UX/UI Strategy & Design Services
I offer custom UX research, strategy, and design services to support every stage of the web, app and digital product creation process. I identify and address key business, product and usability areas of improvement from the users’ point of view to help inform and facilitate highly functional solutions.
UX/UI Services
• Experience Visioning
• Concept Development
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• Digital Product Design
• Storyboarding
• Information Architecture
• UX Competitive Analysis
Evaluative Research
• Live Usability Testing
• Remote Usability Testing
• Automated UX Testing
• Agile Usability Testing
• Competitive Benchmarking
• Expert Evaluation
• Concept Testing
• Tree Testing
Generative Research
• Card Sorting
• Mobile Ethnography
• Contextual Inquiry
• Customer Journey Mapping
• Persona Creation
• Workflow Analysis
• User Interviews
• Interactive Focus Groups
UX/UI Services
• Experience Visioning
• Concept Development
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• Digital Product Design
• Storyboarding
• Information Architecture
• UX Competitive Analysis
Evaluative Research
• Live Usability Testing
• Remote Usability Testing
• Automated UX Testing
• Agile Usability Testing
• Competitive Benchmarking
• Expert Evaluation
• Concept Testing
• Tree Testing
Generative Research
• Card Sorting
• Mobile Ethnography
• Contextual Inquiry
• Customer Journey Mapping
• Persona Creation
• Workflow Analysis
• User Interviews
• Interactive Focus Groups
About UX/UI Services
Experience Visioning
A process or technique used to imagine and design the ideal customer or user experience for a product, service, or organization. It involves envisioning and describing the desired experience from the user's perspective, considering various touchpoints and interactions throughout the customer journey.
Concept Development
The process of generating and refining ideas or concepts to address a specific problem or achieve a particular goal. It involves the exploration and analysis of different possibilities, identifying key elements and features, and creating a clear and coherent framework for a project or product.
Wireframing
A visual representation or blueprint of a website, application, or user interface (UI) design. It is an important step in the design process that helps designers and stakeholders plan and conceptualize the structure, layout, and functionality of a digital product before moving into detailed design or development.
A wireframe typically outlines the basic skeletal framework of a design, focusing on the arrangement of elements, content placement, and user interactions. It is a low-fidelity representation, devoid of colors, typography, or visual details, and instead emphasizes the overall structure and hierarchy of the interface.
Prototyping
The process of creating a preliminary model or representation of a product, system, or concept to test and validate ideas before moving forward with full-scale production or implementation. It involves developing a simplified version of the final product or system that captures its key features and functionality.
Digital Product Design
The process of creating and designing digital products, such as websites, mobile applications, software interfaces, and other digital experiences. It involves the integration of user-centered design principles, visual design elements, and technical considerations to develop intuitive, functional, and aesthetically pleasing digital products.
Storyboarding
A visual storytelling technique used to outline and depict the user experience of a product or service. It involves creating a series of illustrations or sketches that represent the various steps, interactions, and scenarios a user may encounter when engaging with the design.
The purpose of storyboarding is to communicate and explore the user journey in a clear and concise manner. It allows designers to visualize how a user progresses through different screens, interfaces, or touchpoints, and helps identify potential issues or areas for improvement in the user experience.
Storyboarding typically follows a sequential narrative structure, with each frame or panel representing a specific moment or interaction in the user's journey. These frames may include depictions of user actions, system responses, feedback messages, or emotional states to provide a holistic view of the experience.
Information Architecture
Also known as (IA), Information Architecture refers to the practice of organizing and structuring information in a way that makes it understandable, accessible, and usable for individuals or systems. It involves the design and arrangement of information within a system, such as a website, application, or database, to support efficient navigation, retrieval, and understanding of the information.
The goal of information architecture is to create a logical and intuitive structure that helps users find the information they need quickly and easily. It involves considering the relationships between different pieces of information, determining how they should be categorized and labeled, and designing the overall navigation and organization scheme.
Information architecture draws upon principles from various disciplines, including cognitive science, user experience design, library science, and computer science. It takes into account the needs and behaviors of users, the characteristics of the information being presented, and the context in which it is being accessed.
UX Competitive Analysis
UX Competitive Analysis is a research process that involves evaluating and comparing the user experience (UX) of a product or service with direct competitors. The goal is to gain insights into how competing products are designed, how they address user needs, and how they provide a positive user experience. By conducting a UX competitive analysis, companies can understand their competitive landscape, identify strengths and weaknesses of their own product, and gather ideas for improvement.
Remember that a UX competitive analysis is not about copying your competitors' designs but rather about understanding their strengths and weaknesses to create a unique and superior user experience for your own product or service. It helps you stay informed about industry trends, identify opportunities for innovation, and ensure that your product remains competitive in the market.
About Evaluative Research
Live Usability Testing
Live usability testing, also known as in-person usability testing, is a research method used to evaluate the usability of a product or service by observing participants using it in a real-time, face-to-face setting. It involves bringing together a group of participants who represent the target user base and having them perform specific tasks while an observer or facilitator closely monitors their interactions and collects feedback.
The primary goal of live usability testing is to identify usability issues, such as confusing navigation, unclear instructions, or functional difficulties, that users may encounter while using the product. By directly observing users' behavior and gathering their opinions, designers and developers can gain valuable insights into how the product performs and how it can be improved to enhance the overall user experience.
Remote Usability Testing
Remote usability testing is a method of evaluating the usability and user experience of a product, website, or application by observing users interact with it from a remote location. It involves collecting feedback and insights from participants who are located in different geographic areas, allowing for a broader range of perspectives and reducing the need for in-person testing.
In remote usability testing, participants are typically given a set of tasks to perform on the product or interface while their interactions and feedback are recorded. The tasks can range from simple actions like navigating through a website to more complex scenarios that simulate real-world usage. The testing can be conducted through various means, such as video conferencing, screen-sharing software, remote testing platforms, or specialized usability testing tools.
Automated UX Testing
Automated UX testing refers to the process of using automated tools and scripts to assess the user experience (UX) of a software application or website. UX testing involves evaluating how users interact with a product, their overall satisfaction, and the ease of use. Traditionally, UX testing has been a manual process, where human testers observe users' actions and gather feedback. However, automated UX testing streamlines the process by automating certain tasks.
Automated UX testing tools can simulate user interactions, such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and navigating through different screens. These tools can also capture data on the application's response time, performance, and any errors or inconsistencies that may affect the user experience
Competitive Benchmarking
Competitive benchmarking is the process of comparing your organization's performance, products, or services against those of your direct competitors or industry leaders. It involves identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that are relevant to your business and comparing them to similar metrics from other companies within your industry.
The goal of competitive benchmarking is to gain insights into your organization's strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement by understanding how you stack up against your competitors. By analyzing the performance and practices of other successful companies, you can identify best practices, innovation opportunities, and potential gaps in your own strategies.
Competitive benchmarking is a valuable tool for organizations to drive continuous improvement, stay ahead of the competition, and enhance their overall performance in the market.
Expert Evaluation
A method of assessing and evaluating the usability and effectiveness of a digital product or interface by employing experts in the field. It is a form of usability evaluation that involves having experienced evaluators analyze the design and functionality of a product to identify potential usability issues, areas for improvement, and adherence to established UX principles and best practices.
Expert evaluation is typically conducted during the design and development process, before the product is released to users. The goal is to uncover usability problems early on and make informed design decisions to enhance the user experience. This evaluation method is particularly valuable when time or resources are limited, as it can provide valuable insights without requiring extensive user testing.
Expert evaluation is a valuable component of the UX design process as it helps identify potential problems early on, leading to a more user-friendly and efficient product. While it provides valuable insights, it is important to note that expert evaluation is not a substitute for user testing, as actual user feedback is crucial for understanding real-world usage patterns and preferences.
Concept Testing
Concept testing is a process used to evaluate the viability and appeal of a new product, service, or idea before it is fully developed and launched into the market. It involves gathering feedback and opinions from a target audience or a representative sample of potential customers to assess their reactions and perceptions.
The main purpose of concept testing is to gain insights into how well the concept resonates with the target market and whether it addresses their needs and desires. By soliciting feedback at an early stage, businesses can identify potential issues, make necessary improvements, and reduce the risks associated with launching a product or service that may not meet customer expectations.
Concept testing typically involves presenting the target audience with a description, visual representation, or prototype of the concept being tested. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, interviews, or online platforms. Participants are then asked a series of questions to evaluate their level of interest, understanding, purchase intent, perceived value, and any suggestions for improvement.
The results of concept testing provide valuable insights that inform decision-making, including whether to proceed with the concept, modify it, or abandon it altogether. It helps businesses refine their ideas, optimize their marketing strategies, and increase the chances of success in the marketplace.
Tree Testing
Tree testing, also known as tree jack testing or reverse card sorting, is a usability testing method used to evaluate the information architecture and navigation structure of a website or application. It focuses on assessing the findability and intuitiveness of the website's menu structure or navigation hierarchy.
In a tree test, participants are given a textual representation of the website's navigation structure, often displayed as a hierarchical tree diagram. The structure typically consists of parent nodes (main menu items) and child nodes (submenus or subcategories). The participants are then asked to perform specific tasks by selecting the path they would follow to find certain information within the website.
The purpose of tree testing is to understand how well users can navigate and locate information within the given hierarchy. By removing the visual design and focusing solely on the structure and labeling of the navigation, tree testing provides insights into the effectiveness of the information architecture and the clarity of menu labels.
During the testing process, participants' interactions and choices are recorded, allowing researchers to identify potential issues such as confusing labels, misleading categorization, or navigational dead ends. The collected data can be analyzed to make informed decisions regarding the restructuring, reorganization, or refinement of the website's navigation to improve user experience and findability.
Tree testing is often used in conjunction with other usability testing methods, such as user testing and card sorting, to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the user's perspective and improve the overall usability of a digital product.
About Generative Research
Card Sorting
Card sorting is a user research technique used in information architecture and user experience design. It involves organizing and categorizing items or concepts into groups based on their similarities or relationships. The name "card sorting" comes from its traditional implementation using physical cards, but it can also be conducted digitally through specialized software or online tools.
In a typical card sorting session, participants are given a set of cards, each representing a piece of information or a concept. The participants are then asked to sort these cards into groups that make sense to them and to provide labels or categories for those groups. The process is usually conducted in a controlled environment with clear instructions and often includes multiple rounds of sorting to refine the organization.
Card sorting helps us to understand how users perceive and mentally categorize information. It provides insights into users' mental models and helps inform the design of navigational structures, menu systems, and content organization in various digital products such as websites, applications, and software interfaces.
Mobile Ethnography
Mobile ethnography is a research method that involves using mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to collect data about people's behaviors, experiences, and interactions within their natural environments. It combines traditional ethnographic methods, which aim to understand cultures and social phenomena through participant observation and interviews, with the capabilities of mobile technology.
In mobile ethnography, participants are usually provided with mobile devices equipped with specific applications or tools that allow them to document their daily lives, activities, and thoughts. They may be asked to take photos, record videos, write diaries, or answer surveys using their mobile devices. This enables researchers to gain insights into people's experiences and perspectives in real-time and in their natural contexts.
The use of mobile devices in ethnographic research has several advantages. First, it allows for data collection in real-time, providing a more accurate and immediate understanding of participants' experiences. Secondly, mobile ethnography reduces the reliance on participants' memory recall, as they can document their experiences as they happen. Thirdly, it enables researchers to access a wider range of data, including visual and multimedia content, which can provide richer insights compared to traditional ethnographic methods.
Contextual Inquiry
A user-centered research method used to understand users' needs, behaviors, and workflows in their natural environment. It is commonly employed in the field of user experience (UX) design and product development to gather insights about users' experiences and gather requirements for designing or improving a product or service.
In a contextual inquiry, the researcher observes and interacts with users while they perform tasks or engage in activities relevant to the product or service being studied. The goal is to gain a deep understanding of the context in which users operate, including their goals, motivations, challenges, and the environmental factors that influence their behavior.
Contextual inquiry differs from traditional user interviews or surveys in that it focuses on observing users in their natural environment, rather than relying solely on self-reported information. By immersing researchers in the users' context, it provides a more accurate and detailed understanding of their needs and behaviors, leading to more effective design decisions.
Customer Journey Mapping
A process that involves visually representing the various stages and touchpoints a customer goes through when interacting with a company or brand. It provides a detailed understanding of the customer's experience, emotions, and interactions at each stage of their journey, from the initial awareness of a product or service to post-purchase activities.
The purpose of customer journey mapping is to gain insights into the customer's perspective and identify areas where improvements can be made to enhance their experience. By mapping out the customer journey, businesses can better understand the needs, pain points, and expectations of their customers, enabling them to design and deliver more personalized and effective experiences.
Customer journey mapping helps organizations align their internal processes and resources to better meet customer expectations and deliver a seamless and satisfactory experience throughout the entire customer journey. It is an ongoing process that requires regular updates and refinement as customer behaviors and preferences evolve.
Persona Creation
The process of developing fictional characters or user profiles that represent specific segments of a target audience. Personas are commonly used in marketing, product development, and user experience design to better understand and empathize with the needs, behaviors, and preferences of different types of users.
When creating a persona, various factors are taken into consideration, including demographic information, psychographic characteristics, goals, motivations, and challenges. These personas are typically based on research and analysis of real user data, such as surveys, interviews, and market research.
Workflow Analysis
The process of examining and evaluating the sequence of tasks and activities that make up a particular workflow or business process. It involves studying how work is currently being done, identifying areas for improvement, and designing more efficient and effective processes.
The goal of workflow analysis is to understand the flow of information, materials, and activities within a workflow, with the aim of identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas of inefficiency. By analyzing the workflow, organizations can identify opportunities for automation, streamlining, and optimization, ultimately leading to improved productivity, cost savings, and customer satisfaction.
By conducting workflow analysis, organizations can optimize their operations, reduce costs, enhance quality, and improve overall business performance. It is a valuable tool for process improvement and is applicable across various industries and sectors.
User Interviews
The process of asking a single user questions about a topic of interest (e.g., use of a system, behaviors and habits) with the goal of learning about that topic. Unlike focus groups, which involve multiple users at the same time, user interviews are one-on-one sessions (although occasionally several facilitators may take turns asking questions).
Focus Groups
A focus group is a method of research involving a small group of people (usually six to eight participants) who are guided through a discussion by a moderator. Focus groups can be used to explore a variety of different issues, to test solutions, to explore the group's perspective of a problem and to generate ideas.