Context Intelligence is the key to amplifying your UX team smarts

By Frank Spillers

on February 7, 2022 - 9:17am
three people of color wait in a doctor's office for an appointment

Summary: Developing a depth of understanding of how users will interact with your product or service, specifically under which conditions of use and surrounding constraints, is vital to quality UX. Further to context of use is the ability to build this team skill called "contextual intelligence" continuously. The more a team factors for context of use, the more design decisions can benefit, leading to context-aware designs that respond and shape better user experiences. 

User Research- MasterClass

By Frank Spillers

on October 6, 2020 - 8:06am

User Research MasterClass October 23rd 2020 (6AM PDT; 9AM EDT; 2pm UTC); 3 hours

To access the Masterclass, join Frank's www.uxinnercircle.com

Video transcript: Frank Spillers, CXO at Experience Dynamics explains the importance of User Research

User Research triggers learning by challenging assumptions

User Research, possibly one of the most important types of activities your organization carries that your organization carries out. Why? Because user research is where we gain the technique that brings us the insight that challenges assumptions. And anything that challenges our internal assumptions with our design, with our organization, with the product or service itself-- anything that challenges assumptions-- is an opportunity to be enlightened, and to be inspired and to gain confidence in your decision making.

5 Persona Distinctions: How to use Personas properly

By Frank Spillers

on June 16, 2020 - 5:56am
person with a face mask

Summary: Getting personas right can save you a lot of time and avoid common approaches to generating persona nonsense. Personas should point to behaviors, not individuals. Using 'Associating Adjectives' can help ground you and reinforce observed behavioral patterns and roles. More importantly, grounding your team will help them navigate this often not-quite-understood qualitative research deliverable.

How your team defines "user research" can hurt your UX

By Frank Spillers

on July 5, 2018 - 8:18am
man at whiteboard looking frustrated

Summary: 'User research' has become a catch-all phrase to mean user testing in many organizations. User research has two main activities: usability testing and field studies. Defining your design research with only a validation exercise (testing) misses the essential discovery of user needs, pain points and desires that Ethnographic Field Studies provide. User research should always mean more than just user testing!

How are you defining user research?

Many organizations we work with and UX designers we provide training for, tell us they do 'user research'. Once we dig deeper, we find they are defining user research as user testing. This means only half of UX insights are actually making it to your team.  

The two main types of user research your team needs access to: