User Research
As dependencies on the web as an information resource continue
to grow, the importance of delivering seamless and intuitive online
experiences becomes even more fundamental. Redengine solutions
focus on technology as well as the 'human' factor to ensure that
end users are connected to the information being presented.
Redengine consults in User Research using methods that test the
human side of technology to measure efficiency, effectiveness and
user satisfaction. This form of testing reveals obstacles that
interfere with ease-of-use and understanding of the
information presented. Our approach is individualized to
each project and may take on more than one
form, depending on the project's complexity or project
cycle.
Our usability professionals evaluate portals and hardware
against a comprehensive set of usability best practices, rating
everything from communication clarity and visual design to
functionality, accessibility and technical elements. The test and
design approach is a 'hands on' method of incorporating user
research to the development cycle. Employing testing at various
stages ensures that applications or websites resonate with
actual users, which is why we often bundle these services
within our development projects. This important step ensures that
barriers of use are identified and corrected prior to launch so
that you present the best end product to your audience.
User Testing
The best way to determine how well things work is to test using
real people. User testing encompasses many forms including mission
critical task-based performance testing, field testing or card
sorting. The need for each form of testing is directly tied to
project stages and the nuances of the project itself. For example,
if the function of testing is to inform a website's information
architecture, then card sorting might be a suggested course of
action. If the requirement is to determine if users can understand
or use a website so that mission critical tasks can be performed, a
task-based approach may be more appropriate. Field testing would
occur when task performance is important but the carrier or tool
being used is implicitly different; intranets being received on
mobile devices in the field and specific hardware such as medical
devices where user input or understanding is required would both be
examples of where field testing might be relevant.
Observational testing reveals what's working and what isn't.
Understanding what, when and how problems occur is critical to
knowing where, when and how improvements can be made - and to
ensuring the information that you intend to share is understood and
received by your audiences.
Case Studies: Royal BC Museum, Edmonton Public Library, POSP