Wizards and workflows

Software is a multiplier — it can empower users but it can’t induce behavior. Behind every successful app stands a pre-existing motivation. In other words, while you can lead users to your landing page, you can’t make them pay. Great software makes people better at things they already want to do.

However, on the road to great software, finding an idea that serves an existing motivation is just the first step. We may know which market to fit, but how do we product? How should each feature be designed to best help the user?

An early decision is whether or not the interface should mandate a workflow. This is the difference between a wizard and a spreadsheet, or a chatbot and a text editor. Wizards constrain users: first do this, then do that. It’s the same with chatbots: answer this question and I’ll ask you the next. On the other hand, spreadsheets mandate nothing: it’s a blank canvas — an empty slate.

If you know the domain better than the user, for example if the software is an interface to your organisation, go for a wizardly approach. Be a guide, provide hints, and correct mistakes along the way — all in as few steps as possible.

On the other hand, if your idea covers a process the user knows well, be a tool. Provide the features they need, monitor usage, iterate and improve. Aim for a flat set of orthogonal but complimentary features. Provide the tools as best you can, then get out of the way. Your users already know what they want to accomplish, because technology trails incentive.