Research

Research can inform the development and creation of a website, mobile site or interface. It helps identify potential opportunities, user requirements and inform business decisions. We provide a range of research activities, these include:

Competitor research

Analysis of competitors sites helps identify opportunities within the market place. it typically involves identification of competitors and sites or interfaces providing solutions to similar issues to those faced by the interface being developed.  These are then reviewed to identify what works well and usability issues they face.  This helps identify possible solutions and pitfalls as well as refine the business model and identify possible future functionality.

User requirements gathering

Defining user requirements prior to beginning product development helps ensure that the solution will meet the needs of the audience. A range of techniques can be user to identify user needs, from interviews and focus groups to questionnaires. Generally these techniques will provide information about users attitudes and needs but are not a good indicator of how the user will behave.

Ethnographic research

Observation of users performing actual tasks whether online or in the real world provides a direct insight into how users actually behave, there expectations and issues they face. When interviewed users often fail to accurately report their behaviour either because they forget or feel details are unimportant or their fault. This information can prove invaluable when designing an interface, helping develop a more effective, usable solution.

Target audience definition

Identification of the target audience and their behaviour helps focus the development of an interface so that it more effectively meets their needs. Different audiences will have different priorities and expectations. Their knowledge and day to day experience can affect the order in which they expect to perform tasks, the amount of emphasis they should be given as well as the language used.