Outsmart the Ordinary in UX & Service Design

In the second part of our blog series on user testing, we write about all things usability testing! Usability tests provide us with insight into how users interact with a product or service before it’s launched into the real world. Usability tests allow us to improve and make critical changes to enhance user experience, ultimately making for a more successful launch! Not testing with users means missing out on the chance to better serve your users and customers. This post will cover things to consider when conducting usability testing, moderated vs. unmoderated participant interaction, remote testing and our favourite tools, consent and test protocol, and analyzing data and reporting on usability test findings.

In part one of our series on user testing, we’re covering the basics. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what your user needs, how they behave, and exactly how they’re going to navigate your product? Luckily, these insights are discoverable through a few of our favourite human-centered design techniques: prototypes and user tests. From low to high-fidelity prototypes, common testing biases, and prototyping tools, this post will lay the foundations of user testing and prototyping!

In this blog post, we’re letting you in on the five most common hiring challenges in UX and service design, plus tactical strategies to avoid them! We cover the UX job market, online course credibility, and our top strategies for finding the UX candidates you need.

Are you investing in building your in-house UX design and research team? If so, you might be struggling to find the right people for the job, or maybe your current team isn’t getting the job done. If this sounds like you, you might be running into some of the most common pitfalls we see when non-UX experts try to recruit and hire into UX. This blog post will help you get started with your UX hiring process and help you avoid obstacles on the way!

Have you ever wondered whether to start with mobile-first or desktop-first design? More applications start with a mobile-first approach to design because everyone has a smartphone! However, there are certainly times where going mobile-first isn’t the right move. This blog will break down the differences between mobile and desktop design and help you understand when to start with which!

There is a ton of planning that goes into conducting user research to understand the needs, challenges, and motivations, of your user or customer. If you are just starting out on the journey of UX research, feeling a little overwhelmed by the process, and wondering how to set up and plan a research project, this blog post is for you!

We are often asked what the differences are between service design, UX, human-centered design, design thinking, design research, and the list goes on… It can be complicated and confusing, so we decided to create an all-encompassing guide with definitions for you (and us)!

Have you experienced challenges in getting your ideas heard by executives, stakeholders, or across departments? We know it can be hard to persist, but the reward is worth the struggle! Learn how to overcome these challenges and champion design within your organization.

Do you ever wonder about the differences between UX and UI Design? Both are necessary for creating a stellar product, but UX design is important. Just because a design looks great (UI) doesn’t mean it will work well (UX)!

Are you struggling to get the most out of your user and customer research? We explore types of user research, best practices for testing, and the most common pitfalls associated with conducting UX research.

We explore how tech-led companies can overcome new challenges and common growing pains in product and feature development by adopting and championing UX best practices among their teams.

To what extent has your business or organization adopted UX research and design? Using a UX Maturity Scale, we help you identify where your organization’s user experience currently stands, and what steps to take in order to level-up.