Designing a website, app, or any digital product that feels right for its users is not a matter of guessing what might work. It comes from a deep, structured understanding of the people who will actually use the product. When a design team builds a site that looks polished but falls flat, the problem is rarely that the code or graphics are poor. It usually means the designers missed the essential facts about the people they were trying to serve. The five core facts that a team should know about any user are: their intentions, the context of their visit, what they already know, the skills they bring to the table, and the experiences that shape how they interpret what they see. When those five elements are captured accurately, designers can craft experiences that feel intuitive, useful, and satisfying. Below we walk through each of these facts, show how they played out in a real-world example, and give concrete ways to collect and use the information.
1. Intentions – What the User Wants to Achieve
Imagine a user named Leslie. She has been a loyal Citibank customer for years, keeping a checking account, a savings account, and a credit card. After her grandmother’s passing, she inherited a sizeable sum of money. Leslie’s goal is clear: she wants to learn how to invest the inheritance so she can build a secure future, just as her grandmother had done. When she visits the Citibank website, her intention is to find an introductory guide that explains different investment options and helps her decide whether to buy a house, invest in the market, or split the money between the two.
Intentions are the driving forces behind every click, scroll, and page view. They dictate the tasks a user wants to complete and shape how a design should guide them. If a design team knows that a user is seeking information, they can prioritize content hierarchy, simplify navigation, and reduce friction. If the user is looking to perform a transaction, the team can streamline forms, offer clear call-to-action buttons, and provide contextual help.
To surface intentions, designers should ask directly what the user hopes to get out of the experience. In usability studies, this often takes the form of “think aloud” protocols or post-test interviews where users explain their goals. Contextual inquiry, where researchers observe users in their natural environment, can also reveal underlying intentions that the user might not articulate. A well-structured intention map can then guide feature prioritization: if most users intend to learn, build, or transact, the design can align with that.
When Citibank’s design team failed to uncover Leslie’s specific goal of investing, they ended up presenting her with a generic page that promised information but delivered none. This mismatch between intention and delivered content is why Leslie left the site after only a couple of clicks. By front-loading the discovery of user intentions, a team can avoid this costly disconnect and ensure that every page serves a purpose aligned with real user needs.
Beyond intent, designers should also capture the user’s level of motivation. A motivated user might be willing to experiment with new tools, while a less motivated user may only skim content. Knowing this helps decide whether to offer advanced options or keep the interface minimal. In Leslie’s case, her motivation was high: she was eager to learn and make a big financial decision. A design that anticipates this need would have featured an interactive guide or a step-by-step calculator to help her move from curiosity to action.
In practice, building a “customer journey map” that starts with intention is a powerful exercise. Map each touchpoint from the moment the user first hears about your brand to the final conversion. Highlight pain points, moments of delight, and decision triggers. Iterate the map until it reflects a realistic path that aligns with the real user’s story. By anchoring the entire design process in clear intentions, the product can stay focused and relevant.
2. Context – The Situation Surrounding the User
Context includes everything that surrounds the user at the moment they interact with the product. For Leslie, the most significant contextual factor was the sudden availability of a large sum of money. She was emotionally charged, dealing with grief, and faced the practical decision of how to allocate the inheritance. Additionally, she was using her home computer during a quiet evening, not on a mobile device in a hurry.
Context shapes the user’s priorities, attention, and even the language they prefer. A user who is in a rush may skip detailed explanations and look for quick, actionable information. Someone with ample time may be willing to dive deeper into learning resources. Understanding context helps designers decide which features to surface, how to design for accessibility, and what tone to adopt. For example, if a user is in a stressful situation, a calm, reassuring tone and straightforward layout can help them feel supported.
Gathering context data can be done through situational interviews, diary studies, or even field notes. When designers walk a user through their workflow in a real setting, they capture nuances that surveys often miss. In Leslie’s scenario, a researcher could have asked her to show the Citibank website on a laptop while she explained her feelings about the inheritance and her investment goals. Observing her scrolling patterns, pauses, and hesitations would reveal the contextual cues that the design must respect.
Context also includes technical aspects like device, connection speed, and environmental noise. If a user is on a low-bandwidth connection, large images or video may become a barrier. If a user is on a mobile phone at night, dark mode and large touch targets become essential. Designers can use analytics to identify where users most frequently exit a page or which devices they use. That data informs responsive design choices that keep the experience smooth across contexts.
Another important contextual factor is the user’s emotional state. In many financial situations, users feel uncertainty or anxiety. Providing clear, trustworthy language and reassuring visuals can mitigate those feelings. For Leslie, the presence of a “Get Started” button that led to a free consultation could have made the experience more welcoming. Conversely, a dense wall of text about investment risk might have amplified her anxiety and driven her away.
Ultimately, context is about aligning the experience with the user's physical, digital, and emotional surroundings. When a design reflects this alignment, the product feels natural and reduces friction. For a bank website, incorporating contextual design means offering tools that accommodate both seasoned investors and novices like Leslie, ensuring that both can navigate the same interface comfortably.
3. Knowledge – What the User Already Knows
Knowledge is the baseline of information that a user brings to the experience. Leslie had no prior experience with investing; she had only basic banking knowledge. Her grandmother’s example gave her a vague idea of investing, but she was unfamiliar with terms like “stocks,” “bonds,” or “index funds.” This knowledge gap meant that a typical “investment guide” filled with jargon would not help her.
Designers must calibrate language, visuals, and explanations to match the user’s knowledge level. A seasoned investor might appreciate concise, technical explanations, while a novice needs analogies, step-by-step flows, and plain language. By conducting knowledge assessments - through pre-tests or interviews - designers can segment users and personalize content. For instance, a “Learn” tab could first ask the user to indicate whether they’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced, and then tailor the subsequent pages accordingly.
In addition to technical terms, cultural knowledge matters. If the target audience includes non-native English speakers, certain phrases may be unclear or carry unintended connotations. Providing multilingual options and culturally sensitive examples can bridge that gap. Citibank, for instance, could have offered an introductory investing guide in Spanish or other languages, ensuring accessibility for a broader customer base.
Visual literacy also plays a role. Users may interpret charts differently depending on their experience with data visualization. Simplifying graphs or adding tooltips that explain axes can make complex information approachable. For Leslie, a simple bar chart comparing potential returns of a diversified portfolio versus a single stock might have been more helpful than a dense financial report.
Knowledge extends to prior interactions with the brand. If a user has only used a bank for checking and savings, they may not be familiar with investment products. The design should therefore guide them through the learning journey, perhaps through a progressive disclosure approach - starting with basic concepts and gradually revealing more advanced topics. This technique keeps users from feeling overwhelmed and encourages gradual learning.
To gather accurate knowledge data, use methods like card sorting, where users classify terms and concepts into categories they find intuitive. You can also ask users to explain a concept back to you in their own words. Those insights directly inform how you structure content, design labels, and organize help resources.
4. Skills – What the User Can Actually Do
Skills refer to the practical abilities a user can apply while interacting with the product. Leslie had basic computer skills - she could navigate a website, fill out forms, and open emails - but she had never used online investment tools. The Citibank site offered a complex account management dashboard with multiple tabs, dropdown menus, and advanced settings. For a user with limited digital skills, such an interface could feel intimidating and confusing.
Designing for skill level means simplifying navigation, providing clear affordances, and minimizing cognitive load. A single “Invest” button that opens a guided wizard, with prompts like “What’s your risk tolerance?” and “How much would you like to invest?” would be far more approachable than a static page full of options. Tooltips, inline help, and contextual error messages can guide users as they perform tasks, reducing the chance of mistakes.
Skill assessment can be conducted through usability testing with representative users. Observe how quickly they complete a task, what errors they make, and where they hesitate. Use think-aloud protocols to capture the mental steps they take. If users repeatedly click the wrong button or get stuck, those points indicate a mismatch between skill and design.
Another skill-related dimension is accessibility. Users with visual or motor impairments need keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and sufficient color contrast. Designers should incorporate WCAG guidelines from the outset, ensuring that the experience remains usable across skill variations. For Leslie, offering a high-contrast mode or voice-activated commands could have made the investment guide more inclusive.
When skills are low, the design can offer training resources. For example, a short video or interactive tutorial that walks through each step of opening an investment account can empower the user. Additionally, a “Help” icon that links to a knowledge base or chat support gives users a safety net. By anticipating skill gaps, designers reduce frustration and build trust.
Skill-based personalization can be achieved through progressive onboarding. The first time a user visits, ask them how comfortable they are with online banking and investments. Use the answer to adjust the interface complexity - simplify or enable advanced features accordingly. This dynamic approach keeps the experience tailored and efficient.
5. Experience – The User’s Past Interactions and Expectations
Experience is the cumulative story a user has with a brand or a product category. Leslie had spent years using Citibank for basic banking. She knew how to log in, transfer funds, and manage her accounts. That positive experience built trust and made her feel comfortable with the bank’s online presence. However, her prior experience did not extend to investing, so the expectation of ease was misplaced when she encountered the investment section.
Experience shapes expectations about how a task should look and feel. A user who has successfully opened a savings account before will anticipate a straightforward form with clear labels. If the design of an investment account page diverges significantly - introducing new jargon, a different layout, or unfamiliar terminology - the user’s expectations are violated, causing confusion or abandonment.
To align design with user experience, designers should map out the existing journey and identify where the new feature diverges. Use experience maps that capture the user’s emotional highs and lows. For Leslie, her positive banking experience might create a high baseline of trust, but her lack of investing experience could result in anxiety. The design can leverage the trust factor by adding familiar visual cues (e.g., the Citibank logo, familiar color scheme) while gradually introducing new concepts in a low-risk format.
Experience also informs the use of social proof. If a user sees that many others have successfully invested with the bank, that can reduce uncertainty. Displaying testimonials, success stories, or a community forum can reinforce the idea that the bank is a reliable partner for new investment journeys. For Leslie, a short video of a customer describing how they diversified their portfolio could have been a powerful motivator.
Gathering experience data involves reviewing support tickets, call logs, and customer feedback. Look for patterns where users express confusion or frustration. Those pain points often reveal gaps between design and user experience. In Citibank’s case, support logs likely show multiple inquiries from new investors asking for simple explanations - an insight that can guide content updates.
Finally, experience can be leveraged through progressive disclosure. Start with a minimal interface that mirrors what users are familiar with. Then, as they show readiness, unveil more advanced options. This keeps the experience comfortable while still offering depth for those who want it. By honoring the user’s past experiences, the design becomes a natural extension of their journey rather than an unexpected detour.
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