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Research services - Snapshots

Idean believes that the purpose of user research is to inform & inspire making strategic decisions and supporting everyday life in the hectic design process. Our research personnel is focused to immerse themselves into the users’ everyday life. The benefit of the research is clear when the researcher communicates the insight efficiently to the designer’s drawing board. The continuous dialogue between the researcher and the designer ensures that the results meets and exceeds the users’ needs.

We use the methodology best suitable for the current research challenge. Our core competencies are on the qualitative research methods from contextual inquiry, field observations to the ethnographic dives in to everyday context.

Examples of user research deliverables:

• Prioritized user needs
• Design driver recommendations
• Analysis of the barriers of usage
• User personas
• Real life stories

Deliverables are provided with insightful reports by full analysis, user comments elaborating the message and video highlights.

Examples of research service packages

Co-creation

Idean has developed co-creation methodologies that are suitable both for lead users and majority of users. Users can be included in the design process both in concept design phase and in user interface design phase. Our innovative co-creation methodologies trigger creativity both in users and in designers/developers that work together or separately in our co-creation workshops.

We combine drama (sometimes with professional actors), role-playing, drawing, collage creation, brainstorming and group discussions to co-create next big things. Our experience in working together with users enables us to choose the right methodologies in each client case. We can transfer the co-creation session results into design drivers in cases where the participants cannot verbalize explicitly their needs and desires.

Concept validation

Concept validation determines whether it is feasible to invest in a concept by verifying it with the target end users. The concept can be either a user interface, a product or a service under development. Both quantitative (for example web surveys) and qualitative (experience prototyping, field trials of prototypes, interviews, focus groups with storyboards and mock-ups, Moving with Magic Thing, ActShop, PlayShop) methods can be used to evaluate the consumer response to a product idea prior to the introduction of a product to the market.

Usability testing

Idean is experienced in creating rapid prototypes suitable for usability testing. In usability testing, the test user is asked to conduct certain tasks with the user interface under design. Our User Experience specialists identify usability problems, prioritize the problems, and provide solution suggestions on the basis of usability knowledge and user data gathered during the usability tests.

Usability testing can be combined with satisfaction questionnaire. Sometimes also storyboards are shown for the user for feedback on the actual concept behind the user interface. Usability testing can be done with individual users, user pairs, or in conjunction with larger focus groups as an individual task or pair work.

Expert evaluation

An expert evaluation is an expert’s walkthrough of an application or a service. In the evaluation, the user experience expert pays attention to the potential usability problems or challenges of the product. Usually, the evaluation is supplemented by other usability evaluation methods, such as a usability test. The expert evaluation is based both on usability heuristics, user tasks, and an expert’s knowledge about human perceptional and cognitive processes and experience about problems users typically face in usability tests.

Training

Idean provides training on topics that our user experience specialists and designers face in their own work. For example, we have training packages on user research and testing methodologies, product and service concept design and user interface design. We provide also tailored training for our clients based on expert evaluations: our customer is asked to send their own designs for evaluation. After the evaluation, the design is discussed in detail in training sessions focusing on user experience and design principles.

Out-of-The-Box testing

Evaluating the out-of-box-readiness (OBR) of a device (how end-users interact with the product when they are taking it into use). Testing can be conducted for hardware only, or additionally to software and to the accessory usage.

Hardware OBR tests are typically done with prototypes.
OBR testing is done with users, who perform standardized tasks and their actions and comments are recorded. The example tasks for hardware OBR include opening the package and initial assembly, turning the device on and using the provided accessories.

For software OBR testing, the maturity of the hardware should be at least on prototype level. The software should be on the level that the main tasks can be completed. Software OBR testing is done with users, who perform standardized tasks while their actions and comments are recorded. The tasks for software testing consist of common tasks for all devices and category specific (for example business devices, imaging devices and media/music devices) tasks.

Hardware OBR testing can be combined with software OBR testing, but it is recommended that in that case the number of software OBR tasks is limited.

Text Entry Testing for mobile

Alpha-numeric keypad has increasing importance in mobile devices. Using mobile e-mail or sending SMS communications may be difficult if it is problematic to use the keypad. Alpha-numeric keypad is tested with the user typing text with the keypad in a controlled way.

A reference device in addition to the primary test device is typically used for benchmarking purposes.The user is shown a set of different kind of sentences (including numbers and special characters) with the help of measurement program either on a laptop display or on the display of the tested device. Among others the following topics will be covered in the report:

1. Time needed to complete the sentences
2. Typing errors
3. Best aspects of the first/second keyboard
4. Improvements to the first/second keyboard
5. Main reasons for user’s preference in comparison
6. How do these devices compare with user’s previous experience with text entry devices?

Ergonomic Testing

Physical ergonomics is tested with users representing the device’s target group. A short expert evaluation is completed prior to user tests to define the research questions in more detail. Typically there is one or more points of interest in the device which are the main research questions; for example, how users hold the device during the main tasks. Additionally, the more general physical ergonomic aspects are studied. Standard scenarios include holding and using the device in several intended usage situations also when the user is moving. For a mobile phone, test situations could be for example receiving a call while walking, writing a message, using the calendar while the device is being charged and putting the device in pocket/bag.

User Experience consultation

Sometimes with tight schedules or/and limited resources, the only way to include user perspective into product or service development is to have a user experience specialist as part of the development team. Our User Experience consultants have experience in working ad hoc in rapid development projects (e.g. Agile sprints) by making rapid expert evaluations, drawing quick UI wireframes, conducting rapid usability tests and just by bringing their own expertise and experience on humans into use.