Blog

In collaboration with Mindy Eng.

       Design thinking is not a new topic here on our blog. However, many are still under the impression that design thinking is a method that can only be applied to designers or those working in product development. When in actuality, design thinking is a methodology that can be applied to basically any role or industry, but especially leadership roles. Design thinking is not just a method that can be applied to better understanding and addressing customer problems but is also an extremely valuable leadership philosophy that can help improve companies in industries everywhere.

In collaboration with Annabell Ho.

     Surveys are often regarded as being easy ways of collecting large amounts of data. You put together your questions, design your survey and boom- it can be distributed and accessed online by hundreds upon thousands of participants. While it seems easy enough, there is actually a great deal of design thinking that goes into the creation of a well-designed and efficient survey. In order to make sure that once your survey goes live you generate the best possible results, there requires a hefty amount of thought, design and care that goes into the construction of a survey. A bad survey design can lead to bad data through causing participants to be unsure of how to answer questions, or not providing enough options to accurately capture the participants true experience.

       In collaboration with Jasmin Joseph.

       The goal of a user research study is to better understand users behaviors, desires, needs, frustrations and attitudes through using varying feedback and observation based research methods. Therefore, it is critical that we as researchers are able to understand and capture the user experience to the best of our ability. This relies in the researchers ability to listen, as well as the participants ability to articulate themselves. Sometimes, participants may find it difficult to think of things in the moment, or know what to tell researchers. In these instances, it could be helpful for researchers to add an extra step of “pre-work” for the participants to help ensure that the research study is able to illustrate their experience in the most accurate way possible.  

In collaboration with Jasmin Joseph.

         Recruitment, whether it be internal or external, is a necessary part of the research process. Part of being able to carry out an effective UX research study is being able to recruit participants who are right for the study, as well as making sure to recruit enough of them. There are several articles (including our own) that provide various different tips and tricks in order to try to help the recruitment process run more smoothly and efficiently. But what about what not to do when trying to recruit participants?

In collaboration with Nhan Vu.

        Mental health has become a topic of increased attention within recent years, with more and more emphasis being placed on practicing self-care and raising awareness for mental health issues. However, an overwhelming number of people still lack access to mental health care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 89.3 million people in the U.S. lack access to mental health care. This article seeks to explore the potential application of various forms of UX research methods as a way of tracking one’s mental health- both through the implementation of these methods in one's own individual life as well as through the creation and design of mental health based applications. UX research methods employ a wide variety of tactics from using mood tracking to diary studies to ethnography. These methods can be applied as a way to track mental health and potentially expand the accessibility of related mental health services.

       Summer is right around the corner, and in order to help you prepare we have compiled a summer reading list. Summer reading lists are becoming a lost art, however, as the technology world continues to develop, the list of books covering topics from user experience to design to research methods keeps growing. Oftentimes we rely on things like social media, or online articles as ways to stay up to date on the things that are going on around us. However, reading books is one great way to stay up to date on trends, topics, ideas, methods and more.

           As we get further and further into the 2019 year, we are seeing more user interface design trends begin to solidify within the world of UX. One of those user interface trends that we see solidifying is the application of motion based-design. Motion-based design is the process of applying graphic design principles to a typical digital interface. Motion-based design elements can be manifested in various ways- from the use of films or videos to animations, animated texts, or the use of 3D depth. Motion-based design is an important and innovative addition to a typical user interface which can help to improve the overall user experience, all while making the UI engaging and dynamic.

          Last week, we discussed the importance of applying UX research and principles to the design process of RPA’s. To quickly recap, RPA’s are the use of “software robot”, or other specialized computer programs that can carry out various different kinds of repeatable processes that previously required humans to do. Many believe that the implementation of software robotics will do away with the need to include UX research or processes. However, as discussed last week, applying UX research and design processes are more critical than ever in order to prevent a world takeover at the hands of the robots. But what exactly does this application look like?

       More and more the world of banking and investing is moving into the online and technological world. Terms like “cryptocurrency” and “bitcoin” have steadily been gaining popularity as user’s are finding ways to handle their finances in a way that matches today’s fast-paced, digital world.  In relation to online financial going ons, another term that is gaining a lot of recent attention is “blockchain”. Blockchain is not a new term, but it is generating increasing buzz since they will have a massive impact on the future of online banking, investing, digital identity, and more. 

     One of the big buzzwords circling UX and tech circles lately is “robotics process automation” or RPA for short. Robotic process automation is a big fancy way of talking about the process of using “software robots” or other specialized computer programs as a way to have repeatable business processes become automated, standardized, and ultimately, something that no longer has to take up actual human bandwidth. If you are reading this and thinking to yourself that this sounds like the beginning stages of allowing the robots to take over, have no fear. This is where user experience research and design comes in to save the day.