Everything we learnt as a UX agency in 2024 and how you can use it to make products better next year
2024 taught us so much. We saw firsthand how user trust is earned (and lost), why personalisation matters more than ever, and how empathy is the real motor behind great UX.
Here’s everything we’ve become sure of after another year of all things UX — and why it might completely change how you approach design.
If there’s one thing we know, it’s this: great UX isn’t a quick fix. It’s an ongoing, thoughtful process that hinges on continual refinement and constant testing.
Designing with users in mind calls for digging deep to understand their needs and motivations. Only then can you create experiences that genuinely resonate. But how do you do that?
If you look at the journey a user takes from the moment they first open your app to their long-term usage of it, every touchpoint matters. A well-designed app isn’t just functional on day one; it continues to meet users’ needs minutes, weeks, months, and even years later.
This means thinking about the whole experience for real UX efficiency – considering how users move through the app, how their needs evolve and what responses they’re looking for through time.
The real value comes from going deeper – not just making things look nice, but understanding the user’s pain points and goals in a detailed, intentional way.
We’ve seen firsthand how taking shortcuts leads to missed opportunities. When you rush through UX design, you risk making decisions based on assumptions rather than specific insights.
Consider the various motivations behind exactly why users download the product in the first place. Fully understand every scenario and determine what to prioritise for each user journey – it takes a lot of time, empathy, and user interviews but it results in a gratifying and wholly complete experience for users.
This can lead to critical user needs being overlooked. In contrast, taking the time to understand user pain points and goals results in a product that not only works but delights.
Trust is one of the most valuable assets a product can have – and it’s also one of the most fragile. Once broken, it’s incredibly difficult to regain. This year, we saw several examples of how brands lost user trust, and the lessons were clear:
→ Consistency matters. Every interaction with your product is an opportunity to reinforce trust. But it only takes one broken promise to undo all that hard work. Users have impressively long memories: they remember when you let them down.
→ Transparency is key. Be clear about what your product can deliver, and then deliver it consistently. Over-promising and under-delivering is a surefire way to erode trust. Instead, set realistic expectations and meet them every time.
📣 Think about Twitter’s rebranding to X. Since all the changes and inconsistent experience, the platform has lost a huge amount of its users’ trust. Users have stopped thinking of the platform as a reliable source of real-time information, and if you ask us, most of them aren’t going to be won back any time soon.
Yes, it’s harder to restore trust than it is to maintain it. If a brand continuously fails to meet expectations, users will look for alternatives in a heartbeat.
Trust is built step by step, interaction by interaction. Each time you meet a user’s expectations, you reinforce their trust. Prioritise consistency, transparency, and reliability in your design decisions.
Understanding users on an emotional level is what turns good products into great ones – and 2024 reminded us just how powerful empathy can be.
But empathy isn’t just listening – it’s understanding. True empathy involves stepping into your users’ shoes and experiencing their frustrations firsthand. It means going beyond surface-level feedback to understand the underlying emotions driving their behaviour.
Empathy should be your starting point, the very first stepping stone of UX design. Then, empathy can evolve into an iterative process for you to continue connecting with users’ deep experience of your app, and detaching yourself from the app to lead with emotional understanding.
For example, we worked with Ovom Care on building an app to support IVF patients in getting fertility treatment. The core of our work was deeply understanding the needs of patients. Through interviews, we learned that many feel isolated and uninformed, and that was what the app needed to address.
So we focused on creating a space where users could track their journey, understand each step, and feel supported. During user testing, one patient, who had been through multiple failed rounds of IVF, broke down in tears. For the first time, she had found an experience that was truly designed for her, making the process easier and less lonely.
→ It was a powerful reminder that real empathy, taking that time to truly understand the user’s emotional journey, changes people’s lives for the better.
🏅Ovom Care was recently recognised by WIRED as one of “The Hottest Startups in Berlin in 2024” for their supportive platform that provides clear guidance and connection to IVF patients.
We can all agree AI was a hot topic in 2024. It’s transforming how we design digital experiences. Our take? AI isn’t gradually replacing designers; it’s supporting them in doing better, more efficient work.
Tools like Claude help us process large amounts of user data quickly. They can identify patterns and pain points that might not be immediately obvious, giving us valuable insights to inform our design decisions.
But the human element is still essential. AI can’t replace the creativity, empathy, and intuition that great designers bring to the table. We love using it to elevate designs to new heights – we think of it as a companion, an extra brain, an extension of our team – not a tool to outsource everything to, or a replacement of us!
You know that feeling when you’re seriously contemplating smashing your mouse or your phone against the wall because a button just won’t work no matter how many times you perform the action? That’s a rage click, and it’s a sign your UX might be pushing users to the brink.
Every interaction should feel seamless. When users hit friction, like slow load times, slow buttons or confusing CTAs, they get frustrated – fast.
One of the main roles of UX is eliminating friction. A smoother experience means fewer barriers for users, and more ways for them to engage with your product naturally.
Our best tips for smooth experiences?
And finally, iterate and refine, constantly. Continually work on reducing friction and streamlining user interactions to make a big difference in how users experience your product.
One of the biggest lessons we learned this year? Adding value isn’t about cramming in more features. It’s about solving real problems. When you focus on what users actually need, you create products that are genuinely valuable.
The tricky part? Value is subjective. Different users will find value in different aspects of your product, depending on their needs and context. Our job as designers is to understand those different needs and create experiences that meet them.
→ Listen to your users. Conduct interviews, surveys, and usability tests to understand what they need and why
→ Observe their behaviour. Analytics and session recordings can reveal patterns and pain points that users might not articulate directly
→ Focus on real problems. Don’t just respond to feature requests. Dig deeper to understand the underlying problems users are trying to solve
When you prioritise adding value, you build loyalty. Users don’t stick around because of flashy features – they stay because your product makes their lives easier. Solve real problems, and the rest will follow.
Reflecting on 2024, one thing is clear: Great UX takes patience, insight, and emotional connection. It takes a true commitment to solving genuine problems.
With technology becoming an inseparable part of our daily lives, and tech giants making pretty suspicious moves (like Twitter’s change to X) tech products need to work harder than ever to stand out. One of the most powerful ways to do this is by building trust and practicing empathy to create the best possible user experiences.
→ As we move forward, remember: design with empathy, test with curiosity, and above all, never compromise user trust – it’s so much harder to regain than it is to maintain.
Stuck on a UX decision? Let’s chat!
