressing gratitude, seeking additional contacts for further insights, and confirming the next steps. Follow up with a thank-you and a "wrap-up of the call" email, reinforcing stakeholders' contributions and maintaining open lines of communication.

## Leveraging Insights for Success

Post-interview, analyze collected insights to inform project decisions, refine research methodologies, and align design strategies with stakeholder expectations. Whether through informal documentation or rigorous thematic analysis, translate insights into actionable steps that drive project success.

## Conclusion

Stakeholder interviews/calls are essential tools in the UX/UI design toolkit, facilitating collaboration, aligning objectives, and enhancing project outcomes. 

By engaging stakeholders early, design teams can leverage diverse perspectives to create solutions that resonate with users and achieve organizational goals. Embracing stakeholder interviews as a foundation of the design process unlocks the full potential of UX/UI initiatives, driving innovation and fostering stakeholder satisfaction.

*After all, no project can kick off its journey without laying down a rock-solid foundation fueled by thorough understanding and collaboration, setting the stage for A-class solutions.*

How Essential Are Stakeholder Interviews in Crafting Solutions?

This article aims to showcase the remarkable success achieved for [Carespot.gr](https://carespot.gr) , an online pharmacy platform, through strategic UI/UX improvements by **HelloWorld** services. By prioritizing user experience improvements, Carespot not only achieved its goal of meeting accessibility standards but also witnessed a substantial increase in Conversion Rates.


This case study delves into the specifics of the project, highlighting the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the outstanding outcomes achieved.

### About Carespot

Carespot.gr  serves as the digital storefront for Ath. Tatsiou-Kechagia & Co Pharmacy, located in Thermo Aitoloakarnanias, Greece. Since its establishment in 1984, this pharmacy has been dedicated to providing exceptional service and knowledgeable guidance to its clientele. Expanding its reach and embracing the digital era, Carespot launched its online pharmacy platform, offering a convenient and accessible way for customers to access a wide range of products and health-related information.

### The Requirements and Challenges

* Meet WCAG 2.1 standards for color contrasts. Ensuring compliance while maintaining visual appeal required meticulous adjustments.

* Avoid similarity to existing colors. We had to strike a balance between meeting accessibility guidelines and maintaining brand identity.

* Implementing user-friendly updates across the e-shop, including the addition of border-radius to buttons, was essential. These enhancements aimed to streamline navigation and improve overall user experience.

* Redesigning the product page demanded careful consideration of existing components and the introduction of new ones. Our goal was to create a cohesive and intuitive layout that facilitated seamless browsing and decision-making for customers.



### The Goals

The project's ultimate goals were to achieve the following criteria:

1. Achieve a perfect score of 100% in color contrast checks according to WCAG 2.1 standards, ensuring optimal accessibility for all users.

2. Accomplish a significant increase in Conversion Rate, aiming for a growth of over 1.5% within the following year, indicating the effectiveness of the UI/UX improvements in driving customer engagement and sales.



### The results

And indeed, we achieved our objectives:

* The implementation of UI enhancements resulted in a much friendlier interface, enhancing the overall user experience.

* Through meticulous color selection and application, we ensured proper utilization, with purple indicating clickable elements and primary green used strategically to highlight important information, without overwhelming the visual presentation.

* Crucially, our efforts resulted in the successful passing of all WCAG 2.1 color contrast checks, demostrating our commitment to accessibility standards.

* The restructuring of product page information into a more logical order, organized across three columns – two for general product details and one for pricing, loyalty, and additional information – was instrumental in streamlining the browsing experience.

* Most notably, these enhancements drove a remarkable **5.2% increase** in Conversion Rate, demonstrating the tangible impact of our improvements on customer engagement and sales.

* The positive feedback collected from customers further validates the effectiveness of our efforts in enhancing user satisfaction and overall usability.

<figure>
<img src="https://cms.helloworldpc.com/storage/posts/screenshots before and after.jpg" alt="Screenshots from before (picture 1) and after (picture 2) of the Ui improvements." />
<figcaption>Screenshots from before (picture 1) and after (picture 2) of the Ui improvements.</figcaption>
</figure>



### Conclusion

In conclusion, Carespot's success story highlights the transformative impact of strategic UI/UX improvements. By prioritizing accessibility, usability, and visual appeal, the online pharmacy platform achieved remarkable results, including a substantial increase in Conversion Rate. Through meticulous attention to detail and a customer-centric approach, Carespot is setting a new standard for online pharmacy platforms, reaffirming its commitment to exceptional service and user satisfaction.


As technology evolves, HelloWorld and its services will continue to **innovate** to ensure continued **success in meeting customer needs** in the digital age.

The power of UI/UX: How Carespot Redefined Online Pharmacy Experiences

In today's competitive market, the success of a product is significantly influenced by how it is presented to potential customers. At HelloWorld, we understand that while features are important, they are not the primary factor that convinces customers to make a purchase. Instead, presenting use cases and solutions that address specific customer problems is crucial. This approach shifts the focus from what the product can do, to how it can make a difference in the customer’s day-to-day challenges. By emphasizing solutions, we cater directly to the needs of our audience, making it easier for them to visualize how our tools fit into their operations and solve pertinent issues.

### Features vs Solutions

When discussing our products, it’s tempting to list their innovative features. After all, a lot of time and expertise goes into developing these features. However, this feature-focused presentation often mirrors an engineer's perspective, who is understandably excited about the technical specifications of their creation. But for customers, especially those in decision-making positions, the technical intricacies are less relevant than understanding how the tool will ease their pain points. By aligning our demonstrations with real-world applications, we ensure that our discussions resonate with our clients' needs, ultimately leading to more impactful connections and higher sales conversions.

### Engineering vs Problem Solving

At HelloWorld, we strive to position ourselves not just as software engineers, but as problem solvers. This involves a deep understanding of the industries we serve and the specific challenges faced by our clients. Our approach involves presenting each product through detailed use cases that highlight how our technology, be it AI, UI/UX design, or web solutions, can resolve specific issues. This method not only helps in showcasing the practical value of our products but also in establishing credibility and trust with our clients. Demonstrating our deep industry knowledge and commitment to solving real-world problems underscores our reputation as a boutique software house that delivers tailored, effective solutions.

### Real life examples

Let's dive into some examples. In one of our products, the **Hello Transcriptions**, we have established a quite thorough and strict permissions schema. We could talk for ages by highlighting its complexity and how brilliant the logic is under the hood. Guess what? Booooooriiiiing!!! No-one would get interested. I know this really well since I have fallen into this pitfall a bunch of times as a tech person myself.

What if we could follow a different path by highlighting the strength the platform gives to administrators' hands so they have total control over who can access what and when, ensuring that sensitive data are handled properly and that the platform takes seriously privacy and GDPR related matters. Quite different right?

<figure>
<img src="https://cms.helloworldpc.com/storage/posts/hello-transcriptions-permissions.png" alt="Advanced permissions schema" />
<figcaption>Advanced permissions schema</figcaption>
</figure>

Let's see another example. In the same product of ours, **Hello Transcriptions**, we could talk for ages about the various processing mechanisms the platform offers in order to:

- transcribe
- translate
- redact
- classify
- and summarize thousands of dialogs through its batch processing engine

Cool right? Hmmm, not much. What if we say that we give the option to the Call Center Manager to take total control over the dialogs that take place, extract insights and analytics, establish a shift-focus alert system and improve the quality of the services the call center provides? Boom. Sounds like butterflies? It does.

Of course we use advanced AI classifications to categorize dialogs, trigger alerts and extract analytics or create scoreboards for each dialog but this is not that straightforward if we focus on the features themselves. We need to take our narrative one step forward and make clear what value the platform provides through all these features and mechanisms.

<figure>
<img src="https://cms.helloworldpc.com/storage/posts/hello-transcriptions-dialog.png" alt="Processed dialog results" />
<figcaption>Processed dialog results</figcaption>
</figure>

### Conclusion

Our strategy of focusing on solutions rather than features is rooted in our core mission to develop user-centric products that address real-life needs through modern technologies. By ensuring that each product release is closely tied to tangible use cases, we not only enhance our product’s market fit but also strengthen our relationships with customers, helping them understand the direct benefits of our solutions in their operational contexts. This approach not only drives our product development but also our sales strategy, proving time and again that solutions, not features, are what truly bring in customers. Cheers!!

Solutions Over Features: No one gives a damn about your product's features

In the high-stakes world of custom software development, maintaining strong customer relationships is similar to 
walking a tightrope over a pit of lava - exciting, but dangerous. Yet, what if you're tired of the same old grind of 
customer satisfaction, glowing testimonials, and repeat business? Fear not! For those adventurous souls yearning to 
dive headfirst into the fiery pit of failed customer relationships, we present a foolproof guide to ensuring your 
clients run screaming (and not for joy). Remember, we’re not talking seriously today, but who knows, you might 
recognize these tactics from businesses you've encountered in the wild!

### Ghosting: The Art of Disappearing

Ever been on a date and never heard back? Frustrating, isn't it? Apply that same principle to your customers! If 
they reach out with a problem or question, embrace the sound of silence. Don’t return calls, ignore emails, and let 
their messages disappear in the abyss of your inbox. It’s like playing hide and seek, except you're hiding in a 
different dimension. This strategy is especially effective when your client is awaiting critical updates or is on 
the brink of a deadline. The suspense will kill them - figuratively, we hope. Remember, in the realm of software 
development, silence isn't just golden; it's platinum.

### Scope Creep Is Your New Best Friend

Who doesn't love a surprise, especially when it comes with extra zeros on the final invoice? Embrace scope creep 
with open arms. When your client asks for a small, reasonable addition to the project, nod enthusiastically, and 
then multiply it by ten. Don't discuss it; just do it. This approach not only ensures a bloated project but also 
guarantees an explosive reveal at the end. After all, everyone loves a plot twist.

### The Blame Game: It's Always the Customer's Fault

Ah, the classic move of turning the tables – nothing says "I value you" like blaming the customer for everything 
that goes wrong. This strategy is particularly effective because it combines the thrill of problem-solving with the 
joy of gaslighting. When clients dare to suggest changes or report bugs, take it as a personal attack. Defend your 
code and design choices with the passion of a thousand suns. Remember, the customer may always think they're right, 
but you know better. After all, who needs happy clients when you can have artistic integrity?

### Deadline Schmedline

Deadlines are merely suggestions, right? If you're truly committed to the art of customer dissatisfaction, treat 
deadlines with the same respect you'd give to a "Do Not Walk on the Grass" sign. Your client needs the project by Q3?
Perfect, aim for a grand unveiling in Q2... of the following year. This not only builds anticipation but also gives 
you ample time to explore all the ways you can further disengage from the project's goals.

### The Roundabout: Confuse, Don't Clarify

Embrace the labyrinth of confusion. When a client inquires about a project update or seeks clarification, send them 
on an odyssey through the corporate jungle. Each reply should be more cryptic than the last, a breadcrumb trail 
leading nowhere. Imagine it as crafting a real-life "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, where every choice loops back 
to the start or leads to a page that says, "Oops, dead end!" The goal? To have your clients so bewildered, they 
start to question not just your project's status but their own existence. This not only establishes you as a master 
of misdirection but also turns every client interaction into a puzzle that would stump even the most dedicated 
escape room enthusiasts.

There you have it, a foolproof guide to ensuring your customers flee at speeds previously thought impossible. While 
we've had our fun poking at the absurdities of bad customer service, let's remember that the real art lies in doing 
the exact opposite. Cherish your customers, listen to their feedback, be present, and always strive to improve. 
After all, in the real world, we aim for success, not a masterclass in how to fail.

And if you ever encounter businesses practicing these techniques, remember, they might just be following this guide 
a little too closely :)

Publications about "Customer Success"

How Essential Are Stakeholder Interviews in Crafting Solutions?

Georgia Pandria

UX Expert

The power of UI/UX: How Carespot Redefined Online Pharmacy Experiences

Georgia Pandria

UX Expert

Solutions Over Features: No one gives a damn about your product's features

Marios Fakiolas

CEO

How to Lose Clients and Repel Prospects: A Guide to Social Sabotage

Anna Ivanova

Head of Business Development