UX, Sex and Trust

In the space between the swipe and the orgasm. Between first point of contact and the big conversion. That’s where you have to dig in.

At least that’s what inspired me – really inspired me – at the recent Tout le monde UX event on the theme of eroticism.  Beyond showcasing a few sexy products and services, the night was a powerful, if absurd, illustration of the importance of knowing what you’re getting into and with whom. The same rules apply in sex as in e-commerce: success comes from having an intimate knowledge of the user experience every step of the way.

Bluetooth in your body

That night, on Mont-Royal Avenue, Antoine Azar of Mobilogie (Logient) presented the new toy, hot out of the oven, from the sizzling Véronique Verreault: a connected object, remote controlled by a mobile application. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a “smart object” but it’s certainly insertable. Ergonomic and comfortable, or so I’m told. Easy to clean, too, at least that’s what you’d hope. Vibrant, red… Very on trend: a perfect example of the Internet of things, wearables, anonymous social networks – in short, it’s an object that feels very much like a product of the times (no, I didn’t touch it).

At the core of this fine example of industrial and software design, is a richness born of knowing your users’ needs first hand. A product this personal can’t be designed based on vague generalizations. Mary, 35, loves Game of Thrones and eats sushi every Tuesday, is all fine and well, but it doesn’t help much when the time comes to convince Mary to insert a Bluetooth vibrator with a little tail use our product. No, my dear!

To be relevant, UX research needs to get up close and personal, and dive into a world of subtle motivations and fragile interactions. It’s a level of user knowledge that’s all the more fascinating because it’s so rarely achieved. I found the discussion around the notion of control in the dominant-submissive relationship particularly intriguing:

“It’s always the submissive partner who’s in control,” asserts Azar. It’s the indispensable condition that underpins the relationship – an issue of trust.

What about you? Who is in control in your relationships with clients? Who is the submissive one?

We never talk in terms like this when we’re building an omni-channel strategy (evil, evil marketing boy!), but after this presentation, I think it’s a creative exercise worth trying. I have a suspicion that an unorthodox conceptualization methodology based around these ideas might give rise to some surprising lessons.

Yup… I’m going to break the taboo, and give it a try. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Swinging ain’t easy

Speaking of taboos, this edition of TLMUX also turned the spotlight on Leeloo. Leewho?

“Gays have Grindr, heteros have Tinder, and now libertines have LeeLoo on their phones,” says the brochure.

Without getting into the details, the startup mainly shared the detailed user journey that guided the development of LeeLoo. A rich and well informed journey, peppered with missed meet ups, lies of every shape and size, technical difficulties, failed desires, fruitless research, and half-fulfilled fantasies. A goldmine for a UX study! This type of mapping could only be produced by initiates to the field of study. It says something about the advantages of investing in the discovery phase, and in understanding the user’s reality: you should. Anyone can make a meetup app (check out the app store!). Building a fiery community while protecting the privacy of unknown couples-who’d-rather-their-mother-in-law-not-know-more-than-she-should… Well that’s another level of complexity altogether.

In a nutshell, a stimulating TLMUX* event! We left (with a lovely pair of handcuffs won at the raffle) convinced that you need to get into bed with your subject, and live your clients’ pain points, to then be able to move ahead more smoothly. No naughty word play intended.

*Adviso is a partner sponsor of Soirées TLMUX and invites you to come out and take part. It’s free, and it doesn’t suck.