In 2024, customer experience (CX) hit a breaking point. CX quality reached an all-time low, and consumers made it clear they expect more. As expectations continue to rise, businesses are under increasing pressure to deliver seamless, standout experiences—often with fewer resources. And when those expectations aren't met, the fallout can be swift: negative experiences tend to travel fast, amplifying their impact beyond the initial interaction.
For years, customer experience (CX) has been largely interaction-based, focusing on gathering feedback after key moments: post-purchase surveys, digital journey evaluations, call center interactions, and web form submissions. While valuable, this traditional approach is no longer enough.
The future of CX demands a more proactive strategy, one that begins as decisions are being made.
This is what we call experience design.
What is experience design?
Experience design refers to how customer experience is maximized when created intentionally from the beginning. This is where brands make decisions around products, services, promotions, operational processes, and more.
These foundational choices shape the customer experience long before any interaction takes place. Everything from menu design and drive-thru layouts to call center protocols and loyalty programs are decided at this stage. By embedding CX principles from the start, brands can intentionally create experiences that lead to better outcomes for customers.
Shifting from reactive to proactive CX
Traditional CX strategies focus on reacting to customer feedback after an experience occurs. But what if organizations could prevent negative experiences before they happen? By prioritizing CX from the beginning, you can:
- Ensure products and services align with customer needs from the outset.
- Develop processes that meet customer expectations for ease of use and accessibility.
- Create marketing campaigns that genuinely resonate with target audiences.
- Improve location layouts, digital experiences, and employee training programs in ways that drive satisfaction.
Why experience design matters for CX goals
If you think about the goals of any customer experience program (building customer loyalty, reducing customer churn, increasing revenue) then it’s easy to see why experience design matters. Addressing issues early is still important, but when creating experiences with those goals in mind from the very beginning, you're building a much stronger foundation.
The decisions you make early, from which promotions to offer, to how your location is laid out, to how your employees interact with customers, all contribute to the experience customers have later. Proactively designing these elements with customer experience in mind helps reduce negative experiences, strengthens loyalty, and ultimately makes the entire CX optimization process more effective.
Rethinking traditional feedback loops
Historically, early-stage customer input has come through traditional market research methods, such as surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews. While these tools provide valuable insights, they can also be costly, time-consuming, and slow to deliver results. For many brands, that makes it difficult to respond quickly or iterate efficiently on product and service ideas.
Communities offer a more agile, accessible alternative. Through digital insight communities, brands can engage directly with consumers to co-create ideas, test concepts, and get feedback in real time. Speed and flexibility allow brands to adjust offerings on the fly, ultimately making experience design more dynamic and more inclusive for brands of all sizes.
SMG has expanded its ability to capture insights earlier in the decision-making process, giving brands the tools to co-create with their customers and employees. This deeper level of engagement enables organizations to create experiences that more closely align with consumer expectations.
The role of Unified Experience Management
To bring experience design to life, brands need a holistic approach that unites brand, customer, and employee experience, what we call Unified Experience Management (UXM).
Traditional research methods like concept testing and ad tracking typically fall under brand experience, but they often happen in isolation. Organizations that combine all three can become more intentional, connected experiences that build loyalty and fuel long-term growth.
The future of CX starts now
Customer experience can no longer start after the first interaction. It must be embedded into the fabric of decision-making from the very beginning. Organizations that embrace this shift will not only meet customer expectations but exceed them, leading to stronger brand loyalty, better business outcomes, and a more seamless experience for all.
By shifting the focus to experience design, brands can move from reactive problem solving to proactive experience plans, and set a new standard for what exceptional CX looks like.
Want to start designing better customer experiences from the ground up?Learn how SMG can help you turn early decisions into lasting CX impact.
