Is your user research looking inwards, at how your service works, or outwards, at the lives of those it affects? The right research in the right direction at the right time can truly add value – but there’s usually noContinue reading… Inwards and outwards research: choosing your research methods according to the service lifecycle
Category: User research
Listen First Ask Second
For World Usability Day, November 14 2019, I’m excited to announce the first in a series of Effortmark stickers and posters. ‘Listen First, Ask Second’ is the result of a collaboration with award-winning illustrator Julia Allum. Good design starts withContinue reading… Listen First Ask Second
Readability Formulas: seven reasons to avoid them and what to do instead
I had the honour of working with Ginny Redish on this article on readability formulas. Ginny is a leading authority on writing, accessibility, and content design and usability. I’ve lost count of the number of copies of her excellent book,Continue reading… Readability Formulas: seven reasons to avoid them and what to do instead
How to avoid research debt: a workshop on ResearchOps at SDinGOV 2019
What happens after you’ve done some user research for your service? Decisions made, do you move on and forget it? Or do you preserve that research for re-use and future team members? I was discussing this challenge with Stephanie Rosenbaum.Continue reading… How to avoid research debt: a workshop on ResearchOps at SDinGOV 2019
Six things I learned in six months as a user researcher – Zoe McClatchey
Zoe McClatchey is a designer with NHS Digital. We have worked together during her current placement. I was impressed by her user research skills, so I was delighted when she agreed to let me republish her reflections on her userContinue reading… Six things I learned in six months as a user researcher – Zoe McClatchey
Doing research with people who are not users: consultation
This post is co-authored by Naintara (Tara) Land, formerly Head of User Research for the UK Government Digital Service (the people behind GOV.UK). User research is central to our work in User Experience: doing research to find out about ourContinue reading… Doing research with people who are not users: consultation
Seven questions about user-research panels
If you’ve ever struggled to find user-research participants, you may have wished you had a list of people who have expressed an interest in taking part in future user-research activities. A user-research panel is exactly that: a list or database of potentialContinue reading… Seven questions about user-research panels
Forms, surveys and the need to be brave: UX Insider interview
I’ve always really enjoyed reading the ‘UX Insider’ interviews conducted by Damian Rees of experienceux. The one with Tara Land about her work at GDS is a particular favourite. So I felt very honoured when Damian contacted me to allow me toContinue reading… Forms, surveys and the need to be brave: UX Insider interview
UKGovcamp: Conversational UIs, Chatbots and Webchat
Who benefits when organisations use conversational UIs and other chat tools? Is it about saving money or delivering a better service? What ethical issues do they raise? Do you tell users they are talking with a bot? How do developers respondContinue reading… UKGovcamp: Conversational UIs, Chatbots and Webchat
Interfaces include people
Interfaces have always been areas of peril in software development. In this presentation to the Continuous Lifecycle London conference, I argue that If you’re delivering software that has to be used by real people, you need to distinguish between software thatContinue reading… Interfaces include people