User labs
Methods used to create greater insight and drive effective brand and user experience
Developing new insights through lab equipment made pitch and client work smoother
I helped set up a technology called Imotions, running user insight days and preparing research to help justify and evaluate pitch content. When it comes to pitch and evolving design solutions you need evidence for change. Why have you done that? What does that solve? How do you know that is going to work? The lab helped make this conversation simpler.
Imotions
Imotions uses a variety of input triggers to provide rounded feedback.
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Facial recognition - A camera matches facial movements to traditionally understood emotional responses
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A finger wrap measures minute heat and sweat changes
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Eye tracking looks for rapid movement and signs of delay and frustration
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and finally audio and video from sessions is analysed to get direct feedback
This combination of just 5 or 6 people can give you a fairly powerful argument for change.
Optimising Mind.org.uk
When working out how we could improve mind.org.uk with a degree of personalisation I conducted a series of lab based research scenarios. Writing out a persona and goals for users to follow and deliver human insight. Each goal was recorded, reviewed and evaluated. I then revised the journey with new designs to show how personalisation and great UX could make a real difference.
Mind.org journey
From tracking data, design experience and human insight labs, it's really simple to produce convincing new journeys the client can believe in.
Showing the before and after journeys side by side really brings home the simple communication differences.
Stella McCartney
Using the same system I pitched new content for Stella McCartney. I wanted them to project their USPs in a more convincing and engaging manner. The on site content wasn't selling the great sustainable work they do and this was undermining potential SEO ranking and UX conversion. After asking people under lab conditions to review the on site material I used the research as a basis of change.
Marshalls labs and quick wins
We wanted to show how quickly we can implement labs to optimise sites quickly. I gave 6 people goals to order a certain type of product and quickly listed out the issues they incurred.
This insight combined with UX best practice allowed us to list out micro page changes that would make for a better online experience. It was a simple 3 part project.
1. Run a study in labs on user goals
2. Create a list of change from those goals
3. Make a recommendations list to present back to the cleint
This human insight combined with tracking and onsite learnings, can make a measurable difference, fast and something I like to implement as much as possible.
