An overview of a very simple framework for categorising UX and UCD issues in a way that can help convey these to colleagues and decide the best research methods to investigate further. Proposition, Process and Interface / Interaction design are key components, with examples shown.

1. Proposition, process & interface: a
simple framework for UX problems
Chris Rourke,
June 2023

2. Contents
What is the framework?
Process
01
Using the PPI framework
02
05
03
04
Proposition
Interface

3. The Framework
This simple framework categorises most user experience problems as one or more of the following
1. The proposition – What you are promising you’ll do for the user
2. The process – The steps they will have to go through to get that proposition
3. The interface – What the user needs to use at each stage / touchpoint

4. Proposition
Do your users understand what you are offering them?

6. Proposition
Your users must first understand what you’re offering them and decide if it helps them
The digital world has (too?) many innovations and service possibilities. Sometimes these are better understood by their creators than
their intended users.
Propositions can be a UX problem when they
• Don’t explain the benefits clearly
• Do explain the benefits – but they seem minimal, not worth expected effort
• Sound too good to be true - trust
• Too complex sounding process to be bothered with
• Seem to alienate a particular audience of users
Research into the understanding of proposition helps identify and resolve these. But also remember that people are poor predictors of
how they actually behave in the future. How they imagine the proposition can differ from reality.
Proposition
Process
Interface

7. Proposition vs reality: an ageless battle
’’Wow – I can change
gears on my steering
wheel! That’s so cool!’’
Proposition
Process
Interface

8. Proposition
Process
Interface

9. Analyse a new concept
Sometimes a proposition combines things you
already know:
Bidding to get an upgrade on a long haul flight. A mixture
of
• Paying for a business class upgrade
• Ebay style auction
This worked because they are both abstract process done
through transactions
Proposition
Process
Interface

10. Analyse a new concept
Proposition
Process
Interface

11. Introducing the proposition
Carefully introduce new concepts to users – even if it
benefits them greatly
The proposition overview:
Intelligent Finance keeps your finances in separate 'jars',
enabling you to have access to any of them at any time and see
exactly how your finances stand.
Then, Intelligent Finance connects your jars together, but
without moving your money around or creating one big pot, to
enable you to make the most of your money.
Proposition
Process
Interface

12. Introducing the proposition
A rather complex example
Let's take an example. If you have a balance of £1,000
on your credit card at the end of each month, a £9,000
personal loan, and a £40,000 mortgage, in total you'd
be borrowing £50,000.
Now let's assume that you have a balance of £2,000 in
your current account and £10,000 in savings.
By offsetting, instead of receiving interest on your
current account and savings of £12,000, and us
charging you interest on borrowings of £50,000, we
only charge you interest on £38,000 of the money you
borrow.
Proposition
Process
Interface

13. Introducing the proposition
Provide a simpler context
With Intelligent Finance you can receive the same interest on
the equivalent amount in your current account and savings, as
we charge for the money you've borrowed.
Let's say you have a personal loan of £3,000, for which you're
paying, for example, 10% interest, and savings of £5,000.
Because the rate of interest for your personal loan is 10% you'll
also receive 10% on £3,000 of your savings. And the remaining
£2,000 will receive our savings interest rate.
Proposition
Process
Interface

14. Help users evaluate a proposition
Gosh, which one is best?
If I used it say 10 times,
the Standard would cost
me £200, then the £55.
but I sometimes have a
guest….Better open Excel

15. Help users evaluate a proposition
According to this the
Standard Plus is best
for me. But I will travel
more next year so
maybe I’ll change it a
bit and see…
Lets help you choose…
1. How many times per year to you fly?
2. How often do you have a guest you’d like to treat?
Results
Based on 10 visits per year and 5 guest passes, your best
option is Standard Plus which will cost £270 in total
• Standard : £355
• Prestige : £439

16. Proposition – Summary
Before you start the design of your new product or service, research whether it will be seen as truly beneficial and
worth the effort
• Clearly explain the Benefits to the users (time saved, convenience, ease etc) more than the Features
• Make benefits sound significant – people will have to take action for this.
• Ensure the benefits sound credible – research trust aspect carefully
• Understand how complex the benefits sound to users
• Be inclusive – would certain audiences, e.g. users with disabilities, be excluded or not get full benefits?
Proposition
Process
Interface

17. Process
Make sure the whole end to end journey is clear,
trustworthy and well-coordinated

18. Process
The steps your users need to follow to benefit from the proposition should be as simple as possible
The process can be a problem when
• It assumes the user has certain information, access or technology – but they don’t
• It assumes the user has a mental model for the process from previous experience
• It cuts across several channels / touchpoints
• It is delivered by several different organisations that are not coordinated or consistent
• Does not ‘feel right’ for security, privacy or trust
• Different steps in the process use different terminology for the same thing
Proposition
Process
Interface

19. Proposition
Process
Interface

20. https://hbr.org/2009/06/a-framework-for-building-custo.html
Changing expectations for process
Proposition
Process
Interface

21. New processes can be a challenge
Remember the first time you used a self checkout ?
The proposition was attractive (avoid human interaction, be quicker)
The process was unfamiliar (‘unknown item in the bagging area’…)
Proposition
Process
Interface

22. Process and trust
https://www.openbanking.org.uk/what-is-open-banking/
Would you give your mobile to a waiter
so you can get loyalty points?
The open banking proposition may be attractive. The set up
process requires some trust.
Proposition
Process
Interface

23. Consider negative pathways and avoid dead ends
Proposition
Process
Interface

24. Help the transition from digital to real world
Proposition
Process
Interface

25. If the process is new, explain it clearly
Fastpark at the airport
Proposition attractive
What is process?
Do I trust it?
https://youtu.be/PwFKx1HH32M
Proposition
Process
Interface

26. Process – multiple service partners raises risks
Coordinating several services for a
seamless User Experience is hard. Test it.
The problem – Old, out of warranty Epson XP
710 inkjet printer needed servicing: “ink pad
full”. Replace a part and re-set some counter.
Epson UK can do it for £48.00 including pickup
and delivery from / to home, parts, labour and
VAT. Registered and paid on the Epson site for
collection and repair.
Proposition
Process
Interface

27. Process – multiple partner raises risks
Product
Repair
Delivery
Proposition
Process
Interface

28. Process – multiple service partners raises risks
Poor messaging from different parties
• Post-registration does not tell me I would get communications from a separate collection partner called Unicomp
or a courier called DPD
• Contradictory info
• Email from 3rd party company Unicomp: Please ensure all consumables remain in the product,… Please also
ensure your product is suitably packaged and ready for collection.
• Email from Epson service agent: …you should just give them the printer, keep all cables, guides and inks. No
need to box it up
• After more questions to Epson, another email: Please ensure that the printer is in a cardboard box and
packed with newspaper or bubble wrap inside the box. Please ensure all consumable remain in the product.
• Contradictory communications especially likely when several companies involved in what is meant to be a
seamless user journey

29. Consider current process expectations

30. Process – Summary
Ensure that the journey through all the steps and channels including specific tangents is clear
Research with prototypes during design can be effective
• Do your users have access to the channels or technology needed? Do you have all their contact info required to support the
journey?
• Is there a previous mental model that is being greatly altered to users’ expectations are not aligned to your process?
• Carefully step through the internal communications as well as the communications to the user.
• Be aware of the trust aspect. Doubts abut the trustworthiness of the services will deter from even a slightly complex process
• Ensure terminology is the same and instructions are consistent especially if service is delivered by several partner entities
• Research best way to describe a multi-step process especially if carried out over time or across different channels. Numbered
steps, flow chart, video are options to consider.
• Be inclusive in the design. Can ALL audiences, including disabled users, follow the process? Don’t wait until service is designed
to discover this.
Proposition
Process
Interface

31. Interface
The classic usability problems of interface and
interaction design

32. Interface & Interaction
The interface, at each touchpoint should be easy to understand and interact with
Interfaces and interactions can be a problem when they
• Are overly complex, not current or unappealing in appearance – a turnoff
• Don’t present the content or functionality that users need
This is the traditional area of usability, interface and interaction design.

33. Usability Heuristics
1. Visibility of system status
The system should always keep users informed about what is going on,
through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
2. Match between system and the real world
The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases and
concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented terms. Follow
real-world conventions, making information appear in a natural and
logical order.
3. User control and freedom
Users often choose system functions by mistake and will need a clearly
marked "emergency exit" to leave the unwanted state without having
to go through an extended dialogue. Support undo and redo.
4. Consistency and standards
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations,
or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
5. Error prevention
Even better than good error messages is a careful design which
prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. Either eliminate
error-prone conditions or check for them and present users with a
confirmation option before they commit to the action.
6. Recognition rather than recall
Minimize the user's memory load by making objects, actions, and
options visible. The user should not have to remember information from
one part of the dialogue to another. Instructions for use of the system
should be visible or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
Accelerators — unseen by the novice user — may often speed up the
interaction for the expert user such that the system can cater to both
inexperienced and experienced users. Allow users to tailor frequent
actions.
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or rarely
needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes with the
relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes),
precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.
10. Help and documentation
Even though it is better if the system can be used without
documentation, it may be necessary to provide help and
documentation. Any such information should be easy to search, focused
on the user's task, list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too
large.

34. Error messages

35. Interface – do the hard thinking for users

36. Search

37. Interface & Interaction – Summary
The interface, at each touchpoint should be easy to understand and interact with
Interfaces and interactions can be a problem when they
• Through regular evaluations and usability testing, ensure the interfaces and interactions are appealing and straightforward.
Consult the UX heuristics or interaction guidelines.
• Ensure that all the content and functionality that users may want is there. Beware of Errors of Omission as well as Errors of
Commission.
• Ensure inclusive design – e.g. follow WCAG guidelines for digital interfaces

38. Using the PPI framework

39. Responsibilities and research options
Responsibilities Research options
Proposition Marketing, sales, product team Focus group, interviews, competitor testing, diagnostic
usability testing
Process Intermediaries, partners, legacy
systems, internal department
differences
Mystery shopping, beta tests, diary studies
Interface Product, UI design Expert evaluation, usability testing, accessibility evaluations,
testing

40. Summary
A simple framework can help those in the wider team understand breadth and importance of UX and UCD
• Ensure the UX is recognised outside the design team
• Evangelise the good word on UX
• Apply the right research based on your challenge

41. Thank you!
Chris Rourke
chris@uservision.co.uk