The "Hidden Obvious" in website design evaluation. Without clear and direct qualitative feedback from website users, developers risk “Hidden Obvious” syndrome -- a blindness to serious website issues that are often nearly invisible to the client. This requires that we “see the forest, not the trees” through the eyes of the end users. (more)
We respectfully request the client’s presence. We involve our clients in a unique way, from the very beginning to the very end of a project. That’s because we place a very high importance on the client’s ability to see websites from the user’s perspective, not just their own. (more)
The proper role of focus groups in website evaluation. The usability industry has taken a dim view of focus group methodology for use in website evaluation. The fundamental issues cited are the potential for respondents to bias each other and a perception that focus groups yield imprecise findings. In fact, focus groups are an ideal forum for website usability when assisted by technology, executed by experienced consumer experts and followed by rigorous analysis. (more)
The New “Branding Soapbox”. Stop treating your website like software; it’s your brand in motion. In just a few short years, even the most modestly competitive categories have spawned websites that look alike because developers have raced to neutralize what “the other guy” has. These sites are in need of a new discovery: how to translate their offline brand equity into a vibrant, three-dimensional online equity. (more)
