User Research Services

Clarice offers following User Research Services:

Usability Testing

Is a technique used to test the Efficiency, Learnability, Memorability, Errors & Subjective satisfaction of your product by testing it with actual users. In other words Usability testing involves getting people from the target audience to assess their usage experiences evaluate your application while performing specific tasks.

The results give a truer picture of the real problems users encounter because they’re derived from real users in the first place. A lot of insight is also gained into the perception the user has about application, website, service etc.

When do you conduct Usability Testing?
A usability test can be carried out any time during the design phase.

We can assist in Usability Testing of product or service that during any of the following phase:

• Conceptualization
• Paper Prototypes
• Alpha/Beta Ready
• Market Ready Product
• Post-launch Competitive Usability Testing

Services we offer:

• Identifying need for testing
• Project briefing
• Designing / localizing the recruitment questionnaire
• Designing / localizing the test protocol
• Local set-up, Project Management
• Recruitment
• Pilots and tests
• Debrief and Cultural insights
• Reporting
• User Centred Design services

User Research

A User Research or Ethnographic study provides access to information concerning the user experience in the field, which makes it unique in comparison with all other techniques

This information helps us to:

• Understand how the environment affects the way a product is used.
• Identifies users’ expectations, motivations, and behaviour with respect to the product.
• Identify usage issues with regards to specific user profiles.
• Develop new design solutions based on actual usage experience (in additional to the product’s specific technical features).

Why is User Research important?
Exploratory research helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of subjects. We work towards understand what people say and do, explore how and why people work, shop, live, and use products which translate into how they would interact machines, products, cell phones etc. Innovation and design directions are a result of using user research. We help our client understand potential areas for growth and product development.

Methodologies used:

• Contextual Inquiry
• Contextual Observation
• Shadowing Techniques
• Job Diaries

Expert Reviews

Usability Reviews also known as “Expert” review. They are performed to understand user experience barriers or challenges a product, service, or web site interface. This activity could be a good first step in optimizing usability. This type of “fast-track” evaluation requires very little preparation or planning & can be part of an iterative design process.

How do we do it?
We learn about your customers, users and the business goals. This is followed by evaluating the users’ experiences with the product, service, or website.
We identify usability gaps and challenges & point out elements of usability that have been overlooked during the day-to-day tasks of development, design and business operations

Advantages of an Expert Review?
It is quick and cost effective. Evaluators are usually specialists and their results often match user testing. Sometimes they spot minute usability problems, often missed. An expert review can be used at the following stages of the product life cycle.

• Paper prototypes
• Beta stage
• Market ready product