Guaranteeing Product Failure!

To keep ahead of competitors, millions have been spent researching concepts and prototypes with increasingly sophisticated and complicated methodologies. So, it is to well executed usability and attitude studies that companies are turning to connect the development process to tangible customer experiences.

Let us suppose you want to uncover usability attitudes or issues before the launch of a new product or service and traditional detailed customer feedback isn’t giving you the insight that you want. What are your next steps? Just how do you manage a usability project from planning to delivery to ensure you uncover insights that will aid the overall product or service development? … more

Here are some the things you may want to consider…

1. Re-evaluate your objectives. Usability testing is about keenly observing and listening to respondents as they attempt to use a product or service. As it’s qualitative research, it will typically include lots of think-aloud feedback and straightforward opinions. Typical objectives could include:
   
   

1. Gathering in-depth feedback from participants about specific elements of the product or service and its use.
2. Determining whether participants clearly understand the products value proposition.
3. Determining whether the product (and possibly those of competitors) are easy to comprehend and relevant.
4. Ascertaining whether participants are helped or hindered by a products visual design.

Unambiguous objectives from the outset of the project will set expectations properly and set you on course for a successful study.

1. Select the right research partner. Establish a set of criteria by which you plan to select your partner. Consider the following:
   
   

1. Can the research firm manage everything end to end? Your project is likely to include recruitment, facility selection, set-up of video equipment, writing moderator guides, recruiting respondents etc. Ask firms for itemised costs so you can make informed comparisons.
   
   

1. Review a sample summary report. Naturally, one of the main concerns you will have is the uncertainty of what will be delivered at the end of the project. Before signing on the dotted line, ask to see a sample report. It should include methodologies, an executive summary, detailed findings and recommendations and a section highlighting specific issues uncovered.
   
   

1. Get enthusiastic! Ensure your team is excited about the project. Tap into the key stakeholders vision and questions for the project. Get them involved. There is no substitute for watching live sessions and the resultant discussions will almost always bring fresh ideas, a new perspective or renewed commitment.
   
   

1. Be realistic about your timings. Usability studies need proper planning and time to execute correctly " remember those all too frequent short timescales will not provide for the best research outcome. Before the study ensure you complete the following:
   
   

1. A kick off discussion to agree schedules
2. A high quality environment for conducting the study
3. An identified target audience and approved screener for recruitment
4. Review technology and recording requirements
5. Produce a moderator guide including all the questions and tasks that will be presented
6. Complete a dry-run
7. Finally, ensure your research partner provides a project plan with milestone dates including delivery of the final report.