First impressions matter: How B2B tools can balance form and function
Understanding how balancing aesthetics and usability drives user retention in B2B design.
ShreeyaVRokade
Published in Bootcamp
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5 min read
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Oct 16, 2024
As a kid, I always found it challenging to walk through an art museum and spend enough time in front of a painting to fully interpret the feelings and thoughts the artist was trying to communicate. For me, a quick glance was often enough to soak it in visually, and then I would move on to the next piece. Now, I find myself wondering if users on the web behave in the same way. Aren’t we all judging a software, app, or webpage based on mere first impressions? If a software seems too complicated at first glance, users might not even scroll down to see what tools or features it has to offer. In both art and UX, first impressions truly do matter.
In their study, “The Major Dimensions of the Aesthetic Experience,” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Rick Robinson explore the various ways people engage with art. The text describes the aesthetic experience as multidimensional, involving perceptual, emotional, intellectual, and communicative responses. When thinking about websites, it’s fair to say that the perceptual response — what we see first — has become dominant. Users often make snap judgments based on the visuals, sometimes neglecting to engage more deeply with the functionality and content of a site or app.
This brings me back to my experience at the art museum: much like how I quickly glanced at paintings without lingering, users often engage in the same way with digital products. If an app feels too complex or overwhelming at first glance, users might disengage before they even explore the deeper functionality it offers. This balance between functionality and intuitive design is crucial, particularly in B2B software, where long-term engagement is vital for productivity. As users progress beyond first impressions, they need an experience that’s both powerful and approachable.
But my question is this: once we successfully get past the visual phase, how do we, as designers, retain users over time without compromising function for form? In the context of B2B UX design, where long-term engagement and productivity are essential, how can we maintain that delicate balance between aesthetics and usability, ensuring that users stay engaged intellectually and functionally? At what point does the intellectual response come into play, and how should we foster it to retain users?
Let’s consider Adobe Creative Cloud, a suite known for its professional-grade tools in design and editing. While Adobe provides unmatched functionality for creative work, the user experience can be overwhelming, especially for newcomers. From the first encounter, users face a complex interface filled with options and tools, which can make even simple tasks feel daunting. The steep learning curve is undeniable. Take Photoshop, for example. A new user might open the program and immediately face a sea of options and tools, with no clear starting point for completing a basic task like cropping an image. Without an intuitive guide, the experience becomes more about navigating the interface than creating.
This brings us to an important question: Could an overemphasis on functionality, without enough attention to form, reduce user engagement? New users may struggle with the lack of intuitive guidance, leading to frustration and possibly even abandonment of the product. Even experienced users who have mastered the software can find frequent updates disruptive. New features or changes to the interface might interrupt established workflows, making even the most familiar tools feel unintuitive. In both cases, users face a challenge in navigating Adobe’s tools despite their power.
For both new and experienced users, I feel there seems to be a recurring issue: the perceptual experience — what users first see and interact with. Adobe’s strong focus on functionality often overshadows this initial interaction, making the interface appear daunting and overly complex. When usability and simplicity are sidelined, even the most powerful tools can become intimidating. In these cases, users may disengage before fully exploring the product’s capabilities, feeling that the software is more about navigating through complex options than creating something meaningful.
Adobe’s tools are undoubtedly powerful, but when complexity becomes overwhelming, users can easily feel disconnected. In contrast, Salesforce shows us how even the most robust tools can ease users into deeper functionality without losing them at the start.
Teams often prefer this platform, and maybe it’s because it offers such a smooth onboarding process for users at all levels. What stands out to me is how Salesforce achieves progressive disclosure, a UX principle that’s gaining more attention these days. Instead of overwhelming users upfront, the tool allows them to gradually explore more complex features as they grow more comfortable with it.
Perhaps the real strength of Salesforce is its ability to customize the interface according to each user’s role and access. This way, users only see the options that are relevant to their specific needs. By keeping the interface clean and focused, the form is actually supporting the functionality, making it easier for users to do their jobs without feeling overwhelmed.
It’s possible that this balance between form and function is one reason why user retention is so strong with Salesforce. As users get more accustomed to the tool, they can dive deeper into its capabilities, evolving alongside the software as their business grows. In a way, adaptive users could be a key factor in helping the business itself grow, as they leverage more of Salesforce’s features over time.
In the world of B2B software, the balance between form and function isn’t just an aesthetic choice — it’s a critical component of long-term user retention. By creating experiences that are both intuitive and powerful, we not only enhance productivity but also build tools that grow alongside businesses. As we move forward, perhaps the key lies in continuing to ask: how can we design products that evolve with users, without overwhelming them?
Circling back to how visuals are important for tapping into functionality, we, as designers, need to be aware of not letting either extreme — completely functional or purely visually engaging — dominate. Ultimately, staying relevant in B2B is not just about meeting user needs but refining our tools to remain both functional and visually appealing.
References:
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Robinson, R. E. (1990). The major dimensions of the aesthetic experience. In The art of seeing: An interpretation of the aesthetic encounter (pp. 27–72).