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Business-critical software

B2B UX that not only looks good but is actually used

The budget’s been approved, the deadline’s set, and expectations are high. But there’s a nagging worry: What if, in the end, no one actually uses the finished software? Good B2B UX isn’t about pretty screens; it’s about whether you’re building the right solution that truly meets the everyday needs of your business units.

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Collage of several B2B interfaces, including METRO Mail settings, an Instana trace view, a timeline planner and a configuration panel

The real risk lies elsewhere

  1. It only becomes clear after the rollout

    Budget spent, deadline met, everyone relieved. Then you realize: The business units are still working the same way as before because the application doesn’t meet their actual needs.

  2. Not enough time with the user

    Firefighting, tickets, coordination. In the day-to-day grind, there’s hardly any time left for genuine interaction with the people who work with your product every day.

  3. Faster, but not better

    AI and new tools make you more productive. But working faster doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up with the right product, one that makes a difference in the market.

  4. Many opinions, no clarity

    Business, IT, and functional teams talk about the same software but mean different things. What’s actually supposed to be built remains unclear for a surprisingly long time.

What is B2B UX?Business-criticalprocessesComplexchallengesSophisticatedenterpriseproducts

What is B2B UX?

B2B UX is the discipline of designing business-critical software for professional users in such a way that it does what it’s supposed to do and is actually used in day-to-day work. Unlike in B2C, what matters isn’t a good first impression, but whether complex tasks, workflows, and decisions involving multiple stakeholders are carried out reliably.

The biggest factor is rarely the user interface itself. It lies in the question that comes before it: What does this application actually need to be able to do for your business units to want to use it? That’s exactly where a good user experience in B2B comes in, long before the first pixel is even drawn.

Why B2B UX works differently from B2C

  1. Four people sitting on stools in a bright office in front of a moss wall, talking to each other

    Many people have a say

    In B2C, you’re convincing a single person. With complex B2B software, business units, IT, management, and the future users pull in different directions for months on end. The hardest part isn’t the user interface. It’s bringing these people together: building understanding, fostering trust, and finding a shared vision. That’s exactly where we come in.

  2. Developer with headphones and glasses working on code on a laptop and monitors in an office

    Complex subject matter domains

    Machine control, ERP, insurance processes, legacy systems that have evolved over time, and their interdependencies: What matters here isn’t a pretty user flow, but whether deep domain expertise is translated into clear workflows. We delve deep into the domain rather than oversimplifying it.

  3. Woman writing on a whiteboard with timelines and colorful sticky notes during a journey mapping training, a participant blurred in the foreground

    First the what, then the how

    The most expensive part is rarely the design. It’s the unanswered question of what should actually be built. We address this early on, through research and testing, before development starts costing money.

How we take you from concept to rollout

Understanding how people really work

Understanding how people really work

Interviews and job shadowing reveal what your business units need on a daily basis. You’ll gain clarity on real requirements, rather than assumptions made in the meeting room.

Bringing everyone to the table

Bringing everyone to the table

In workshops, we help business, IT, and business units speak the same language. The result is a shared vision that everyone can align on before things get expensive.

Bringing ideas to life quickly

Bringing ideas to life quickly

Design Sprints and prototypes bring ideas to life in a matter of days. You’ll see early on what works and make decisions based on real feedback rather than gut instinct.

Testing before it gets expensive

Testing before it gets expensive

We validate our concepts with real users before development begins. This significantly reduces the risk of building something that misses the mark, and ensures your budget is spent wisely.

Delivering concepts ready for development

Delivering concepts ready for development

You’ll receive specs and concepts that your team can use to start building right away. They’re clear enough that the development team doesn’t have to guess, and management can see progress.

Let’s take a look at your project

From idea to IBM acquisition

Mirko Novakovic
“From day one, UX&I has helped us meet our customers’ high expectations. In the process, they’ve taken the user experience to a new level, constantly testing and improving it.”
Mirko Novakovic CEO, Instana (an IBM Company)

Machinery software that users embrace

Maik Krüger
“UX is a crucial factor for our applications, and we couldn’t have pulled it off without UX&I.”
Maik Krüger Strategic product management, Kampf Schneid- und Wickeltechnik

Ready for market in twelve weeks

Patric Fedlmeier
“Through their goal-oriented approach, codecentric and UX&I were able to demonstrate that, within the framework of the Product Sprint program, it is possible to significantly accelerate the development cycle while maintaining a high level of quality.”
Patric Fedlmeier Deputy CEO, Provinzial Rheinland
Excerpt from our track record

Excerpt from our track record

  • We designed AI-powered expert software for one of the Big Four consulting firms that analyzes financial reports in minutes instead of days.
  • For a major international wholesale group, we transitioned the business customer registration process in 28 countries from a paper-based system to a fully digital one.
  • We designed software for the finance department of one of the world’s top-revenue-generating companies that makes cloud costs transparent and manageable.
  • We designed a portal for one of the world’s largest chip manufacturers that allows third-party companies to access and use AI resources on their own.
  • For one of the world’s ten largest retail groups, we brought store operations together in a single app, from management to configuration.
  • We designed banking software for business customers for one of Germany’s largest banking groups so that users can succeed without training.
  • We built a completely new route planning system from the ground up for a Germany-wide logistics group. Software for the process on which everything depends.

    That’s just seven of over 600 projects since 2014.
    We know what makes complex software successful, and we bring that knowledge to the table from day one.

Frequently asked questions about B2B UX and our work

What exactly is B2B UX?

B2B UX ensures that business software not only works but is actually used in day-to-day work. The focus is on complex tasks and the needs of many stakeholders, not on making a quick, attractive first impression, as is often the case in B2C.

How does B2B UX differ from B2C UX?

In B2C, decisions are usually made by a single person based on gut feeling and first impressions. In B2B, decisions are made by multiple stakeholders over the course of months; the tasks are more complex and tied to specialized business processes. Success, in this context, isn’t about a high click-through rate, but rather about enabling business units to work faster and more reliably.

Why is UX important in B2B software?

Because poor usability is costly: more training, more support, low adoption rates, and, in the worst case, an application that no one uses. Good UX mitigates this risk early on by clarifying what’s truly needed before development begins.

How does a B2B UX project work with you?

We start with research and workshops, quickly bring ideas to life through prototypes, and test them with real users before development begins. The end result is development-ready specifications that your team can use to build directly, from concept to rollout.

Ready for software that people actually use?

Tell us about your project. In a brief intro call, we’ll work together to assess where your product stands and how you can turn your idea into an application that your business units will actually use. Calm, clear, and on equal footing. Enterprise software: designed around people, with people, for people.

Nadine Pieper, senior UX consultant at UX&I, smiling with glasses and arms crossed in the office

Nadine Pieper Senior UX consultant · Berlin

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Nadine Pieper
Hias Wrba
Patrick Oselka
Claudia Schönwälder
Mato Sauer

Your call with

Nadine Pieper

Senior UX consultant

Berlin

Your call with

Hias Wrba

Product coach

München

Your call with

Patrick Oselka

Managing director at UX&I

Düsseldorf

Your call with

Claudia Schönwälder

Senior UX consultant

Hamburg

Your call with

Mato Sauer

Customer empowerment lead

Frankfurt