97 Things Every Data Engineer Should Know

Chapter 57. Prioritizing User Experience in Messaging Systems

Jowanza Joseph

Resource efficiency is one reason to utilize a messaging system, but the user experience may ultimately be a more compelling one. The software systems we use and rely on to manage our finances, run our businesses, and ensure our health all benefit from user experience enhancements. These enhancements can come in several forms, but the most notable are improving the design to make interfaces more comfortable to navigate and doing more on behalf of the user. Programs that perform on the user’s behalf quickly and accurately can take an everyday experience and turn it into something magical. Consider a bank account that saves money on your behalf by using your balance and other context to deposit money in your savings account. Over time you save money without ever feeling the pain of saving. Messaging systems are the backbone of systems like this one and enable rich user experiences.

Consider another example from banking. In many cases, borrowing money requires printing out your bank statements, pay stubs, tax statements, and more so the bank can get an understanding of your monthly expenses. Frequently, these documents are required to prequalify for a loan and are required again two months later to get the actual loan. While this sounds painful and superfluous in an era of technology, the bank has good reason ...