Dive into user experience topics, issues and discussions based on our usability consulting. Want to learn about Lean UX, Mobile UX or how Interaction Design can apply to your project? You're in the right place.

A piece of our mind / our blog

VR and more- designing immersive user experiences with wow factor

By Admin User

on May 12, 2016 - 5:10pm

Summary: Good user experience design is imperative for smoother adoption of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). The UX focus of wow-factor experiences for VR/AR/MR must include careful attention to design of presence, narrative, engagement and emotion.    

Definitions:

Virtual Reality (VR) offers an immersive experience requiring a HMD (Head Mounted Display). The software is powered on a mobile phone or from a new VR-optimized PC. Users feel like they are "there" and the experience is in first person. Note: You have to experience this to realize how profound of a shift it is. First person user experience can change perception in fundamentally profound ways.  

Hiring the wrong UX Agency!

By Frank Spillers

on March 30, 2016 - 10:10am
Hiring UX agency

Summary: Hiring the wrong UX designer or UX agency can cost you, not only in your delivery but also in your confidence to benefit from the latest in UX leadership and ROI. Making the right hire is critical, but first you have to be able to spot weakness which is difficult if you are new to the subject of UX hiring. 

Characteristics of the Wrong Hire

In our experience of working with clients who complain of being burned by low quality UX firms, we've noticed some patterns over the past 15 years. 

3 hidden reasons your org should never do User Testing just once

By Admin User

on February 20, 2016 - 10:07am
mobile usability testing

Summary: Doing regular, phased or iterative usability testing gives you the benefit to gain additional validation on design direction. It's primary function is to protect usability quality as designs progress or get distorted by internal constraints. Regular testing can help you establish maturity or UX culture and can teach you the important UX skill of user advocacy. 

Why attending live usability testing is essential to doing good UX

By Admin User

on October 27, 2015 - 2:07pm
usability testing lab

Usability testing gains it's strength from direct user observation. Like listening to someone describe water vs. putting your hands under a tap to directly experience water, direct live observation of a usability test is more "real". Moreover, direct observation is critical for accelerating understanding and unifying decision-making. Live usability testing observation can not be underestimated. All too often stakeholders (and even clients who hire usability consultants) will skip the test, in favor of reading the report or watching the videos later.

Bottom line: You are wasting a learning opportunity (and your companies money) if you do not attend a usability test for a design of which you have stakeholder say in direction of a site or product.

UX Power Up: Personas as Roles

By Admin User

on October 16, 2015 - 2:39pm

In this week's UX Power Up, Frank covers the not so widely discussed topic of personas as roles. Using personas for UX design goals requires you to think of your users by their role, not their demographic data. Frank provides some tips for how to work with your personas so they are more functional in your user advocacy process. 

Transcript below...

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