This article highlights the important building blocks to constructing a “courageous and vibrant culture.” Corporate culture is something I take very seriously at User Insight; helping to shape it and making sure we as a company stay committed to cultivating the amazing spirit we’ve built over the last 10 years. With a strong culture, you have a solid foundation to do great work. Building a strong culture within a company can not only come from the top down, it has to live within the company. Our strategy team recently had a team offsite to generate ideas; if you could have stepped into the room for a moment, our culture would have knocked you over! We live it and breathe it: passionate for the work we do, empowered to do our best work, detailed in the way we look at end Users’ lives, and consistent in our delivery of high quality work.  I’m honored to work for such a great company with an amazing culture! http://www.fastcompany.com/1810674/culture-eats-strategy-for-lunch

Chat with Rachel @rachelmwalsh.

Allison’s Insight

I guess that I’ve been on a house kick lately! But, I do love the idea of turning the building paradigm upside down. The company FACIT uses CNC mills to custom build full-sized homes that are extremely energy efficient, one to two people can assemble, and are (from what I understand) affordable! Check it out – TreeHugger: FACIT Homes.

Darryl’s Insight

Rethinking the Oreo. Here we have a product which has been successful for 100 years being humbled by the consumer. Chinese consumers were not impressed with America’s favorite cookie. After doing some user experience (UX) research, a new Oreo was created which has penetrated deep into the Chinese market showing once again the power of the type of work that we do here at User Insight. Kraft Foods had to be humble to reconsider the Oreo. If the Oreo can be improved, then I wonder what else could be better? http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/01/27/145918343/rethinking-the-oreo-for-chinese-consumers – I recommend listening to the audio as it contains a little more content than the written article.

Darryl’s on Twitter @UX_Life.

Michael’s Insight

As a big fan of board games, this is really interesting to me. Moving physical board games into the world of electronic games almost seems inevitable. Yet, there’s still something about getting together in person and having that tactile element as well. It’s interesting to see what the future will bring, especially the idea of combining physical and electronic elements.  http://www.fastcompany.com/1810959/board-games-risk-factions-ticket-to-ride-reiner-knizia

Beth’s Insights

Check out http://iampacked.com. Epic. As UXers, we are constantly looking for better ways to visualize Users, their behaviors, and their motivations. But sometimes, I think to myself, “if I hear the word ‘infographic’ one more time, i’m going to scream!” (slight exaggeration).

It’s true though, we are always working towards a more accurate representation of the world around us. What has always been good to us is the ability to tell a story that can engage, entertain and enlighten our clients.

I love this site because I am a packing freak (I checked a bag once for User Insight travel and have since always gone with a carry on) and because I love to see how others around the world are similar, different, or more efficient than I am in packing.  Traveling light has changed the way I buy shoes (buy a pair that can be dressed up or dressed down–loafers are great!) and interact with technology (if i have my iPhone, do I really need my mac?) This is site is almost as awesome as http://scanwiches.com/. Scanwiches has a slight edge because everything looks tasty.

Also epic: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/01/27/145986052/the-dolphinator And completely silly! Dolphin jet pack – get on it!

Talk to Beth @bethyeckley.

This article includes some interesting thoughts from IDEO on the future of retail stores. Things like this will help to keep brick and mortar stores relevant as more and more of our purchases are made online. I also think it’s interesting how many of these things Apple stores have been doing for a while now. http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665882/ideo-offers-4-strategies-for-reinventing-the-retail-experience

This product combines three of my favorite things: clean, minimalist design, coffee, and awesome kitchen gadgets. And, you can control it with your iPhone / iPad to boot! I want one of these. In fact, I want one of these a lot. http://www.scanomat.com/coffee-brewers/topbrewer

From Mashable this week – it’s going to be very interesting to watch as more and more educational materials go online for free. How is this going to change how people think about higher education? http://mashable.com/2012/01/26/udemy-faculty-project/

Beth’s Insights

I love going halfsies. @lindsey_bean and I just went halfsies the other night at a restaurant downtown. I have to agree with this article that, realistically, restaurant portions are generally way oversized. It’s one of the reasons why I love tapas. But back to the article: I think it’s a great idea to donate these funds. It can be hard to remember that people in our country, quite possibly within walking distance of our communities and companies, are going without. I love the idea of halfsies, but I second the question of what to do with the leftover food. Harvesting and distributing leftover food from any restaurant or bakery is really a huge challenge. But, on the bright side, for everyone who decides to go halfises, it means that you have more room for dessert or post dinner coffee when you’re done! http://www.good.is/post/go-halfsies-fights-hunger-waste-and-crazy-restaurant-portions/

Talk to Beth @bethyeckley.

Darryl’s Insights

The OK / Cancel site (http://okcancel.com) hasn’t been updated for years, but the UX-related comics contained in there still ring funny today.

And, for more comic goodness, visit http://www.realLifeComics.com. I’ve been following this one off and on for about 11 years now. In fact, I just made it my homepage so I can see the daily updates. Enjoy!

Darryl’s on Twitter @UX_Life.

It’s that time again – TGIF! Ui strategists have picked their favorite weird, wild and wonderful pieces of content from the Web. Happy Reading! And, don’t forget to leave your own thoughts!

Darryl’s Insight

I recently invested in a new TV. As a Passionate Penny and a gamer, it was time for me to upgrade to an HDTV. As I dug into my research process, I learned tons about modern televisions. LED, Plasma, LCD, 3D-TV, Smart TVs, whiter whites, deeper blacks – we’ve come a long way! This article suggests that even with all of these new features, it will be a while before some of these items become main stream, and further, manufacturers don’t know what consumers want next. “So judging from the variety of next-generation products being unveiled at this year’s show, TV manufacturers are still scrambling to find the next killer feature that will entice buyers to ditch their flat-panel plasmas for something better.” My inner Passionate Penny says additional DVR space built into the TV and better PIP support for HDMI inputs.

FYI: I bought a Smart TV with 3D and LED backlighting but I haven’t even connected it to the Internet, not to mention the fact that I haven’t used any of the social/streaming features yet. It did inspire me to take a look at the streaming options on my Playstation, though. http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/10/tech/gaming-gadgets/tv-trends-ces/index.html

You can find Darryl on Twitter @UX_Life.

Beth’s Insights

I think that this Fast Company article is so spot on. Sure, the economy has forced many people to dabble in various “careers” at once, or in succession. But I see this as a positive in the grand scheme of world experience. As designers and researchers, we thrive on telling a story about our users – how they interact with a product or why a marketing campaign resonates so deeply with them. Why, then, would we shy away from telling our own stories and allowing all of those collective experiences make us stronger in our current positions? Smart companies will hire people, not skill sets. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/162/average-time-spent-at-job-4-years

Coffee has, historically, had it rough! Thankfully, we seem to be more civil and quite modernized now. I wonder what kinds of things are being planned in coffee shops today? http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/01/10/144988133/drink-coffee-off-with-your-head

Beth’s @bethyeckley on Twitter.

Allison’s Insight

I love what I call “Minority Report” tech – near future technology that is beginning to come around into early experimental use today. However, this is one of those where I think a lot of people will be asking not only can we do this, but should we do this? With the current recommendation coming down from the NTSB banning not only texting but cell phone conversations while driving, it at least makes you look at the issue with a new perspective. How do these technologies aid or distract people when driving? At what point does one more blinking, moving light on the dash become a real hazard? It’s an interesting question!   http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/01/17/augmented_reality_windshields_from_ford_mercedes_and_others_on_display_at_ces_video_.html

Rachel’s Insight

Full disclosure: I love this article because I drive a mini cooper and I love it – I’m biased. I also love what Mini did with this crowd-sourced commercial. It was such a great way to interact with “brand fans” and allow people to get involved in a car commercial. There are some pretty great shots of the car in action, too!  http://www.simplyzesty.com/advertising-and-marketing/the-greatest-test-drive-ever-period-mini-cooper/

Chat with Rachel @rachelmwalsh.

A Project Guide to UX Design

I picked up this book soon after I was hired here at User Insight, per a colleague’s recommendation. I’d been hired here at Ui in a focused user experience strategist role but my background is in industrial design. So, I knew that I need a brush up on UX terminology and concepts. This book hit the mark! I highly recommend it for anyone making a transition or starting in a new UX role.

OVERVIEW

A Project Guide to UX Design (referred to hereafter as UX Design) is an excellent resource for the new UX professional. It contains a broad but succinct overview of the field’s scope and goals, as well as a clear walkthrough of the design process as it relates to User Experience. The materials presented in UX Design lay out the process in a way that is clear and useful for a single ‘UI guy’ working within a bigger organization that wants to expand his skill set or a multi-functional team at a full-service User Experience consultancy. Having come from an adjacent industry myself, I found it to be a solid resource to transition my mode of thought out of that industry (Industrial Design) and into the vocabulary, best practices, and nuances of User Experience.

DETAILS

The book is comprised of several key sections that outline the project lifecycle; while the book divides up the sections chronologically within a project, I found that the main subjects the book covered fell into the following categories:

Fundamentals
From the simple question of “What is UX?” to “A Brief Guide to Meetings” this book covers a wide breadth of topics that help round out the responsibilities that might be tackled by a UX designer – whether they are the single UX professional in the company or one member of a specialized team.

The Corporate Landscape
Whether the politics are internal or external this work inevitably involves people and how they think and interact. It’s important to learn how to navigate the client-side issues with professional aplomb so that the project can run as successfully and smoothly as possible. Topics that fall under this umbrella include information about basic project management, and investigating the business requirements of the client.

The Users
Much like the client side of the equation, Users require professional handling and consideration – whether they are 30-50 year old urban professionals or 37-year-old nuns who hike on the weekend. Since this is really the main focus of UX, there is a great deal of solid information presented about the background research and execution of UX design, from evaluating stakeholders and developing personas all the way to wireframing and search engine optimization. While this book is certainly not comprehensive on these subjects, it does provide solid overviews of the subjects and presents the information in a way that makes it easy to learn more.

The Meta (Book Design and Layout)
UX Design is easy to read, and contains a very cool feature in the sidebars: it contains several references for further information on the subject matter which are divided up into different categories based on the depth of the source. For instance, some of the sources are short articles that would only take 10 minutes to read, while other sources are lengthy books or in-depth studies around the subject matter. I like this feature, since it allows you to prioritize your exploration of the content. This book also contains some nice, clear charts and matrices that condense the subject matter into concise, memorable bites – there are a few I would like to print out and place permanently at my desk.

VERDICT

While experienced UX’ers would probably find the book elementary, the beginning UX professional or one who is moving into a different role than they had previously experienced can find this book to be very useful. It really does focus on the core aspects of what a UX professional might end up doing, and I’ve found myself going to it as a practical reference on more than one occasion when I’ve been tasked with new material. I think that it would be a good read for a young designer or refresher for a more established one, and as the book is relatively brief (288 pages) and easy to digest it can be completed on a lazy weekend or on a flight.

Michael’s Insights

An interesting list of things to be on the lookout for, technology-wise, in 2012. I find this article to be particularly interesting in that the UX Magazine staff lists both gestural interfaces and social TV as things that we’ll be seeing a lot more of during this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. http://uxmag.com/articles/trend-guide-for-2012-ces

Google’s integration of Google+ into their search results has a lot of people flustered, it seems. A lot of folks are claiming that it’s bordering on antitrust issues, but this author makes the case that it’s also having the side effect of making Google’s search results themselves seem less relevant.  What does everyone else think?  Is Google shooting themselves in the foot on this one? http://searchengineland.com/examples-google-search-plus-drive-facebook-twitter-crazy-107554

Here’s a fun one! It seems that parts of Europe (maybe just the EU?) require that pig farmers supply their pigs with entertainment. So, some researchers are working on a tablet game along with a giant screen to allow people and pigs to play games collaboratively. Swine-tastic! http://www.playingwithpigs.nl/

Talk to Pate via the comments section.

Beth’s Insights

It’s kind of funny, this piggy back’s on Allison’s pick this week. Five people will live in an Ikea apartment in the middle of a Parisian metro station for six days – it’s like “The Real World” on steroids. Kudos to Ikea for wanting to really showcase the true functionality of their products. After it’s disassembled, it would be cool to rebuild in different cities.  http://www.muuuz.com/2012/01/09/un-appartement-dans-le-metro-l%E2%80%99appart-ikea/

The Roku started as a game console-sized box for streaming content to your TV and now they’ve managed to package it into a USB stick. Couple that with the Roku remote app on your phone and it may very well be the smallest and most efficient way to stream content to your TV. Read the article, there is one sad note about it… http://gizmodo.com/5872912/roku-is-now-a-stick

Give Beth a shout here or via Twitter, @bethyeckley.

Rachel’s Insights

This is an interesting article about future integration; as products become “smarter,” user experience during these interactions is critical to adoption. Just one bad experience in the car or at point of sale can drive Users back into their familiar routines. http://www.fastcompany.com/1806949/npr-in-your-ford-facebook-in-your-mercedes-kinect-coming-to-windows-on-feb-1-visa-approves-s

Personas or User Profiles are a great tool in a market leader’s toolbox. Regarding point 1 in Fast Company’s article: “Embrace–no, love–today’s new buyer,” marketers might think, that’s great but how do I understand today’s new buyer? The answer, Personas (true personas based on contextual interviews). Today’s customers are savvy and have research literally at their fingertips. Gone are the days of telling customers what you think they need. Now, marketers need to understand their customers’ behaviors and motivations and find meaningful ways to demonstrate that knowledge and engage their audience. http://www.fastcompany.com/1807078/4-ways-marketers-can-drive-revenue-and-prove-it

In lab, we often hear Users say, “I’ll buy whatever’s cheapest.” There’s a quote in this article that struck me: Customers, lacking meaningful choice, buy on price alone. Given that fact, we should encourage our clients to compete to be unique. Otherwise, once in a bidding war, companies loose control and the bargain hunting consumer just buys what’s cheapest. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/stop_competing_to_be_the_best.html

Not sure about you guys, but when I see QR codes on stuff I often think that it’s pointless, even a little lame. But, I thought that this was a pretty good use of QR codes. http://www.simplyzesty.com/advertising-and-marketing/heineken-turn-people-in-to-qr-codes-with-brilliant-marketing-campaign/

You can find Rachel @rachelmwalsh.

Allison’s Insights

The Small House Movement is a really different look at one of the cornerstones of life – how and where you live. Instead of starting with the standard questions of “how many bedrooms” and “how many baths,” small home owners seriously step back and reevaluate the fundamentals of their lives – what is really necessary for my comfort? How can I maximize the usefulness of my space? Do I even need a permanent ’my space’? There are a wide variety of creative answers to this question, and often the solution is just as unique as the house’s owner. The designers can be famous architects or single mothers, and the homes themselves are made of everything from sustainably harvested cedar to reclaimed shipping containers. These tiny houses are certainly not for everyone, but what’s really interesting to me is how these folks reconsider the basics and create (often with their own hands) a living, breathing home with a different point of view. http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/epu/

Chat with Allison here on the blog.

Lindsey’s Insights

My pick for the week a video….so sue me! We all have a complicated relationship with PowerPoint, especially us creatives who will never understand the preloaded faux-marble templates, why one would ever want text to “spiral in” to the frame, or how the program manages to render even the most aesthetic composition an utter eyesore. Alas, PowerPoint has turned into a necessary evil of our time, a decent concept gone horribly awry.

In his TEDxBrussels talk, scientist John Bohannon, along Minneapolis-based dance company Black Label Movement, would like to offer up a suggestion: why not use dancers?

As his point of departure, Bohannon presents a scenario in which one of his friends and contemporaries is trying, unsuccessfully, to explain to him the results of an experiment. “I have a PhD in Molecular Biology,” says Bohannon, “I still barely understand what most scientists are talking about.” Clearly, this isn’t because Bohannon is unable to grasp complex scientific concepts.

The second half of the talk is a very interesting discussion on the intersection of dance and science, and Bohannon’s personal plea to preserve the arts, which I support. What resonated with me most, though, was this statement: ”The experiment is not the end of the story, because you still have to transmit that knowledge to other people.” Hours, weeks, years of research is rendered meaningless if we are unable to effectively communicate the results of this research and, perhaps more importantly, why it is relevant. Think about not only what you want to say, but how you want it to be interpreted. Be thoughtful not only in your language, but also in your medium…it is the message, after all.

Lindsey’s on Twitter @lindsey_bean.

I’ve done dozens of in-lab studies this year: mobile apps, mobile sites, forms and data entry, tablet apps, self-service online, and the list goes on. Every time I step into lab, I am architecting an experience for the User, everything from a 5 minute warm-up to make them feel a little more comfortable, to all of the pre-lab work we do to try and ensure that the prototypes are optimal and that the scenarios are believable. After all, what good is it for a User to give you feedback on a product that he or she would never use?

My last in-lab study of 2011 was unlike any other study I have done this year. It was standard in the sense that we were conducting user assessments on the Web and they revolved around navigation and uncovering Users’ true research and shopping habits. However, rather than tell the User to pretend “shop” for something that they may never buy for themselves or wouldn’t prioritize, we actually let them shop with a real budget.

The client for this project not only funded the incentives for the Users, as is standard practice, but they also allotted each User a budget of $80.00 to purchase an item on their site.

Here’s why this is such a big deal:

Users were genuinely excited about the experience.

I have had great Users who are amicable, accommodating, and will persevere through tasks as long as I ask them to. But, I have never had a User get excited about sitting with me for an hour. Users showed visible joy and interest in the task when given the opportunity to make a decision of value; whether they had planned to shop for shoes or not, whether they needed them or not.

Users exhibited their natural navigation and search behaviors.

It can be scary leaving the room and letting the User freely explore a site or a prototype for 10 to 15 minutes. But in this case, it was necessary. I always ask the Users questions hypothetically to better understand whether or not they would really do something if they were at home in their sweat pants, on their couch, looking at whatever the site or application is. I saw a User actually take an item description and open up a search browser to look for external reviews before he purchased the item. This does not happen in a pretend environment.

Users didn’t settle.

They didn’t just pick an item to appease me – instead, they cared about color, style and brand.  They pursed their lips, raised their eyebrows, did the thinking man pose, and wondered aloud how the shoes might fit their needs, or go with their favorite outfit. They actually read the reviews with purpose. Users revealed what work arounds they’ve adopted for similar shopping sites, clearly outlined their mental model of the experience, and paid attention to their interactions. They even paid attention to small things like giving their shipping information a second look to make sure that the address was right. After all, they were really going to get these shoes in the mail within 5 to 8 business days!

I realize that it costs $400 for one lab day to give 5 Users this experience. But let me ask you this: if you saw a dollar on the sidewalk, would you pick it up? If someone gave you a $15 gift card to Starbucks, would you throw it away? Incentives, large or small, matter. I would argue that depending on what products are offered through apps or sites, that the shopping incentive could be as little as $10 and it would prompt a more natural and valuable shopping experience than having the User fake the scenario for you.

What do you think? Have you used real incentives for User testing and how did this impact things?

We here at User Insight offer our very best wishes to you and your family for happiness and good health this holiday season and throughout the coming New Year! As we move into our 10th year, I’d like to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation to all of our customers and colleagues for building User Insight into the high quality, strategic research firm that it is today.

Over this past year, we gained new insights into the area of social media and its convergence with television. We’ve enjoyed sharing the experience of this research with you through our blog and the Social TV Event.

Be on the lookout for more from us as we expand into new areas next year; we’re broadening our horizons and expanding familiar ones.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy all that the Holiday Season has to offer and, as always, we look forward to working with you in the coming year. Let’s make 2012 the best yet!

Happy Holidays and safe travels during the season,
Eric