Usability Testing Audits User-Centred Design Requirements Definition Process Consultancy TrainingEyetracking Services International Usability

This is a formal documentation of the requirements of your target audience. It is about establishing what users want from a concept and its actualisation, and will ensure that your design is not based on assumptions . You don't need a prototype: we can begin by learning from what users are already doing.

Any conflicts between these user requirements and the needs and resources of your organisation can be resolved, as can any conflicts between the requirements of different users-groups.

Process

There are a number of complementary strands of research. We will advise you on how to select and configure these, on the basis of the project in hand. We might recommend:

• Ethnography: analysts spend significant time with members of your target market, uncovering opportunities that were not apparent previously.
• Concept storyboarding: stimulus material is used to represent different aspects of your product to potential users, and their reponse is gauged. Stimulus material has ranged from simple mock-ups (wireframes) of web pages, to professionally made short films.
• Questionnaires: online questionnaires are used to steer content decisions.
• Surveys: a number of your target audience are telephoned and interviewed (in which case it is practical to speak to more people than is the case with face-to-face testing).
• Competitor analysis: the best and worst products in your field are understood better by exposing them to genuine users in real-life contexts.

Deliverables

The primary deliverable is the Requirements Document. This is not tied to any specific technologies; it is a statement of user needs. The document will include sections such as:

• Target audience segmentation.
• Existing solutions and best-practice.
• Labelling and metaphors in common use.
• Content requirements: either as specifics, or general categories. If content is to be acquired externally, a list of ideal partners needs to be investigated.
• Guidance on the technical execution of the product.

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