by Designing for Difference: Embedding Insights to Localise UX/CX in MENA
MRMW: We are happy to have you with us. Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk at MRMW MENA and what would you like delegates to remember?
Amanda: My discussion will focus on how small differences across demographics can change the way our customers use our products. A key message will be that although in many ways cultures and people can be very similar, their behaviours may be quite different. And so we should not just assume that similar cultures will behave in the same way for a given situation.
MRMW: How has this impacted your own work and your organisation?
Amanda: When designing for banking across different regions, we look carefully at each product area and scenario, and weigh up where we need to apply changes to account for cultural differences or regulatory compliance, and where we should continue to maintain consistency.
MRMW: In your experience, what are the biggest barriers to embedding insights as a commercial partner across the business, and how have you overcome them in your organisation?
Amanda: One of the biggest barriers is the perception of time. There is often an assumption that all research takes time, which can lead to reluctance in some parts of the organization to gather and embed insights into their processes. One of the ways we are overcoming this is to embed research into the initial discovery phase of product development and to be selective of the research we conduct.
MRMW: As with any region, what would you say are two opportunities to seize, and two challenges to overcome, that are particularly relevant in the MENA region?
Amanda: Opportunities
- The MENA region generally has a young population, and those populations are very open to exploration, so the region is a great place to launch new ideas first.
- The governments (especially in the UAE) are willing to invest in up-and-coming technologies and new ideas, so this is a great environment for entrepreneurs.
Challenges
- There are great disparities in infrastructure, so something that works well in a country like the UAE and an Emirate like Dubai, may not work as well in another country in the MENA region.
- MENA is still an immature market for UX, CX and research. This can lead to many challenges such as recruiting the skills you need, especially for emerging technologies.
MRMW: If you could put out a call to external partners – agencies, technology, tools and/or tech stack providers – what can they do to support you better?
Amanda: Think more about the end to end process for product designers, developers, researchers etc, and how your product or service fits into that process. Often, a part of a tool works really well, but there hasn’t been enough consideration as to how it fits into the overall process, and what pain points it is really solving.
MRMW: Outside of work, what should delegates talk to you about at MRMW MENA?
Amanda: I’m interested in anything that’s happening in the product design world, especially if it is around new ways of operating design teams. I also like to talk about travelling, books and film.
MRMW: Thank you so much, Amanda! We look forward to hearing more from you at the event!
At MRMW MENA, you will hear from Amanda Cano of Mashreq Bank and other senior leaders from Mondelez International, Philip Morris International, Majid Al Futtaim, and more.
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