User-experience research methods are great at producing data and insights, while ongoing activities help get the right things done. Alongside R&D, ongoing UX activities can make everyone’s efforts more effective and valuable. At every stage in the design process, different UX methods can keep product-development efforts on the right track, in agreement with true user needs and not imaginary ones.
One of the questions we get the most is, “When should I do user research on my project?” There are three different answers:
Do user research at whatever stage you’re in right now . The earlier the research, the more impact the findings will have on your product, and by...
This simple wireflow shows a sequence of several mobile-app wireframes for a typical user-task flow. In this example, each wireframe corresponds to the same app page, rather than representing different app pages. Each step clearly indicates the hotspots that connect to the next step in the task
Although it seems obvious that domain-specific applications need field studies, most design projects in the past typically did without them. When we analyzed the first decade of Intranet Design Annual winners, we found that field studies were used by only 10% of the winners from 2001–2003 and
But Xero might be a more interesting example, simply because it targets the traditionally dry domain of accounting. One of its main features lets users automatically reconcile bookkeeping entries with bank account transactions. As a match is made, the 2 matching entries are removed from the list of
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
Melissa Hathaway came across our radar recently when President Obama tasked the former Bush administration aide with leading a 60-day review of Bush’s Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative; a largely classified, purported $30 billion, multi phase plan to address cybersecurity issues
Blockchain Metrics Will Add Transparency to Investing and Better Inform Investors
Ideally, this data should also be linked to and compared against general market sentiment, media events and other relevant factors. Investors are usually the primary end-users of aggregated financial data from providers like Finicity, Quovo, MX, and Intuit. This data typically involves the
AI and Blockchain Tech Are The Future of Successful Trading
AI and Machine Learning can be applied in the crypto markets in similar ways to the way it’s used for data analysis. The key advantages of algorithm-driven investment decisions include speed and accuracy, which are the two most vital elements to success in the highly volatile crypto
Remote Ideation: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
Asynchronous ideation avoids the tricky scheduling issues that synchronous sessions suffer from. People can share their ideas whenever they have time. That means each teammate can work around their own scheduling conflicts and deadlines, while still being able to contribute. Asynchronous ideation
ux research cheat sheet
Image-Focused Design: Is Bigger Better?
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. We are visual creatures, and images can be a powerful way to capture users’ attention and communicate your message. As networks and devices become more capable of displaying large images, more and more websites incorporate huge
3 Design Considerations for Effective Mobile-App Permission Requests
App permission requests allow users to remain in control of their data. Users perform a cost–benefit analysis when deciding whether to accept a permission request. It’s important that designers think about how to communicate the benefits and when to make the request, so that users aren’t
DesignOps 101
Though we use the blanket terms “design” and “designer” throughout this discussion, DesignOps applies to anyone using user-centered and design-thinking processes to solve problems. The term “designer,” then, includes UX designers, user researchers, visual designers, content strategists
Why User Interviews Fail
The color preference affects the user's overall perception of the product. Even if users actually do like, dislike, or feel some emotions related to the color, it doesn’t mean it will affect their overall perception of the design or organization to any meaningful degree. A background color is
Teenager’s UX: Designing for Teens
Teens are becoming more successful at navigating websites and finding what they need. At the time of the third study, the oldest participant was born in 2001 and the youngest was born in 2005; therefore, all participants in this study grew up with access to computers. Between all three studies
WP Engine Culture Recognized at Greater Austin Business Awards
The annual Greater Austin Business Awards competition, presented by The Austin Chamber of Commerce, is designed to honor excellence in all aspects of business. In order to promote awareness and perpetuate good practices, the Awards recognize companies and organization in the Austin region for
ux research cheat sheet
Genesis Framework and StudioPress Themes Now Available for WP Engine Customers .
WordPress is capable of powering strong eCommerce sites. You can run your entire business with the help of the Outfitter Pro Theme. This theme puts the focus directly on your products. With a brief description of your company at the top, the rest of the page is dedicated to showcasing what you’re
StudioPress Theme Spotlight: New Breakthrough Pro
As we continue to showcase a sample of the amazing StudioPress themes now available to WP Engine customers, we’re extra excited to bring you this new StudioPress Theme: Breakthrough Pro, which is the first new theme to be launched since our acquisition of StudioPress in June. Breakthrough Pro
5 Steps to Service Blueprinting
In a service blueprint, customer actions are depicted in sequence, from start to finish. A customer-journey map is an ideal starting point for this step. Do note that a blueprint’s focus is the employee experience, not the customer’s experience, thus this portion does not need to be a fully
Cards: UI-Component Definition
Cards are often associated with flat design 2.0: they retain some aspects of the aesthetic of flat design, but reintroduce visual depth as a signifier of clickability. Though the basic concept is older, in the last few years, cards have received a lot of attention in the software-design world, with
Test Paper Prototypes to Save Time and Money: The Mozilla Case Study
In a later iteration of the design, shown below, task groupings for the help material were eventually moved under the products on the next layer down in the IA, in part because all tasks were not available for all products and services, and that order of layering helped manage that necessary
As Digital Identities Evolve, Data Security Should Too
The definition of identity is changing in the way that we no longer need to reveal sensitive information to receive personalized offers and services. Thanks to companies like Deloitte, anyone can implement Privacy by Design into their business to ensure the implementation of 30 pieces of
3 Areas Where Blockchain Will Propel the Drone Industry Forward
With more drones flying around collecting and generating massive amounts of data, security will be an increasing concern for the industry. This is especially true for applications like property security, law enforcement, defense, etc. Additionally, businesses are increasingly using drones across
Why AI and Viztech hold the key to a safer internet
Pioneers in the new field of Viztech have developed a highly effective adult and violence video filter. It uses AI to identify terrorist and other harmful digital content automatically – and not within two hours of being published, but before it actually goes live. It can spot inappropriate
Dancing in the Co-Economy: Are you Square Dancing or Foxtrotting?
The customer must be active contributors along each step of the way (not just a beta tester or someone who signs on the dotted line upon the project’s completion). This step ensures that the solutions you deliver address their very specific business problem. It also helps validate the scalability
ux research cheat sheet
A 60-Second Trailer of the 60-Day Report on Cybersecurity
She explained that the original design of the Internet was driven more by considerations of interoperability rather than security, and as a result we are now faced with almost insurmountable issues. Some examples include online criminals who steal our information, mass bandits who have the ability
How New Tech Startups Can Differentiate Themselves
You could play with factors related to price and quality as your mode of differentiation. The simplest example here is to offer what your competitors are already offering, but cheaper. If an app typically goes for $5 and you can sell yours for $3, or offer it for free while generating revenue from
UX Research Cheat Sheet | Working Memory and External Memory
Working Memory and External Memory
The concept of working memory was first illustrated in a famous series of experiments by the psychologists Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch from University of Stirling, in Scotland. In these experiments, participants were given 1 to 6 digits to keep in their memory while doing a different task
Mobile First Is NOT Mobile Only
None of these patterns are either common or particularly usable or useful on desktop, yet they often work or are necessary on mobile. These sites found them valuable for their small-screen designs, and thought they should apply them to the desktop. Little did they know that they were throwing the
Centered Logos Hurt Website Navigation
It appears that other factors (such as the contrast, padding, and legibility of the brand name) affect brand recall more than the position in the center of the page versus the top left corner. For example, the Nolitan hotel websites had a background image behind the logo, which may have
