{"id":393,"date":"2012-07-12T22:26:27","date_gmt":"2012-07-12T22:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/starpointgroup.com\/?page_id=393"},"modified":"2023-08-30T16:39:42","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T21:39:42","slug":"usability-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.starpointgroup.com\/research-capabilities\/qualitative-research-services\/usability-research\/","title":{"rendered":"User Experience Research (UX)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Designs that Explain Themselves<\/strong>\u00a0Designing an engaging and gracefully interactive user interface is hard work \u2013 but smoothing out the user experience doesn\u2019t have to be. Like other forms of qualitative com-checks, a qualitative user experience assessment is a quick, inexpensive method for identifying \u2013 and correcting \u2013 the subtle miscues and hidden flaws in an otherwise great design. Through a series of short one-on-one interviews, using a prototype of your interface or a model of your device as the stimulus, we can quickly determine whether the target user understands the features, functions and controls offered by your design.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Let the User Initiate the Exploration<\/strong>\u00a0Our usability assessments are generally based on a pre-determined set of tasks and activities that we establish in consultation with you and your design team. The initial task, however, is to let the intended user follow their own instincts and see where they take us. Initially, we want to know:<\/p>\n This open-ended portion of the diagnostic interview reveals how quickly and how well a design both engages the user and telegraphs its principal functions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Working Through Your Checklist<\/strong>\u00a0Once the user has conducted their initial exploration, we like to work through a set of tasks and activities that focus on specific aspects of usability and overall functionality that you and your design team have identified for that stage of the development process. With the introduction of each new task, we check whether:<\/p>\n Improving your UI\u2019s Navigation System<\/strong>\u00a0The perceived simplicity of the menu structure, and the ease of interpretation of the menu\u2019s choices, directly affects both usability and ratings of user experience. We have developed a specific method for diagnosing and enhancing the interpretability and the functionality of multi-level menus of functions, features and content: Contingent Content Analysis (q-CCA). q-CCA will show you which elements of your navigation system are working and which areas need improvement.\u00a0Learn more here\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> A Research Design that Will Meet Your Needs<\/strong>\u00a0We design our user experience assessments in direct consultation with the design team that is responsible for product development. Consequently, the work is tailored to address your specific concerns. Most assessments are conducted in person as relatively short, task-focused individual interviews. If your team prefers online testing, we can arrange that, as well. We have been able to provide valuable feedback on prototype designs with as few as 10-12 interviews with engaged category participants. And we can always do more if you have specific occupational or demographic segments you feel you need to cover.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> Great Design is a Process, Not an Event<\/strong>\u00a0Designing a great user interface is a process that can extend over months of hard work. The best time to begin improving usability and the eventual user experience is early in that extended design process: as soon as you have a rough prototype that your intended user can view and \u2013 preferably \u2013 manipulate.<\/p>\n Rough concepts and prototypes are great clay for molding delightful products and web sites. Don\u2019t be afraid to work them over \u2013 early and often.<\/p>\n Our user experience assessments are but one part of our larger program of design support services. For additional information on how we might contribute to your program, please feel free to\u00a0contact us<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":151,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"\nINVOLVE THE USER IN YOUR DESIGN PROCESS<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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TASKS WITH A PURPOSE<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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MENUS THAT EXPLAIN THEMSELVES<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
FLEXIBLE & AFFORDABLE<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
VOTE EARLY. VOTE OFTEN.<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>