Summary: “The allure of ‘quick wins’ in UX can be deceptive. While tempting, these seemingly easy fixes often come with hidden costs and neglect deeper strategic needs. This article explores the limitations of quick wins, highlights when they can be useful, and advocates for a sustainable UX strategy built on data-driven insights and long-term vision.”
“Right, team! Let’s get some quick wins! (also referred to as UX quick wins)”
How many times have you heard that rallying cry? How many times have you heard it passed around meetings like a wrapped-up buzzword in the form of a parcel?
It echoes through meeting rooms, Slack channels, and hastily scribbled to-do lists. The promise is enticing: visible progress, boosted morale, and maybe, just maybe, a shortcut to the bigger picture.
But let’s be honest, how often do these “quick wins” truly deliver lasting value? Are they genuinely quick? And are they, in the long run, actually… wins?
It’s important to build sustainable, impactful UX that drives real business results. And sometimes, that means questioning the allure of the seemingly easy fix. We need to understand the need to drive change effectively.
The Allure of Immediate Gratification
I get it. Pressure from stakeholders, tight deadlines, and the overwhelming complexity of a sprawling digital product can make quick wins incredibly tempting. A small button redesign, a tweak to the copy, a superficial visual refresh – these feel like progress. They offer the illusion of momentum, a fleeting sense of accomplishment.
“The truth is, many ‘quick wins’ or ‘UX quick wins’ are anything but. They involve hidden costs, often outweighing the perceived benefits.”
The problem? Often, these initiatives lack a foundation in solid research or strategic thinking. They’re like applying a fresh coat of paint to a house with a crumbling foundation. Sure, it looks better for a while, but the underlying issues remain, waiting to surface at the most inconvenient moment.
For example, a “quick” update to the colour of a call to action button, does not resolve the pre-existing problem of translations, if this is a sticking point for your business and you provide e-commerce in multiple countries and languages.
Are They Actually Quick? Unveiling the Hidden Costs
Think about the last “quick win” you implemented. Did you really factor in the following?
- Opportunity Cost: What didn’t you work on because you were chasing this quick fix? Did you neglect a more strategically important project? This is why Change Management is so important
- Technical Debt: Did you bypass proper engineering processes to get something live faster? That shortcut could easily become a headache for the development team down the line.
- Testing & Validation: Did you thoroughly A/B test the change? Or did you just roll it out based on a gut feeling? Without data, you’re essentially gambling.
- Maintenance Overhead: Will this “quick win” require ongoing maintenance, taking up valuable resources in the future?
- Impact Assessment: Did you accurately forecast the true value of the change, or were you simply relying on assumptions?
The truth is, many “quick wins” or “UX quick wins” are anything but. They involve hidden costs, often outweighing the perceived benefits. They’re a distraction from the real work of understanding user needs and building a genuinely valuable product. That is why customer research is so important
When Are Quick Wins Actually… Useful?
Okay, we’re not saying all quick wins are evil. There are situations where they can be strategically deployed:
- Low-Hanging Fruit for Morale: Sometimes, a small, easily achievable task can boost team morale, especially during periods of intense pressure. But be transparent about its limitations.
- Rapid Prototyping and Testing: “Quick” changes can be deployed as A/B tests to learn about your audience quickly and cheaply.
- Early Validation of Hypotheses: Small-scale experiments can validate or invalidate assumptions before committing to larger, more resource-intensive projects. This aligns perfectly with the design sprint mentality.
- Addressing Obvious Usability Issues: If you spot a glaring error or a major point of friction in your user flow, fixing it quickly can be a genuine win.
However, even in these scenarios, remember the key: data-driven decision-making. Don’t rely on guesswork. Track your results meticulously. Measure the actual impact.
A Better Approach: Sustainable UX Strategy
Instead of chasing fleeting “quick wins,” focus on building a robust, sustainable UX strategy. This involves:
- Deep User Research: Understand your users’ needs, motivations, and pain points.
- Clear Goals and Objectives: Define what you’re trying to achieve and how you’ll measure success.
- Prioritized Roadmap: Focus on the most impactful projects first, based on data and strategic alignment.
- Iterative Development: Build, test, and iterate based on user feedback.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break down silos and foster communication between design, engineering, and product.
This approach may take more time upfront, but it will yield far greater results in the long run. You’ll build a product that truly meets user needs, drives business value, and creates a positive user experience. Of course, thinking outside of UX specifically, the Scrum Agile methodology and framework can also greatly contribute to creating fantastic sustainable products.
Putting UX in the centre – meaning data-driven and user-focused foundations for your problems to solve, desired outcomes, Epics, and Stories, however, you currently work today will create positive dividends.
My Perspective
It is always best to commit as a priority, to building sustainable UX strategies that drive lasting success. Data-driven decision-making, user-centric design, and a collaborative approach, whilst sounds like a mouthful, bring in the best form of success for a business and for users.
“Without the proper consideration, quick wins can be like applying a fresh coat of paint to a house with a crumbling foundation”
So, the next time you hear the call for “quick wins,” or “UX quick wins”, take a step back. Ask yourself: Are they really quick? Are they really wins? Or are they simply a distraction from the hard work of building a truly great product?
Let’s talk. If you are a UX professional looking to level up and are tired of the myriad of “learn fast, guaranteed” adverts on social media, get in touch so you can receive one-to-one mentoring and coaching and level up in ways you did not think possible.