Web Usability Archives - Page 3 of 6

Best Practices In Digital Prototyping

Creating mock ups for both mobile or web based projects – both physical and digital is important to get a sense of what an interface will look and feel like and should be a given. Prototyping has become an integral step in any screen design process with specific regard to the UX aspect. The action of planning and laying out how the user will process information will allow a greater definition of information hierarchy and result in a clearly optimized solution right from the start. Be The Early Bird Often, if not prototyped in the initial stages, a project will stretch longer than necessary. When prototyping in the beginning stages, stuck spots and design that just isn’t working can be fixed before it gets too developed. Many times, the less optimal route is chosen anyway so the site or app can launch on time and then corrected when there are more resources to […]

Identifying (and Fixing) Common Usability ‘Stuck Spots’

There are many seemingly small usability issues that can go unnoticed causing site owners to wonder why drop numbers are increasing and conversions aren’t happening frequently. Making sure the site is performing at it’s highest potential across all devices by testing and correcting identified issues will help to get back on track to better SEO and happier users. Site Speed & Load Time Slow site speed is an increasing challenge across many channels with respect to design, development and ultimately – the bottom line of a company. Site users provide the data backing. Improved levels of satisfaction are present when a site loads quickly and alternately, a dissatisfaction if a page load is longer than they expect it to be. Longer load times, even at a rate of a one second delay can be an huge issue affecting the financial stability of a company, particularly for ecommerce. At this one second delay […]

The Importance of Web Usability Testing

Web usability is one of the most important aspects of a website; however often in the corporate environments, it is one of the least understood aspects of content optimization. Although UI/UX is an integral part of site design and architecture, there are few people who truly understand it enough to make it an integral part of the layout right from the start. Here are just a few of the advantages to including UI/UX in the testing and planning of your website from the very beginning of its inception. You will create better SEO from the beginning of your online presence Search engine optimization usually takes quite a while to affect a website’s presence on the Internet. However, incorporating web usability testing into the framework of a website will speed up this process immeasurably. It is well known that the major search engines place a premium on sites that have low […]

Utilizing the Customer Journey Map to Elevate UX

With increasing importance placed on user experience and expectations it has become a requirement for businesses to deeply understand and respond to the needs of their consumer. The use of data is well intended, providing high level insights that are necessary to making a conversion, offering increased detail as technology develops. Despite this information at the fingertips of an organization, customer experiences remain unremarkable as most data is unable to communicate the true feedback and emotions of the audience. Though analytic data is useful, the main roadblock is that it tends to be fragmented, resulting in a difficulty to draw actionable items from. Unless digging deep with near constant monitoring, an organization can only make small steps in optimizing their user experience through data alone. Understanding the small nuances with which a user interacts with an interface is the most direct route to creating the optimal experience which are most adeptly found by […]

Using Visual Storytelling to Support User Experience

Visual storytelling, when combined with the right measure of image and often sound, creates a level of connection and intrigue that no other technique can achieve. Emotion, anticipation and stimulation reward the active participant with a resulting heightened engagement for the site owner. Alternately, average content puts the user in a passive mode where they either consume the content or leave the website altogether. Visual stories, on the other hand, are interactive and get people to commit themselves to your story. There are several effective platforms to apply visual storytelling in the digital environment. Working with a content team to develop stories and narrative around the brand, and a creative team to implement the visuals will deliver the best outcome. Storytelling via textual methodologies can be effective, however, the content must be relevant and cohesive. Taking into consideration the idea of cognitive fluency, many users only read about 20% of […]

A Brand’s Best Friend: Testing for Mobile Optimization

The growing importance of mobile optimization has made it the focus of brands in every industry. Since more and more users are relying on their smartphones and tablets to communicate with companies, the optimal user experience is entrenched in being the best in mobile. In order to stay relevant in the market, brands must adhere to the trends that surface. One of the best ways to ensure that your company is ready to compete would be to engage in mobile device testing.    Some prepping is necessary before you can move forward with the testing process. Start from the very beginning – consider your available time frame and budget, which will assist in determining the processes that will cater most optimally to your needs. Consider Your Surroundings Additionally, think about how the test will be set up and the physical environment in which it will take place. This may seem […]

Setting the Scene: 3 Scenarios to Improve UX

Understanding why a specific user or group comes to your website is critical when designing an interface, and when engaging in usability testing. Gathering all of this information both saves you valuable time in what could be a tedious, grueling process, as well as gathering informative research that can assist in structuring your website to formulate the best user-brand fit. Scenarios describe the context behind why your site was approached, and note any goals that need to be achieved to perfect the user experience. These scenarios come in different shapes and sizes, creating a relatable story that allows designers to step back and consider the problem from the audience’s perspective. When writing up the scenarios, consider the following questions: Who is the user? Why does he/she use your website? What does he/she want to accomplish, what are the goals? Understand what motivates your user and what their expectations are of […]

Wireframing: A Quick Review

Brands spend hours designing a page so that everything flows properly, blending together cohesively. Like any architectural project, they use a tool that allows them to speed up the process and make quick changes to tweak and perfect the user interface. Wireframes are essentially a two-dimensional blueprint for how you want your website to look, like a skeletal framework that allows you to visually place all of your various site elements. Working like a foundation for the final product, the wire frame is a fantastic design tool that lets you organize everything properly before engaging in the creative process. They help to connect the site’s information architecture to the visuals crafted by the designers, showing a direct correlation between different pages. Wireframing also allows you to see where content and imagery clash and match, determining which pattern would result in the best functionality for the end user. Beginning from a […]

Make it Persona(l): 5 Steps for Usability Testing

Usability testing is one of the most fundamental parts of the overall website design process. These tests involve close observation of selected participants as they maneuver through a site at their own pace, for the purpose of identifying any usability issues or problems. Once these issues have been discovered, a brand can determine the participants’ satisfaction with the website or product.   An important element of usability testing is crafting personas that can be studied to gather crucial information, benefiting the user interface and user experience designs. The driving intention is to collect as much data as possible in order to enhance and perfect web usability. Creating realistic representations of your key audience segments involves investing time in user research and web analytics – the more research you do, the better.   A few aspects to consider when designing these personas include: providing the clearest possible picture of the user’s […]

Usability Testing: Your Game Plan

Usability testing is one of the most fundamental parts of the overall website design process. These tests involve close observation of selected participants as they maneuver through a site at their own pace, for the purpose of identifying any usability issues or problems. Once these issues have been discovered, a brand can determine the participants’ satisfaction with the website or product.   A lot of collaboration goes into finding the right person to assist in the usability testing process, and team members work together to make final decisions as to their usability game plan. Once that outline is agreed upon, you’re ready to go. The following elements must be included in your strategy. Scope and Purpose Before going forward, you must indicate what you’ll be testing – this could be anything from the name of your website and how it will register with users to how the product/website functions. Here […]

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