10 UX Research Techniques and Their Significance

UX designers use diverse UX research techniques to analyze the competitive environment of businesses. Every UX research methodology has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Businesses should evaluate each methodology while availing UX/UI consulting services to make the best choice. The choice will also depend on allocated budgets dues to the costs associated with different UX research techniques.

A comprehensive user research plan demands more resources and financial support in contrast to informal tests that provide quick findings. Whether you use extensive techniques or rapid brainstorming sessions, the primary objective of UX research is to build intuitive digital designs.

 

This blog post explores ten different and effective design techniques used by UX research and design services providers. They are essential in building web interfaces that balance the digital requirements of businesses and their users.

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10 UX Research Techniques and Their Significance

 

 

Steps Involved in User Journey Mapping for Digital Designs

The process of designing web interfaces requires a thorough understanding of business objectives, digital requirements, and user needs. It is critical for businesses to match their user’s needs and expectations with clear and easily accessible interfaces. ‘User Journey Mapping’ is the first step within UX Research and design services for building intuitive digital designs. It involves UX researchers to visualize the user’s journey and interactions across the digital interface. The journey maps allow businesses to empathize with the user’s needs and challenges while using their digital product or service.

This blog post provides a step-by-step guide to practice ‘User Mapping’ for building user-centric products and services.

 

What is User Journey Mapping?

A user journey map is a visual representation of a user’s interaction with a digital product. It involves every step and action taken by the user to accomplish a specific task using the product.

User Journey Mapping is the foremost step in UX Research services for designing meaningful and engaging websites and mobile applications. The process enables businesses to understand and map a user’s needs and challenges while using a digital interface.

User Journey Mapping Example- Online Booking for AC Maintenance Services User Name– Clara Scenario– Clara is looking for an online service booking system for the maintenance of her AC. She wants to book on an urgent basis without compromising with the quality. Expectations– A quick and clear online booking system Ability to verify technical details Friendly and helpful customer support

 

Define Current AC Specifications Address details to check service availability Date and time to schedule the service

2. Compare Checks for quality standards and prices compared to the last offline service provider Additional taxes and charges applied Expected service delivery time

3. Payment Looks for all types of payment options Expects ‘Cash on completion of services’ option to ensure satisfactory services first

4. Select Confirms booking with the earliest available customer support Expects confirmation through call or SMS

 

A typical User journey map highlights a user’s story to accomplish a particular task using a digital interface. The map is divided into multiple touchpoints that indicate the user’s interaction with the interface. The touchpoints are supported by significant user thoughts, emotions, and expectations respective to each point of action. UX/UI Consulting services can include and utilize a chain of user journey maps dedicated to separate touchpoints within the interface.

 

How to map User Journeys for UX Research and Design Services

 

1. Define Objectives and Know your audience

A UX designer must have a clear understanding of the stakeholder interests and overall business objectives. It requires in-depth research about the product’s target audience which includes defining user personasand stories. The primary objective should be to match the requirements of both parties in the most effective and user-friendly manner. Online questionnaires, surveys, feedback forms, and user testing are common tools to extract meaningful insights about users.

2. Pin down the touchpoints

The touchpoints are the key places of interaction between a user and the digital product. For instance, accessing the drop-down menu, getting account information, etc.

It is a common mistake among UX research consultants to map user journey by merely addressing their own needs and struggles. Instead, a user journey must reflect the needs and expectations of all kinds of potential users and fictional user personas.

3. Capture user emotions and thoughts

User journey maps can afford to omit the intricate technical details of the system. However, they can never compromise with the user’s current state of mind and emotions. Likewise, the visualization of the user’s thoughts become the strongest influencing factor in user journey maps. Hence, they assist designers to maintain a balance in the tone and order of the content and information provided on the interface.

Conclusion

It is important to note that the objective of making a journey map is to arrive at a common vision. The designing team should not limit user journey mapping to themselves and should involve multiple departments to contribute their viewpoints. Therefore, the inputs thus curated play a critical role in producing the final design.

Oodles Studio provides comprehensive UX Research and Design Services for establishing your online presence with in-depth research and intuitive designs. Talk to our UX Consultants for formulating effective design strategies to fulfill the digital requirements of your business.

UX Research & Design Services |UX Research Service |UX Research Consultants

Oodles Studios provides UX Consulting services, web and mobile interface designing services, and digital branding services to clients across the world .

User Scenarios- The first layer of UX Research and Design Services

UX research and design services commence with the listing of user scenarios. Identification of the target audience’s motivation, their behavior flow, needs, and challenges is essential for establishing a brand’s online presence. This blog post explores how we can build and use user scenarios to make digital products that attract significant user engagement.

User Scenarios are stories or narratives that demonstrate why and how users will interact with digital products or services. The primary objective of user scenarios is to accurately map user requirements with a digital product. Every user scenario captures a user’s journey for availing a product’s value proposition. User research consultants can also create multiple scenarios around independent features of a single web interface.

A key aspect of user scenarios is that they capture the user’s perspective without listing product features. It is, therefore, critical for UX research consultants to not regard user scenarios as use cases while delivering UX research and design services.

How to derive User Scenarios through user research?

User scenarios are derived from user personas which are the primary deliverables of UX consulting services. It is also the reason why user scenarios are also popularly termed as “persona-based scenarios”. The impact analysis of digital products on user behavior depends on building scenarios around user personas. It enables designers and decision makers to experience a product or service from the users’ perspective.

The following elements are essential for framing user scenarios –

1. A real-world context– The user story should commence with a description of real-life task users can perform using the digital product. It should include task details to narrow the focus
2. A detailed plot– The storyline should reflect the challenges, goals, and actions of users to accomplish tasks. It is essential for designers to empathize with the user’s challenges in using the product and creatively overcome them
3. Product touchpoints – Scenarios should pin down where, when and why would a user need the digital product. The methodology should focus on ‘what happens and why’ and avoid detailing ‘how’ a particular design feature helps the user
4. Define expected outcome– Scenarios should never end on an ambiguous note because they become the basis of future product design. A description of the outcome of a scenario should be available. It provides a holistic view of the problem and describes how a user deals with it so we can formulate user-centric strategies

User Scenario Instances for UX research and design services

An example of a typical User Scenario should be based on a Look | Think | Act model. It can be framed both in the form of text and images. However, the crux of every user scenario should emphasize on-
“When …….. I want to …….. so I can …….” solely through a user’s perspective.

For instance-

When booking flight tickets online, I want to compare all flight rates on a single web page so I can book quickly and efficiently.

User scenarios are thus an effective design tool that illustrates a user’s journey through the digital product to make the end design interactive and responsive.

The UX experts at Oodles Studio conduct in-depth research of the target audience to deliver actionable user personas and scenarios. Connect with our team of researchers to accelerate the formulation of effective design strategies for your digital business.

Redesigning An Application With Great Visual Design

Creating an application is not an easy task. It takes lots of time and efforts but it’s a tremendous way to allure your customers. With this, you can create awareness among your customers about the new things you are introducing in your business. But there’s a point every application owner must take care of, it is redesigning an application with the latest and trendy visual design. Most of the developed apps have a consistent design language, including the uniformity of element sizes, clear CTA buttons, and a cohesive color theme; companies must change the designing style of their applications after few months. After a certain amount of time, these applications require redesigning.

Points To Take Care While Redesigning An Application With Great Visual Design

User interview and UX

If you really want to resolve user-related problems, you must acknowledge the problems which not only matter to you but also to other users as well. For this, you have to conduct certain user interviews and get some feedbacks and as per authentic feedbacks, you can design something great. This is an imperative step to remove personal bias and design a genuine solution for clients.

Gratings

Through the procedure of interviews with users, noteworthy psychological gratings were observed, like incorporating trouble in discovering data, content, and flow repetition, and confusing labeling framework. These will be explained momentarily in “Data Architecture” section. These are some of the most common problems faced by designers and developers while redesigning an app.

Also Read: TOP 4 MOBILE APP DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT SHARPEN YOUR DESIGN

The Redesign

With intensive contemplations on information architecture and user flow, you have to immediately prototype new screens that address the issues of:

Data repetition, and complicated substance on the home screen (Explore page)

The fact that search  work does not get enough utilization (Search page)

Conclusion

In a nutshell, this blog explains the areas a designer has to work to improve the UX of an application. Also, to what extent the choice of user matters and how by working as per the feedback and suggestions of the user, a company can redesign an application which will actually help the particular business is growing.

What’s after this?

In any case, the objective of this blog is to adopt a client-driven strategy and plan a more natural involvement with little inclusion in UI/Visual design. IA deals with structure and findability, yet the experience should make a stride assisted b

Everything You Want To Know About App Development Cost Worldwide

What is the cost required to build an application? This question is among the few primary ones that are being asked whenever any app development project start. Cost is the basis of the budget associated with the development of a mobile application. Often an organization proprietor ends up endeavoring to answer these two questions – what amount of money does it require to create an application for my business by employing an expert versus what amount does it cost to create an application by hiring a professional app development company. In this blog, you will get to know everything about app development cost worldwide.

Even if, we might wish to stay quiet on the expense of application development, we can just think of a rough amount, basically in light of the fact that each app development process includes numerous elements that holistically impact the final app development cost worldwide. Fortunately, there are many application development budget planning factors that will assist you in shaping the development cost of an application. So an application development cost breakdown comes down to:

Application functionality and objective – An application will have the potential to do for its users.

Mobile platforms and gadgets are supported – Whether an application is developed for Android or has an iOS/Windows Mobile version too. What particular devices will it support, e.g. Samsung Galaxy S6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S+ etc.

Also Read: ANDROID UI DESIGNING TIPS FOR BECOMING ANDROID UI DESIGN EXPERTS

Inclusive points – Will an application be merged with an outsider application that will be the wellspring of its price.

Utilization Of Smartphone’s hardware functions – Whether an application will utilize features such as NFC technology, a motion co-processor, GPS navigation and different technologies that are stuffed into smartphones or tablet PCs.

Support plan – Once an application development project is finished, positively it will require tech-support help from its team.

There are some normal and average benchmarks for application development project prices that we can apply for various sorts of apps.  For instance:

The normal expense to build up an iOS application – about $28k

The normal expense to build up an Android application – about $23k

The normal expense to build up a Windows Phone application – about $18k

The cost of hiring an App Developer in USA – $107k/year

Also Read: IOS UI DESIGN EXPERTS: THE PRINCIPLES THEY USE TO DESIGN APPS

Everything About App Development Cost Worldwide

The expense of Hiring App Developer

On the off chance that an organization chooses to enlist a mobile application developer, the question arises what amount does it cost us normally. So, as indicated by Indeed.com information, to employ a US-based mobile application designer organizations need to pay $107,000/year, or, in other words than the number we set up in January of 2016 – $97,000. We see Canada and Australia tailing the US with $82,000 and $80,000 individually. In a nation like India, it is less expensive to procure an application development professional – at just $4,400 every year, because of the huge economic difference in the currencies of North America, Europe, Australia, and India. Obviously, the services cost shouldn’t be a definitive choice factor for an organization to procure an application development group, other data like former customers reviews, skills from special territories and others should be considered also.

Mobile App Developer yearly pay in 2017, by nation, in USD, in thousands

The following diagram shows how the salary list of the two iOS and Android application engineers changed with time, we see it had a spike toward the start of 2014. The spike can be described by right around 30% development in smartphones sold in 2014, the total number of smartphone adds to the total and take it around 1.2 billion mobile phones. That knock in the quantity of smartphones individuals got in their grasp triggered an increment sought after for the two iOS and Android OS development and thus the compensation went up too. The present salary of iOS app developers in the US is $98,000/year and that of Android App designer is $101,000. This information is evaluated from 31,942 representatives, working professionals, and over a significant time span work ads on Indeed.com in the previous year.

Last Thoughts

When organizations calculate the development cost of their future application, above all else, they have to search a development and designing expert team like Oodles Studio, this factor greatly affects general app development cost worldwide. Given that both iOS and Android are equally popular, it is an intelligent strategy for organizations that go mobile to create an application for two platforms at the same time. Since the structure is the biggest support for application development cost, it’s very legitimate for organizations to do their best to save money on things like information stockpiling and scalability, third-party API coordination, if there are a few alternatives accessible to look over.

Emerging Ideas To Create Flyer Design – Part 2

A well-built flyer design bags the consideration of users and is related to something that people wish to take a hold of. Although, almost all flyers are on the smaller side; they can incorporate anything from printed items of postcard size to information, which is of a sheet of office paper. In one of my previous blogs, “Emerging ideas to create Flyer Design – Part 1”, I have shared very good ideas.  Before reading the current blog, you can also visit that blog. In this blog, I have shared the rest of the 3 ideas to create a flyer design.

Flyers should be easily readable

Trendy typefaces and funny typography can be delivered as magnificent visual elements to attract people to look at a flyer design. On a smaller canvas, using fonts-only procedure may be your best choice. If you use something which is not simply readable to build a word art element, use majorly readable typefaces for the design left. By this method, the text will pull the attention of users and the easily readable text will provide essential info.

Takeaway Prints

The most crucial component of a flyer design may appear before even touching a computer. Choose any shape that will be easier to notice and is favorable for your viewers to take with them.

Small size flyers are easier to attach to any pocket having a postcard size. But over-sized flyers can have more effect and can look outstanding if there are a lot of print pieces available in competition. For a similar space or consideration – think of any uncommon postcard size, like 4 by 9 than 4 by 6.

Splurge on print

If you can arrange a budget for it, choose premium printing of flyers. Not only remarkable printing avail you more designing options – embossing, foiling, and UV coating, the list goes on and on – it will also give you more premium feel.

Even if you don’t want a print impression, a hard paper stock can make your flyer design great, people will like to touch your design. Quality of your print can itself communicate with users.

Conclusion

Flyer designs are the best thing available to showcase almost all creative ideas. We publish top-end ideas to create flyer design regularly. By this, you can make a flyer design easy to read, alluring, and fancy that will make your design looks out of the box.

Tips For Designing Business Websites For Startups

Small business owners are now understanding the benefits of taking their businesses online. That’s why they are showing interest in creating their business identities on the web. For an online business, a website is a basic requirement as it helps others in knowing what your company does. You must know what your site should incorporate such as mobile-friendly design, media elements that load rapidly and look great, social media tools, etc.

Complete design or template:

The most crucial element for designing an effective business website is choosing a design that works really well for every type of device, mainly smartphones. It’s because most online searches are now happening on mobile phones. Also, Google is in the process of starting a new mobile-first index that will rank mobile-optimized sites on the top.

For this, you can use website builder having a library of mobile-friendly templates to make sure that your website works well. Also, there are certain pages and sections that customers look for in a business website. Due to this, a startup’s website must consist of a home page, a contact page, an about us page, and a service page.

Also Read: WEB DESIGN TIPS TO BOOST CONVERSION RATE OF YOUR WEBSITE

Having multimedia elements:

Nowadays, images say more than a thousand words, because smartphone users like to browse images and watch videos instead of reading texts on a little screen. Correctly formatted, tagged, and optimized images and videos can help your site rank higher in search results thus, benefiting startup websites over the web. A custom favicon (a little image at the top of the browser tab) can help your startup with branding and make it more beneficial as a bookmark or toolbar icon for your frequent customers.

Get searched and also track your results:

Pictures and user-friendliness are not only the elements that a site requires to rank well in search results. There are a large number of SEO best practices which a business website must follow. The use of correct keywords and other metadata can help local shoppers and users to find your services. So that the potential clients around the globe find your business website easily. Also, in tracking the performance of a website, Google Analytics can help the website owner. These aspects should be kept in mind while designing business websites for startups.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, for designing business websites, these above-mentioned tips are very important. Perfect design that works well on every device, correctly formatted, tagged, optimized images and best practices of SEO are some positive impacts of these tips.

Fundamental Perspectives For Designing ECommerce Mobile App

As the patterns in the tech business are changing gradually, a majority of the organizations are going to the web. There is a distinction that should be loaded up with an awesome user experience. Business houses still need to comprehend the estimation of the user experience. Online organizations are all based on user experience and the nature of services the business house is pitching to its customers. 2017 turned exceptionally beneficial for some Software development firms. However, 2018 can possibly win more developments than 2017. This blog is concerning the most recent perspectives used for designing ecommerce mobile app.

Most Recent Perspectives Used For Designing ECommerce Mobile App:

The need for creating something more advanced than the REST API and furthermore to build the responsiveness of the mobile programming led to the development of GraphQL. It is an API query dialect with a surprising syntax structure that was made by Facebook engineers. It was created with the objective to go over the great highlights of REST APIs and to sort the total of transmitted information from different sources at the same time.

While having the tight budget plan, in the event that we need to utilize only trend-setting innovations in our projects, we should try Gatsby. It’s an imaginative innovation, and it’s one way or another superior to its rivals since it doesn’t utilize templating and depends on Webpack and React parts. It gives us the benefit of auto-updates and instantaneous page transitions. It helps in extracting information from numerous GraphQL APIs and after that, use them in making a completely static React customer application during the manufacturing procedure.

New and most recent innovations in designs and development always enhance the fate of Front End development. In only two years, Vue.js takes the top position in the quickly developing React framework. There are numerous factors behind its prosperity but one of the most important reasons is that it is easier to learn. Likewise, it has an adaptable situation for creating front ends and furthermore permits composing code with low odds of blunders. It was intended to help designers having minimal programming knowledge. Vue.js underpins asynchronous DOM refreshes, two-way information authoritative, simple merging with HTML layouts.

Angular aides in joining Javascript with HTML and CSS. It gives a decent surrounding with regards to cooperation in light of the fact that while building an application, it partitions the application into segments – front-end and business rationale. Its development works on MVVM layout. It likewise helps in making versatile applications and backings straightforward integration with outsider libraries. It is perfect for making dynamic mobile software due to its two-way information binding method. It really enhances the responsiveness of applications with anime components.

Conclusion:

Front End development scripts are picking up prevalence in view of its ascent in innovation. From the above show, one becomes more acquainted with what are the most recent patterns used for designing ecommerce mobile app by Front End improvement specialists. By using these advancements one can augment the look and feel of a site or application and this will prompt creating more ROIs.

Major Introduced Updates In Sketch 52

Invigorating news for designers –  Sketch 52 is released and numerous bugs are settled! All the while, there are more than 50 upgrades and 4 enhancements are unquestionably in the priority of users since the application was refreshed and launched. In one of my previous blogs, I have told you about other UI designing tools that help in speeding up the workflow of the designers. In this blog, I have mentioned some newly introduced updates in Sketch 52.

Recently Introduced Updates In Sketch 52

Dark Mode and UI brief

We should begin from the most evident spot when it comes to amendments –  UI redesigning. Completely new UI implies higher clarity and convenience all through the application. In the event that we move further, we will see astounding improvements like designing with Data in Sketch. Another alternative is style supersede which implies you can abrogate text styles and layer styles inside the Symbols.

Dark Mode is an advancement worth saying, as it makes designing more comfortable. How precisely? Indeed, it enables you to focus on your work. The dark interface will let your eyes rest following a prolonged day of gazing on the screen and helps you sustain next working hours. The things just show signs of improvement as Sketch 52 additionally bolsters Mojave’s new Accent and Highlight colors.

However, if you favor Midnight Mode more, you don’t need to stress as Sketch’s Dark Mode is connected to your System Preferences, so it’s only activated when you switch on the framework wide Dark Appearance in Mojave.

Also Read: PROTOTYPING WITH SKETCH: LEARN HOW SKETCH WORKS

Fantastic performance and Unsplash plugin

There is nothing more chafing than a program that isn’t helping you. By this I mean – backing you off, which can prompt longer periods ( time of working ), more disappointment and absence of rest. In any case, when you have the application that has your back, the work feels significantly less upsetting. In this manner, you will be satisfied to welcome more responsive Sketch application. Since, rendering is quicker, so as altering complex records and choosing images with many overrides.

Another extraordinary advancement is the Unsplash plugin which gives you a chance to include pictures from the library, without leaving the application. Envision how great would it be if YouTube would pursue this example?

Make a Website

Joined layers as a fiddle gathering shape, will never again suddenly invert;

There is never again dread of slamming when bringing in a specific PDF record;

Image shading reviews will abide by your chosen Color Profile from now on;

No accident when bringing in certain SVG files.

End

Updates in Sketch 52, will actually help designers, these updates boost their work and they can showcase their work as per their wish.

As we checked on real enhancements, we should specify some of the bugs that will no longer cause you the inconvenience: Awe your viewers with anime sites and web introductions.

With Slides, we don’t make you begin from an unfilled slate. You should simply pick the components you like most and consolidate them. Each slide has been precisely created to fulfill three key criteria: stylish, functions and convenience. That way, you know each component cooperates flawlessly while upgrading the effect of your content.