Digital Design in 2011 [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some say, "the web is dead." Whether this statement is true or false, "the web" certainly isn’t the only digital platform where your business will need to have a presence. 2011 brings significant changes to the way your business will need to think about digital design.

Lifestyle Modeling for Mobile Application Design

User experience designers emphasize the importance of conducting primary behavioral research to inform digital application design (traditionally web applications). The need for behavioral research, to better understand end-user lifestyle, is even more important when the chosen platform for the application is a mobile platform. "Mobile" IS a lifestyle (rather, a collection of lifestyles), as mobile applications are designed to be taken into different physical environments, both online and offline. Because mobile applications are used in such a wide variety of situations, guessing about how consumers interact with them could be a critical mistake. Because environment influences behavior, ethnographic research, conducted in the context of different environments, is a valuable way for user experience designers to accurately identify, prioritize, and model the user interface of mobile application features.

The following are some quick tips to help plan a contextual inquiry aimed to inform a mobile application user interface:

1. Identify the mobile application's target, end-user segment. Generally, research recruiting efforts should aim for an end-user segment which is most likely to adopt the proposed mobile application. This segment will form the basis of the screening criteria for the research study.

2. Choose a recruitment platform that is a likely destination for the target participant segment. If the company that is funding the research already has a mobile application in the market, the researcher may consider utilizing the mobile application's customer email database to solicit participants for the upcoming application research study. If not, the researcher should consider alternate methods to recruit the target segment. Using the Google pay-per-click advertising platform is a great way to reach likely customers, when study solicitations are set to be triggered when users perform keyword queries related to the topic of the mobile application, and modified with the phrase, "app."

3. Develop a line-of-questioning that makes some informed assumptions about primary mobile use cases.  I would never recommend biasing the research by influencing customer responses with suggestions about how the participant "might" behave in a given situation, but making internal assumptions simply makes research easier. A school of thought exists that exploratory research should be unencumbered (not biased) by preconceptions.  This school of thought poses risk to the outcome of the research, in my opinion, because it leaves the potential to waste precious time with end-users, and precious funds from clients, on irrelevant findings. Taking a more structured approach, when planning for contextual inquiry, requires the development of open-ended questions that seek to validate theories. In this manner, a research moderator can control the flow of the dialogue, keep the interview relevant, and not bias the research with the moderator's "point of view."

4. Meet participants for lunch or coffee prior to the contextual inquiry. Seriously. The key to contextual research is natural, end-user behavior. Think about it. There can be significant reduction in participant nervousness or social anxiety if the participant and the researcher break the ice for for a few minutes prior to the study. Since the topic of the research is mobile behavior, plan to meet the participant close to where the application would likely be used ("on the go"), and make small talk with the participant for 10-15 minutes.

5. Watch the participant use a similar mobile application to the one being developed, in the context of where the participant would likely use the application. Begin by asking the participant to recreate a task that was recently performed, or perform a high-frequency task. Ask the participant to verbally describe the task, as it is being conducted. Observe how the participant performs the task, as well as how the environment around the participant is utilized in the completion of the task. What information is needed to perform the mobile task? What is the task sequence? The answers to these questions will help the mobile application design team develop the high-level information architecture for the mobile application, as well as the user interface design.

5 Ways to Get the Best Work from Creative Professionals

Creative professionals do their best work when very specific conditions are met. As a Creative manager, it is important for you to be aware of the environment that you are creating, in order to get the best results from your Creative team. 

The following are 5 ways to create the optimal environment for excellent Creative output.

Protect their time – Dedicating focus to projects and challenges is extremely important for Creative professionals. This is especially challenging in an agency setting. However, creating a protective shield around your team is your job, as manager. It takes proactive resource forecasting, management and communication with other managers who are looking to utilize members of the Creative team. Your effort, here, will be rewarded with in-depth problem solving, as well as energized and calmer team members.

Protect their egos – Creativity is all about ego. Being inspired is the key to Creative excellence. It is nearly impossible to be inspired with a hurt ego. When providing feedback, criticism, and instruction to Creative professionals, it is best to be mindful of your delivery and tone. The ego is fragile, but capable of producing amazing things. Respect large and small egos on your Creative team.

Give them a stimulating work environment – Inspiration has much to do with environment. Environment doesn’t just refer to work environment, although that’s important…but also to the culture that you’ve created in the workplace. Since behavior is also related closely to environment, you can engineer the type of behavior you wish to encourage by creating the right physical spaces to influence positive behaviors. For example, if you, as we all do, aspire to encourage collaboration amongst team members, create open spaces where people can see and interact with each other on a daily basis.

Inspire them with strong strategic direction – While time may not permit you, as a manager, to produce the detailed deliverables that are required for project delivery, you need to establish the broad strokes that set direction for your Creative team. If you are used to generating big ideas and strategic concepts for business development efforts, you should be regularly pitching innovative ideas of strategic value on your existing accounts. Your Creative team will begin to riff off of your thinking and think through the details. Your team should depend on you for higher-level conceptual thinking. 

Give them plenty of context regarding business objectives and likely end-user behavior – Strong Creative concepts for clients requires business and end-user context. Conduct brainstorms with your team by giving the proper set-up and context about the client’s specific needs and the likely behaviors of the client’s customers. Insist that every idea that is produced from your Creative team can support either a business objective or a customer need.

10 "next steps" for unemployed, creative professionals

There shouldn't be any secrets about what creative agencies look for when they search for talent. In fact, all companies should publish blogs describing, in great detail, what type of individual they look for, and exactly what candidates need to do to land a job (or a career). Distinguish yourself from other candidates by being innovative, demonstrating subject matter expertise, and being entrepreneurial in the pursuit of employment. It also doesn't hurt to be proactive, accessible, and energetic, when cultivating your professional persona, conducting your career search, and meeting with prospective employers.

The following are concrete steps to take to build credibility and increase the likelihood of landing a great job. 

1. Identify professional goals and obstacles to achieving them - Wage war on unemployment by taking a strategic, methodical approach. You've taken great pains to plan killer strategies for your clients, why wouldn't you give yourself your own "A" game? Begin by identifying what makes you happy, professionally. Where would you like to work? What would you aspire to do? What kind of lifestyle do you want? Once you've answered these questions, begin outlining an approach to achieving your goals. You'll need to understand what obstacles lie in your path. Do you need an advanced degree? Do you have to move? What kinds of skills do you need to acquire? Write down all conceivable obstacles. In the end, you'll have a chart outlining what you need to do to achieve your ultimate career objectives. Begin your "barrier removal plan" by prioritizing your list of action items to removing career barriers. Grab a calendar and start planning milestones and deadlines. You'll feel more confident when you wake up every morning, marching towards an objective that removes another barrier in your path to achieving your professional aspirations.

2. Finish, publish, and promote your online portfolio - Obviously, now is the time to be very promotional about your experience and subject matter expertise. Take the time to finish your online portfolio, so that it is easily accessible as a link in an email, blog post, or tweet. Accompany your work samples with case studies to illustrate how you helped businesses achieve real results. Provide easy ways for interested parties to contact you. You are less likely to land an interview if you aren't prepared to show some real work samples or deliverables.

3. Read industry news/blogs - An overwhelming amount of industry information and intelligence is accessible daily, via every conceivable digital channel (TV, web, mobile, alerts, email, etc.). Stay up-to-date, and make reading industry news a part of your daily routine.

4. Develop and document points-of-view on relevant industry topics - Now that you are "plugged in" to the latest industry trends, begin formulating point-of-views on relevant topics. Write-down your thinking and reinforce your theses with secondary, market research. Go to slideshare.com to research relevant topics. The more you gather informed opinions on industry trends, the more you will be able to engage and hold relevant conversations with prospective employers.

5. Start blogging - Good writing skills are important to advancing your career as a Creative professional. Develop this skill by reading, and eventually, writing, your own blog posts. Since you documented your points-of-view on various industry trends (step 4), you'll have plenty to write about. Blogging can help you generate content that will be indexed on Google, so your name is more likely to appear in relevant search results. Blogging will also enable you to update your social media profiles, especially Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.

6. Publish an article or two - While blogging can help you increase your likelihood to appear in relevant, industry searches, publishing an article in a relevant, industry trade can help you to boost your professional credibility. Make sure any published articles are linked to from your online portfolio, as well as your social media profiles. Mention published articles in conversations with prospective employers.

7. Design and execute a social media strategy to increase your social influence - Some may view being overly self-promotional as a negative personality trait, but, guess what? That's exactly what you need to do to distinguish yourself from others looking to land your perfect job. Make sure employers know that you understand how to market yourself in the most contemporary fashion. Be sure to execute a well-planned social media strategy that is targeted to getting your point-of-view, writing samples, and industry expertise noticed by prospective employers. With your online portfolio and contact information acting as your "point-of-conversion," begin blogging and micro-blogging to develop interest in your points-of-view. Make sure to link to your online portfolio frequently, for more information, or to learn how to get in touch with you. Insert Google analytic tags in your blog, so that you can see which social media platform refers the most traffic to your online portfolio.

8. Attend relevant industry conferences - Since industry conferences tend to be expensive, try to identify the ones with the most relevant "foot-traffic." Get 100 business cards printed, and aim to hand them out after having meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals. Make sure your business cards have your social media and online portfolio URLs printed on them. Don't forget to collect the cards of the professionals who might be most influential in your future career. When you are back from the conference, write a follow-up email to each person you met. Try to keep in touch with these contacts. The goal is to expand your professional network, and get your name out there.

9. Follow and "Direct Message" hiring managers at target companies on Twitter - The beauty of Twitter is that it has the potential to create a direct linkage between you and hiring managers of companies that you want to work for. Stay connected with these companies, and network with their managers, by seeking them out and following them on Twitter. Engage them in conversations about the medium in order to illustrate your subject matter expertise, even before you have an opportunity to land an interview. You can present a different viewpoint as long as it doesn't come off as emotional or antagonistic

10. Be accessible and open  - Even though you've developed a unique point-of-view (step 4), blogged about it (step 5), published it (step 6), and promoted it across social media channels (step 7), it doesn't mean you should close your mind to other points-of-view. Being Creative means doing things differently. Try to listen to other points-of-view, and adopt other people's wisdom, in order to evolve your thinking and maximize your social, and professional, influence.

Research Analysis - Avoid Data Paralysis in 5 Easy Steps

I've stated it before. Analyzing research data is a daunting task. It's complicated because, often times, it is difficult to know where to begin. Qualitative, or behavioral data analysis, seems more manageable, because there is a structured methodology and limited data to cull through. Quantitative data analysis is an entirely different beast. Huge sample sizes, hundreds of measures, and results which include "the passage of time" as an axis, offer challenges that (as Information Architects) "put our name to the test" (King Leonidas, 300).

As always, solving a problem begins with "breaking it down." Abstract the solution, and develop an outline that is the framework for a persuasive argument. Draw the lines first, and then, fill in the details.

Here's an approach to analyzing quantitative data, in five (5) steps:

1. Define objectives - Does this 1st step need to be restated in every blog entry? Every challenge has the same beginning. Consultants succeed only when they achieve client objectives. Research analysis needs to support these objectives, otherwise, research is a wasted investment for a business (we can debate the value of "research for the sake of research." I understand the NASA model, where innovation and "spin-off discoveries" lead to practical applications. I'll argue, that is, in itself, an objective.) In a business context, where clients are spending money in a crap economy, Information Architects must do everything in their power to prove the value of the research they are conducting. Spell it out, and be promotional about the fact that the research findings will directly support meaningful objectives. This exercise has the added benefit of enabling you to develop a framework for your research analysis.

2. Develop theories based on prior knowledge - Most likely, clients really do have a base of understanding and knowledge about their customers. Often, theories exist that project a relevant set of customer behaviors over time, or provide an explanation to previously recorded behaviors. Borrowing from the "scientific method," Information Architects can develop a measurement framework that is aimed at supporting, or disproving, theories. List the theories that are related to key customer behaviors that support business objectives. Understand what action items are a result of proving or disproving these theories.

3. Conceive "psuedo-measurement equations" to support objectives and theories - It is now time to understand how data actually proves or disproves theories. You aren't going to even look at the data, yet, to complete this step. It is much easier to dig into the intimidating pool of data, once you understand what to look for. Creating the measurement equations is what this step is all about. Take a theory like, "customers are abandoning the shopping cart because there is an offer that appears on the shopping cart page that is drawing them off the path of conversion." What is an effective measurement equation to assess the validity of this theory? Maybe, "of the X% of customers who abandon the shopping cart, X% are clicking on the offer that appears on that page." The relevant data reports that need to be generated, include:

> Measurement - percent cart abandonment
> Measurement - percent cart abandoners that click on Offer X

Identifying the key measurements that prove or disprove theories about relevant customer behavior is a matter of developing a logical argument. Develop these arguments for each theory that exists to support a business objective, and you will have defined the necessary measurements required to achieve the next step in the analysis process.

4. Look for actual data to support "pseudo measurements" - This step, which is the one that must cause the greatest amount of anxiety, is actually the easiest step. Step three (3) entailed defining the actual measurements to make. Step four (4), is a simple matter of generating the data reports to support defined objectives and theories. Once the relevant data has been retrieved, analyze whether or not the numbers prove or disprove your theories.

5. Develop recommendations - Once again, from a business perspective, data is only useful when it is applied. The last few steps to analyze data have been in pursuit of supporting objectives and proving and disproving theories. This step requires the definition of actionable steps that need to be taken to increase specific customer behaviors, or reverse negative trends in specific customer behaviors. In essence, this step is about making meaning out of the data. It is, perhaps, the most difficult step of all. Drawing from your own expertise in the medium, knowledge about the customer, competitor tactics, and proposed tactics, select a set of tactics that addresses the need to support unsupported objectives, and reverse negative trends in customer behaviors. List these tactics as recommendations based on the analysis.

User Interface Design - "Promotion" vs. "Access"

Content-rich user experiences are generally designed to serve two masters: 

> The user - who is coming to the experience with specific needs and expectations, with respect to the content.
 
> The editorial staff - who wants to direct the user to consume specific content assets based on an agenda.  

Although the aforementioned stakeholders have objectives that may seem to be at odds, the user interface must be able to strike the right balance between "access" (meeting the end-user's needs) and "promotion" (meeting the needs of the editorial staff).  The challenge is knowing which agenda to prioritize, and at what point in the user experience to satisfy it. In order to address this challenge, it is helpful to answer the following questions:
 
1. Is it likely that users will find the content they are seeking? No?? - If, after conducting research to assess user needs, it is discovered that the user experience will not contain the content that the end-user is seeking, consider designing a more "guided user experience." For instance, create lots of opportunities for the editorial staff (and the user's own social network) to make recommendations. Another opportunity is to use predictive search to promote assets which are available, as the user is typing a query. That way, the experience can more effectively drive the user to a content result. Nothing is more frustrating than "null results."

2. How relevant to the user, are promoted assets? - Conduct analytic measurement to assess the effectiveness of promotional tactics. No one engaging with that giant "A-spot" on key landing pages? Chances are, the content that is being presented provides little relevance to end-users. If this is the case, you may not know your end-users as well as you thought you did. Conduct research to better understand their needs and expectations from the experience.

3. At what point in the user experience, are promoted assets relevant to the user? - Go through the exercise of developing a mental model for each key page of the user experience. Develop empathy for the end-user, by asking, "what type of content/service would a user be looking for at this exact moment?" Model the asset promotion/content strategy based on this dynamic mental model.

4. How relevant to the brand, are promotional tactics? - Much of what is considered relevant to users, in terms of content and content promotion, is relevant because of the way they expect to engage with your brand. While it is vital to conduct user investigation to determine content relevance, it is also vital to understand how promotional tactics and content aligns with your brand. Does the promotional tactic make sense for you brand? Time for introspection.

5. How often will the editorial staff refresh content recommendations? - Be careful when developing a system that automatically recommends content based on an algorithm. Chances are, if you aren't paying attention, content isn't being refreshed thoughtfully or regularly. Being promotional, these days, requires a full-time, dedicated staff to constantly make the experience fresh and new to end-users.

The ultimate goal for any content-rich user experience is to provide content that users want to consume. Once the right content is acquired, produced, or identified, the user experience should be optimized so that it is easy for users to find the content they are seeking. You may find, once you've acquired valuable content to end-users and improved access to it, that you need less promotional opportunities, as a result.

8 Essential Interaction Design Skills

Interaction Designers are Creative team members who conceive user interfaces which accommodate information-seeking agendas and important user tasks, based on an understanding of client business objectives and end-user needs. In order to be successful, regardless of the tool that is used to create the interaction design document (e.g. - Axure, Visio, Illustrator, InDesign, or Keynote), the Interaction Designer should aim to hone the following, essential skills: 

1. End-User Empathy - Often, wireframe decks are developed in absence of any real primary research with end-users. The process may end up successful, depending on the state of the previous interaction design model, however, the work is infinitely better with the right amount of empathy, gained as a result of end-user exposure. Interaction Designers need to accompany user researchers on studies, or learn to design and moderate their own research. 

2. Understanding of Business Objectives - Each screen and interface element should be planned to satisfy business objectives. Interaction Designers need to be included on the business requirements team during the project "Discovery," when requirements are gathered. It is entirely acceptable for the Interaction Designer to help drive these discussions using interaction design documentation, or "wireframes," as a "means of elaboration." 

3. Design Sensibility - Conventional and contemporary Design sensibilities are important for the Interaction Designer to have, in order to conceive credible and engaging interfaces for the end-user. Drawing upon this ability, the Interaction Designer will be able to recognize and develop smart page layouts, balanced visual elements, as well as proper emphasis of page elements. Generally, this skill is learned through experience and exposure to good Design.

4. Design Consistency - When developing concepts for the user interface of a web site or application, it is easy to acquire a fair amount of page and design inconsistencies on wireframe pages. Why? Interaction Design undergoes constant reinvention and revision, as a result of team and client reviews. Make sure that repeated design elements appear on masters or templates (most prototyping tools utilize the concept of layers, masters, or templates), and are "applied to pages." That way, any revisions that are needed for screen elements found on multiple pages, need only be changed once in the page master or template. 

5. Design Clarity - A clearly prioritized page will comfortably draw the eye to elements that are the most important on each page or screen. This clarity of intention, is the very definition of successful Design communication. Do constant battle with the urge to clutter up screens with interface elements that are randomly applied. Take 5 minutes for each screen, stand a couple of feet away from your computer screen, and ask yourself, "what is this screen trying to communicate?" If you can answer that question from a distance, than you are on the road to successful design. 

6. Wireframe Efficiency - Wireframe efficiency is the ability to limit the amount of wireframe element duplication in the document. This is a skill that is related to document management, and not a "Design skill," per se, however, once this principle is applied, documentation will be aesthetically improved. It is often the case, that elements which are repeated on multiple wireframes, get copied and pasted to each page in the wireframe document. There are many issues that can result from this approach to element duplication, from a documentation perspective. For instance, Visio still does not have the ability to "paste in place," meaning that each "copy and paste" maneuver may not end up on the exact position from wireframe to wireframe. The result will be a wireframe deck where elements appear to "jump and shift position," from page to page (ugly). Another issue, is that repeated elements in wireframe decks cause the file size to increase dramatically. Avoid these issues by creating masters and templates that represent design patterns that appear on multiple screens. Apply masters to wireframes utilizing these elements, so that repeated elements appear in a fixed position, all of the time. 

7. Good Writing Skills - Wireframe annotation can be a painful, tedious process, but it is "oh so important" for client and developer understanding of UI interaction. I generally prefer to hold off on annotating the wireframes until there is client acceptance of the design patterns and basic UI elements on key wireframes. You don't want to get stuck in revision cycles that include revisions to the wireframe designs as well as revisions to the annotations. Great annotation is detailed, precise, and clearly references each individual screen and UI element on each wireframe. Remember, wireframes are, essentially, instruction manuals for clients, designers, and developers. Good instructional aids use pictures and words to educate the reader. 

8. Competitor Intelligence - Trends in design patterns and user interface conventions are constantly changing. This change is as a result of advances in internet technologies, as well as data analytic assessments, which result in constant UI optimization. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Interaction Designer to keep current on new trends in interaction, for digital user experiences that are in their client's competitive set. In addition, great Interaction Designers are individuals who actually go online frequently and engage in new experiences and social interaction.

Short Reaction to "The UX Design Education Scam"

In a recent post on Design View (http://www.andyrutledge.com/the-ux-design-education-scam.php), Andy Rutledge lambasts most "UX-focused," Design education programs...calling them "scams." Having graduated from such a program (NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program), albeit 10 years ago, I feel obligated to challenge some of the accusations made. Why? My education and degree have opened many doors and provided many career opportunities for me. At the start of my career, it gave employers confidence that I could learn about Technology and had a general familiarity with the medium. That credibility, alone, was worth the considerable price of admission. Employers took chances with me, and eventually, I honed my skills under the mentorship of various subject matter experts. That was 10 years ago, however, and much has changed. Now, digital agency employers (I'm one of them) aren't as quick to hire because we have higher expectations with respect to contemporary skill-sets. Of course, the industry has evolved. Andy's conclusion, I believe, is that "Web Design" programs' failure to adapt to the constantly evolving industry, will never prepare students for the issues, tools, and methods faced on a day-to-day basis in a contemporary digital agency. 

The following, are some of Andy's accusations:  

Web Designers, who are graduates of such programs, are taught to be "tool jockeys"- The legendary, well-respected founder of New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program, Red Burns,  proclaimed to my first-year class, "You won't learn how to use software. We will teach you how to learn." While that proclamation instantly resonated with everyone in my class, it did nothing to calm the anxiety I had about software (i.e. - my ability to learn how to use common tools). In fact, we were "taught how to learn," AND we learned how to use software. The value of learning software, even after the software becomes extinct, is that it increases the student's level of confidence with Technology, in general. The more the student feels comfortable using software to manipulate the medium (any relevant software), the more he/she will think of software as a mere platform and tool to shape ideas and concepts.  Confidence is important.

Most graduates of "UX Design Education Programs" are "unemployable"- In his experience as a hiring manager, Andy states that he has only come across one employable candidate, who was a recent graduate from a UX Design education program. It is unclear to me, what he means by this statistic. Is it one out of 200 recent graduates or one out of 200 total job candidates? I guess it doesn't matter. His point is that the percentage is low. From my perspective, as a hiring manager, a graduate from a relevant program needs on the job experience, but should "get up to speed" rather quickly. I expect that this type of candidate would have a solid foundation with relevant tools, but, more importantly, relevant methods and theory.

In my opinion, digital agencies need more formally trained employees (with a degree in UX). Why? Everyone thinks they understand "Interactive." However, the industry is filled with self-proclaimed "subject matter experts" who are hacking their way through it. They then teach erroneous methods to employees and give erroneous advice to clients. Essentially, the background education should give the employee a "historical frame of reference," while the "on the job" training should give the employee the contemporary skills and knowledge to be credible, and competent, in the field. 

Honing Conceptual Design Treatments

Designers are frequently called upon to mock up comps that emphasize a single concept, related to either a content or brand strategy. This request is made, generally, to support a business development effort or presentation. In this situation, the conceptual design should be "pared down," and not include too many ideas, tactics, and details. Razor sharp focus is most important, when the objective of Design is to illustrate a conceptual direction. Here's how it works: 

1. Emphasize a set of tactics that support a single concept - A conceptual brainstorm with the design team may result in a "shopping list" of potential tactics to support a single theme. Quantity of output is important, but only to provide enough valuable, tactical choices to choose from. Force the team to prioritize only 2-3 tactics to include in the design comp. Don't try to incorporate everything, or the design will quickly become a "patchwork quilt" of content modules. If this happens, the design will lose clarity. 

2. Exaggerate focus and prioritization on supporting design elements - Visual Designers often find it aesthetically offensive to mock-up large interface elements (text, buttons, tabs, widgets, etc.). However, in the case of visualizing a concept, it may be necessary to exaggerate the page elements that underscore the idea. The conceptual comp is a visual aid for a presentation. The strategic concept must be recognizable in 2-3 seconds. Don't make the client read paragraphs of text, or work too hard, to "get it." The point of the exercise to is to bring an idea forward, not to hide it in a forest.

3. Don't get caught up in the UX details (aka - "the weeds") - The Information Architects on the design team, myself included, will likely get caught up in tactical details related to "way-finding," "affordance," and "design consistency." These are all extremely important objectives for "market-ready design," but not for the purpose of painting broad strokes around a concept. The important details can be worked out later.

Measure the success of conceptual design with client feedback that indicates complete understanding of the concept and general acceptance of it. 

Convert Research Participants into Brand Evangelists

A defining moment in any user research study is when a participant reacts positively, and finds utility, in proposed client ideas. To an Information Architect, when that moment happens, it can be magic. Maybe the concept and execution of the idea really will resonate with "real world users." Suddenly, there is excitement surrounding the study.

Too often, however, the potential for that user's adoption and evangelism is left untapped, when the research study ends. Why? Many usability professionals create artificial barriers between their "research microcosm" and "the real world." For example, participants are usually recruited for research studies from a market research database or panel. The goal of a research study, including the study population, should be to get as close to "reality" as possible.  In the case of recruitment, this could mean soliciting "active information seekers," or actual users, for the study. In relation to the actual study methodology, it generally means performing ethnography "in context," versus research performed in a laboratory.

It seems bizarre to me, that a researcher wouldn't follow through when a participant says, "Wow. This idea is really cool. When will it become a reality?" These words, or ones like it, should set off an alarm in the researcher's head, that the participant is a potential end-user. Further, the participant has the potential to evangelize the client's idea to his/her social network. There is a huge potential to build a bridge between the world of research and reality, to have a meaningful impact on the adoption of a client's idea.

Try a different research incentive - Usability professionals generally pay honoraria in exchange for participation in a research study. There may be a way to capitalize on a participant's enthusiasm, however, via the study incentive. To help build awareness for a new client application, a researcher may consider using a special invitation, or sneak peak to a beta version of the client application, as a research study incentive. Make the participant feel like "one of the cool kids," by giving exclusive access to an early, working prototype.

Continue the dialogue after the study ends - Now that the participant has exclusive access, build an interface to continue soliciting input from the participant. Publish the reviews, ratings, and comments from the participant. Allow the participant to begin a public dialogue, using the client's application as the platform.

Integrate Social Media Early - Social media tactics are often thought of as "future phase functionality." It makes more sense to build the infrastructure for dialogue early, when ideas can begin to shape the application. When a business listens to “the voice of its customers,” and enhances an application based on actual recommendations from its customers, the brand is more likely to encourage loyalty and adoption from its customers.

Let's revisit our research participant. He/she has been given special access and privilege, empowered, and given a platform to be an influence of change for the application. Given the right social media hooks, it is possible to convert the participant into a brand evangelist to his/her own social graph. In this manner, the special access to the consumer that user research provides, gives the business the potential to build a community of early adopters and brand evangelists.

User Centered Design to Achieve 4 Common Business Objectives

Continuing the theme of “focusing on business objectives,” it is possible to architect a plan to improve a user experience by tailoring the design approach to the specific need of the objective. Fine-tuning an approach to this level of specificity can only be accomplished if both Information Architect and client have reached a common understanding of what it is the business is intending to achieve with the design. Further, there should be agreement as to how the design will be measured to gauge its success in achieving these business objectives. Making this happen may require the leeway to expand the scope of the engagement with the client after an initial “Discovery” phase has been completed. The Discovery phase should be used to gather, document, and confirm the business objectives from the client. The additional scope may be required to take the necessary steps to plan for success, after discovering the exact goals of the business.

The following are common business objectives for interactive design, and a User Centered Design (UCD) framework for achieving them:

Drive Engagement – Engaging a target audience is all about having the right content to entice them to interact, and providing them enough relevance and value to frequently return for more. In order to understand how to engage a target audience, conduct a preliminary behavioral research study to identify relevant content, digital tactics, the most adopted competitor experiences, as well as tools that may provide the greatest utility. In parallel, use a strategist or business analyst to perform a competitive analysis to identify gaps where competitors are missing opportunities to engage the target audience. Combine the ideas generated from both studies, and begin prioritizing these “features” on a product road map based on their potential to drive customer engagement, in addition to the level of effort to implement them.   

Improve Utilization (internal application) – Improving the utilization of an internal application requires an understanding of how the application would best accommodate essential tasks in a target employee’s daily workflow. An information Architect should focus on developing a research study with target employees, that attempts to identify common workflows associated with tasks that the application is intended to facilitate. Contextual Inquiry, research in the context of the work environment, works best here, as it allows the IA to see the important documents and information kept “on-hand” when key tasks are performed.  After defining key tasks in the workflow, redesign the application to facilitate access to functionality that appropriately accommodates these tasks.

Improve Usability – Improving the usability of a web site or application requires an identification of the likely points of user frustration with an existing design, taxonomy, information architecture, or interface elements. Begin by conducting a heuristic evaluation to identify usability issues that are “easy to spot.” By doing so, and correcting these right away, you’ll be saving the client money upfront, by not wasting funds on user research to identify issues that any trained Information Architect might have caught right away.  Investigate the “hidden” or unexpected usability issues by conducting a qualitative usability test on the new design, post implementation of the Information Architect’s initial recommendations.

Improve Conversion – Conversion is a key ecommerce metric that generally refers to the completion of a sale from a shopping cart, but this metric can also be applied to any desired action that the business wants a user to take from any key page in the user experience. What it requires, then, is the identification of the ideal “user path” and set of actions, in the context of a page-to-page flow. Using the site or application map as a guide, ask the client to identify what conversion means at each key page in the hierarchy. “What actions should the user take on this page?” “What page should the user visit next?” Etc.

The best way to optimize the design of key pages to improve conversion is to perform “A/B” tests on different design concepts. Using wireframes, provide two distinct interaction design models. Next, work with visual design to maintain the distinctness of the concepts when producing two different visual design comps based on the wireframes. Finally, work with developers to build two versions of each key page and decide, with the client, which users will see which version of each key page. Even better, prior to development, perform a qualitative usability test on each page concept to fine-tune the design of each approach, as well as predict the effectiveness of each design concept. When deploying two versions of each page, make sure that each individual user will only see one version, so that you can compare the effectiveness of one approach vs. the other. Remember that the effectiveness of each approach is based on its ability to increase conversion. In other words, how effective is the approach in achieving the specific objectives that the Information Architect and the client identified.