User-centred design puts the user at the heart of the design process so that the resulting product is easy to use. 'Personas' are a way of bringing the user alive - constantly reminding the development team who they are designing for. Personas, for developing web sites, have been around for a while and over the years we have seen both good and bad practice in the ways they are developed and used - so just how helpful are they?
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Topics:
ux consultancy,
usability,
Blog,
User Insights,
Info Architecture,
Usability Testing
Booking airline tickets, getting a mortgage, designing trainers or reading favourite news, chatbots are being used by customers for all sorts of things. But how might your organisation use one and where should you start?
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Topics:
usability,
Blog,
Chatbots,
Machine Learning,
User Insights
Most current chatbots are not very good. This makes it very easy for people to be sceptical about them and ignore the whole approach. However, this is often because the user’s needs were not fully understood or because they have not been adequately tested with users.
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Topics:
ux consultancy,
usability,
Blog,
Chatbots,
Machine Learning,
User Insights,
Views and News,
Usability Testing
You have probably heard the buzz about chat interfaces and artificial intelligence and how this is the next big thing. In this blog we try and explain what they are and why they probably do matter.
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Topics:
ux consultancy,
usability,
Blog,
Chatbots,
Machine Learning,
User Insights
How people interact with your organisation is likely to change radically over the next few years. The maturing of some key technologies, most notably machine learning and conversational interfaces, means your users may no longer be using your website.
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Topics:
ux consultancy,
usability,
Blog,
Usability Expert Advice,
User Insights
Over the years we have undertaken usability testing on several University websites. I have blogged before about why so many University sites are so unusable, and concluded that the problems are primarily organisational not technical. Our recent experience seems to confirm that this is still the case.
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Topics:
usability,
Blog,
User Insights,
Usability Testing
I have always been a bit of a fan of Gov.uk. From a citizen’s point of view, it has transformed many aspects of transacting with Government. Whether it is re-taxing the car, applying for a passport or applying for a patent it is now quick and straightforward. Gov.uk clearly deserves many of the plaudits it has received. The principle that users don’t care about which government body a service is being delivered by - they just want the service - is both sensible and user focused.
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Topics:
ux consultancy,
usability,
Blog,
Usability Expert Advice,
User Insights,
Usability Testing
I have a confession to make – one that is a bit embarrassing. As a researcher, I know you must not trust your own opinions but should look at the evidence, because often our instinctive view of world - or of people’s behaviour – is wrong!
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Topics:
usability,
Blog,
Usability Expert Advice,
User Insights,
Usability Testing
Web Usability has been heavily involved in helping to develop a new website for the Alzheimer’s Society that has just been launched. We are very chuffed with this and think the Society’s web team and their design agency have done an amazing job. Take a look at www.alzheimers.org.uk.
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Topics:
usability,
Blog,
User Insights,
Usability Testing
We were recently approached to do some usability testing on the Financial Conduct Authority website. In order to prepare the proposal I spoke to a stockbroker friend to get some idea of users' goals and the effectiveness of the site. I was rather surprised to learn that he would never dream of going anywhere near the site. Apparently their business has a staff of 40 specialists – mainly lawyers - whose sole job it is to understand the FCA rules and develop policies and procedures for ensuring they don’t run foul of these.
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Topics:
usability,
Blog,
Usability Expert Advice,
User Insights,
Usability Testing
