CX meets infrastructure: Building great experiences from the ground up

When you think about customer experience (CX), infrastructure might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, as my conversation with John Espey, CEO of Defiance Digital, highlighted, infrastructure is the often-overlooked foundation of exceptional experiences. From ensuring lightning-fast responsiveness to designing for edge cases like low connectivity, the right infrastructure can make or break a user’s journey.

Let’s explore how the backbone of technology intersects with CX and what we can learn from real-world examples John shared during our discussion.

1. Speed is trust: Why milliseconds matter in CX

Waiting even 30 seconds to process a transaction, whether at a grocery store or in an app, can be excruciating for users. In today’s world, customers expect immediate responses. A slow-loading page or app isn’t just an inconvenience; it erodes trust and drives users away.

One example John highlighted was the initial rollout of the Affordable Care Act website. While functional in theory, its sluggish performance created such a poor user experience that it overshadowed the platform’s utility. This is why every millisecond counts in digital interactions.

Putting this into action:

• Prioritize performance testing: Regularly test your platform’s responsiveness under different loads and conditions.

• Optimize for speed: Minimize heavy scripts, reduce unnecessary API calls, and implement caching where possible.

• Monitor and adapt: Use real-time monitoring tools to detect and resolve performance bottlenecks before users notice.

2. Plan for the edge: Designing for less-than-ideal conditions

A recurring theme in our conversation was the importance of considering edge cases when designing digital experiences. I shared a story about a regional bank that still relied on mailing VHS tapes for internal communications in 2020 because many branches lacked high-speed internet access. While extreme, this example underscores the need to think beyond the people who live in urban areas with fast internet speeds.

John also recounted working on a tool for home contractors that needed to function offline because users often worked in areas without connectivity. Addressing these edge cases ensured the tool delivered value regardless of the user’s environment.

Putting this into action:

• Identify user scenarios: Understand where and how users will interact with your product, especially in low-connectivity environments.

• Simplify when needed: Create stripped-down versions of your digital tools to deliver core functionality without relying on heavy data loads.

• Test globally: If your audience spans different geographies, simulate usage in environments with slower networks or older devices.

3. Infrastructure as a CX enabler: Iteration at speed

The evolution of modern infrastructure allows businesses to innovate faster and respond to customer feedback in near real-time. John described how tools like DevOps and automation drastically reduce deployment times from six weeks to just two hours in one bank’s case. This shift enables teams to experiment, learn, and improve products continuously, delivering better experiences at a faster pace.

Companies like Netflix invest in infrastructure that supports rapid experimentation, which has helped them stay ahead of competitors and deliver seamless streaming experiences globally.

Putting this into action:

• Adopt iterative development: Build minimum viable products (MVPs), test with users, and refine based on feedback.

• Embrace A/B testing: Continuously test small changes with real users to learn what works best and scale successful experiments.

4. Invest in the basics: Security, scalability, and stability

While innovation and iteration drive great CX, foundational elements like security and reliability can’t be overlooked. As John pointed out, even the most innovative tools fail if they aren’t secure or stable. A lapse in cybersecurity or unplanned downtime can destroy user trust faster than a slow load time.

John shared a striking example of designing for the Department of Defense, where applications needed to perform equally well in high-speed data centers and remote battle theaters with no connectivity. Balancing these extremes required robust infrastructure capable of adapting to vastly different conditions.

Putting this into action:

• Secure by design: Integrate security measures into your development process from the start.

• Plan for scalability: Ensure your infrastructure can handle traffic spikes without compromising performance.

• Regularly test fail-safes: Simulate outages or security breaches to identify and fix vulnerabilities.

Wrapping up: Infrastructure is an unsung hero of CX

Customer experience doesn’t start with the interface; it starts with the foundation. By investing in speed, designing for edge cases, enabling rapid iteration, and securing your platforms, you can deliver experiences that not only meet but exceed customer expectations.

I hope these insights inspire you to think differently about how infrastructure supports CX 😊

Onward & upward,
Drew

P.S. If we haven’t met yet, hello! I’m Drew Burdick, Founder and Managing Partner at StealthX. We work with brands to design & build great customer experiences that win. I share ideas weekly through this newsletter & over on the Building Great Experiences podcast. Have a question? Feel free to contact us, I’d love to hear from you.