Welcome back to Part 2 of our series on what makes great enterprise software. In Part 1, we talked about building simple, clear experiences for core users. Now, let’s go deeper into scaling, support, and long-term value.
8. Use the Software Yourself
You’d be surprised how many teams don’t use their own product. Once you do, all the friction points become obvious. The weird button behavior. The awkward flow. The silent errors.
We catch 90% of our own bugs just by using the product like our users do.
9. Ask for Feedback—and Listen
Add an easy way for users to send feedback from inside the app. Then actually use it.
What are users clicking the most? What are they ignoring? Where are they getting stuck? What features are collecting dust? That’s your product roadmap right there.
10. Nail the First-Time User Experience (FTUE)
In enterprise, users are often forced to adopt new tools. First impressions matter. Don't throw 20 tooltips at them all at once. Use progressive onboarding. Reveal features as they become relevant.
A short walkthrough, a well-placed tooltip, or a quick demo video can go a long way.
11. Make Security UX Not Suck
Security is important—but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. Make 2FA, permission settings, and access controls simple and accessible. Don't bury them in five nested menus.
Make the secure path the easy path.
12. Customize Without Chaos
Different teams = different workflows. Give users control—custom dashboards, saved filters, layout preferences.
But keep guardrails. Too much flexibility leads to mess. Offer just enough personalization to feel powerful without becoming overwhelming.
13. Support Teams, Not Just Users
Enterprise software is rarely used alone. Design for collaboration. Support comments, mentions, audit logs, and real-time updates. Be intentional with permissions and team visibility.
Think beyond single-player mode.
14. Handle Errors Gracefully
Things break. Network requests fail. Timeouts happen. Handle errors like you care. Show clear error messages—not just "Something went wrong."
Let users retry. Cache actions. Queue offline updates. Make the app feel resilient.
15. Design for Scale
Your app might have 10 users today. What about 10,000? Or 10 million records?
Optimize for perceived performance. Use skeleton loaders, pagination, background processing. Make things feel fast, even if they aren’t... yet.
Final Thoughts
Great enterprise UX is rare because it's hard. But when you get it right, users are more productive, less frustrated, and more likely to stick with your product. Design like it’s a consumer app. Speak like a human. Use the product yourself. And always simplify.
That’s how we build.
