The redesign process usually it's not easy at all, since there are certain moments in which teams and individuals must choose to redesign everything again or insist on the current product.
Here we will show you two options for you to see the difference between redesign and reiterate and why it is better to avoid redesigning everything all over again.
Redesign from the start
The redesign of the entire product should not always be avoided, since in certain cases, a company could inherit a certain product simply because of the domain name, the user base or because perceive the potential to totally reorganize the product starting from scratch, to create something totally different.
A clear example of a product that was totally redesigned from scratch is undoubtedly Bebo, what formerly it was a rapidly growing social network, is currently the sum of several new products, which emerged as the result of the total redesign of the original product.
The difficulty with redesigning everything again, is that it poses the danger of driving users crazy. On some occasions, the product comes to have a very low-performance design and even so UX, allows it as the main suitable course of action, the problem comes when products are redesigned for a not valid reason and not because it is actually the best for that product.
It is essential to make you 2 questions to ponder about this decision:
- Is my vision for the product strikingly colliding with the design and framework you currently have?
- Does the current product has several design and UX difficulties for your users?
If your answer is yes, this may be the most appropriate path. However, if you think that the redesigning a product could result in loss of multiple users, answer to yourself if that could make you change your mind and get rid of the worry you have.
In certain cases, only a small portion of existing users are those who are actually completely against change, that is why you must think very well if redesign is really the best option to advance the product.
You just have to make sure that you are actually making the product advance and evolve as opt for a redesign from scratch.
Redesign in iterations
Generally this should be the route to take, since by frequently repeating a product, the alienation of the current user base can be prevented, since in this way you can slowly but safely introduce the new UX and UI improvements you want to do in each of the product versions. This method is much easier to digest for the vast majority of users and is generally it is ideal to prevent them from being switched to a competitor's product.
It also allows a feature to be eliminated, if it can be shown that it is not really efficient or beneficial for both new users and those who already used the product.
A clear example of repeated products is Google's main search product, which it can be said that it has never been totally redesigned and instead it has been iterated frequently for a few decades. Google, has a surprisingly complex product, however, it has a fairly simple interface, which has been reiterated little by little, until today has become a product that is remarkably refined, powerful and also easy to use.
With this example it is possible see how the product has progressed, going from being something old-fashioned, to having a design that makes it one of the leading products of an industry.