User Research
All good design projects should start with a thorough and deep-level understanding of your users. During this phase, we get to know existing and potential users to uncover how and why they think, behave and work the way they do.
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In-Depth Interviews
The best way to get to know users is to talk with them in-depth. Every product we build begins with having one-on-one interviews with each of our potentials users, to uncover their needs, wants, and points of passion.
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Contextual Inquiry
The users' environment can play a vital role in the usability of a product. Observing people in their “natural habitat” as they use a product, be it in the home, in the office or on the go, lends insight into the veritable systemic problems they encounter.
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Behavior/Task Analysis
Behavioral and task analyses can stem from both qualitative observation and quantitative data. By studying past and present interactions, operations, clickstreams and page visits, we can infer causation and create a plan for hypothesis testing.
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Shadowing
Sometimes how users claim they use a product is incongruent with how they actually use it. By silently following and observing users as they go through their normal tasks uninterrupted, we can uncover valuable unspoken insights.
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Mimicry
When shadowing or contextual inquiry are not possible, we alternatively recreate the user’s context of use and mimic their intended behaviors with a product. This is especially useful with remote testing or highly confidential products.
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Pinging Workshop
Pinging Workshops take their influence from submarines underwater, where sonar helps identify the proximity of objects. We use these workshops to determine how close a current product experience design is to the user’s expectations.