Appnovation was the right strategic choice for Visit California. The company’s creativity and innovation will allow us to continue to Dream Big through our digital marketing program, while sharing the California lifestyle through compelling content and an engaging online experience.
Caroline Beteta
President & CEO, Visit California
Critical insights, powered by sophisticated data to deliver more value.
User research gives you insights into customers’ behavioural changes over time, and the ability to make an informed design (and business) decisions faster, with more confidence. And the benefits of using in-depth data to personalize experiences translates into increased purchases and brand affinity.
Brands that learn to close the customer experience gap by embracing agile processes and creating more human, customer-focused experience strategies will win. Understanding what your customers truly want and expect from you today is the first step to improving their experiences tomorrow.
Inspiring possibility and providing creative direction & branding for some of the most recognizable brands on the planet.
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User Experience Research Solutions
Appnovation practices user-centered design, so we take user research seriously. Our research experts are not afraid to ask questions, and are always looking for gaps in knowledge and data. Knowing what the problem is helps us come up with the best solution, and ultimately, knowledge is power.
Appnovation practices user-centered design, so we take user research seriously. Our research experts are not afraid to ask questions, and are always looking for gaps in knowledge and data. Knowing what the problem is helps us come up with the best solution, and ultimately, knowledge is power.
Why research is important
The first step of the research is to determine research goals and identify questions or hypothesis that need to be answered or validated. Having a clear idea of what we're investigating will dictate what kind of research will be conducted.
Our experts use qualitative research to collect in-depth insights and gather valuable information, all designed and determined to understand why users do what they do. Qualitative research thus provides contextual information and and describes how users feel, what their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours are.
Based on research goals and existing insights, our team conducts qualitative research using:
- User interviews
- Focus groups
- Expert interviews
- Observations and contextual inquiries
- Card sorting & tree testing
- Usability testing
- Customer calls
To understand what is happening in your digital applications and to gather measurable, unambiguous data, we use quantitative research methods. Quantitative research helps us see precisely what is happening: where users click, where are the biggest drop offs, how people navigate through the site and how often they return.
To gather this kind of data Appnovation's expert researchers employ:
- Surveys and questionnaires
- Analytics (Google Analytics, HotJar, etc.)
- A/B testing
- Data mining
Qualitative without the quantitative research leads to assumptions and interpretations, whereas carrying out only quantitative research doesn't provide context as to why users behave in a certain way.
This is precisely why our experts at Appnovation combine both research types to ensure we have a full picture - data about what is happening and insights about underlying reasons.
User Research Services
We conduct user research in various project stages and for different purposes. Whether our task is website redesign, new app development or internal system launch our experts do it all. The user research is the foundation for sustainable and effective design solution.
Appnovation’s Approach
We conduct user research in various project stages and for different purposes. Whether our task is website redesign, new app development or internal system launch our experts do it all. The user research is the foundation for sustainable and effective design solution.
Appnovation values a pragmatic approach and will assess what knowledge and data already exists. Based on that we will come up with the user research plan that answers the right questions and is delivered on time and budget.
Audience research
Any digital development starts with the understand for whom it's being built: understand your audience, uncover the solution. Through audience research, our team formulates who your end customers are, what they need, what their expectations are, and how they engage with your products or services.
Based on these insights, we craft bespoke and informed user personas, designed to develop customer/client connections.
To understand how users use your digital product to accomplish various tasks, Appnovation’s experts conduct task analysis and investigate use cases. Knowing the context and environment that user is in when interacting with your product, helps us discover mental models that impact user's decision making processes and, ultimately, the online actions. This all allows us to predict how technology can, and should address user needs in the most helpful manner.
Common audience research methods we employ include:
- Scripted and unscripted user interviews
- Ethnographic studies and contextual inquiries
- Observations
- Surveys and questionnaires
- Focus groups
- Customer reviews
Content and information architecture research
In concert with marketing strategy that will feed the digital application, content and information architecture research can be instrumental to ensure users get the content they need, and are able to find it easily and intuitively.
Our researchers use content and IA research to validate hypothesis about information hierarchy, structure, terminology and findability.
We often use these, among other, research methods:
- Card sorting
- Tree testing
- Keyword analysis
- Content analysis
- Analytics review
Usability research
A critical step in our experience design process is understanding what are pain points of an existing application, or testing design for a new application. In this case, usability research and usability testing can help us discover how users interact with an application and what issues they experience.
Similarly, Appnovation has dedicated teams who conduct usability tests to validate design and information architecture on a new application. Based on goals and KPIs, we prepare user scenarios and help recruit participants.
Through user testing, we identify flaws and difficulties in usability and iterate as early as possible. We test users performing real tasks when using your application according to scenarios that we set, and observe their actions. We measure completion of tasks, time it takes to perform them, and record their attitudes about information architecture, content and design. Based on this direct user feedback, we make recommendations for improvements based on the evidence.
Depending on the scale and size of the project our researchers choose on-site or remote usability tests. Using wireframes and interactive prototyping we also test usability on various devices.
User Experience Analysis
An effective method to test different variants of the same page is A/B testing, sometimes also called split testing. Especially in conversion-driven sites, our UX designers test two variants with one or more variables to measure which one performs better when shown to users at random.
Analytics and user behaviour
No research and project starts without our peek into Google Analytics, HotJar, Clicky and similar tools. Having access to data about navigations paths, conversions, click rates and other measurable actions allow us see trends and identify pitfalls. Quantifiable data we can gather from analytics review inform design decisions and serve as benchmark for measuring success and monitoring KPIs.
A/B testing
An effective method to test different variants of the same page is A/B testing, sometimes also called split testing. Especially in conversion-driven sites, our UX designers test two variants with one or more variables to measure which one performs better when shown to users at random.
Appnovation uses A/B testing to continuously measure and tweak application design to improve the user experience and successfully achieve business objectives.
Gains and Business Benefits
For Appnovation's UX design team user research is not a luxury, nor a way to spend hours and hours investigating everything that lives under the sun. We do it to frame the issues and engage end users for ideation and validation.
We walk in the shoes of your users. We use direct insights we get from empathising with your users to generate ideas and design solutions that will address and exceed their expectations.
We follow iterative design approach, which means we can offer rapid design solutions with lean research at the start of projects. By engaging project stakeholders in the ideation process we strive for participatory design and make your team part of the project.
Your users are the real experts and our researchers' job is to involve them in the application design. Weather it's launching a new product or service and testing concepts and ideas or conducting a narrow, highly targeted and focused research about UX improvements for a certain feature, Appnovation's team will have a custom research plan that fits the project needs.
Working with Appnovation
We help brands understand the role digital can play in realizing strategic opportunities and solving real world business problems, always keeping the focus on customer experience and results generated.
We use agile methodology and always keep you in the loop. Streamlined delivery and cost effective engagements designed to match your goals, timeline, and budget.
Appnovation’s design experts will work with your company to transform your digital capabilities and build digital strategy services that are simpler, clearer, and faster to use.
Complete project visibility and multiple open lines of communication from day one. We’re available when you need us and continually updating you on your project’s status.
Our clients are happy, thanks to dedicated account and project managers, consistent delivery teams, and open communication lines. We know because we ask.
Why Brands Choose Us For Creative & Experience Design Services
- Agile UX design services and development methodology
- Atomic design and style guide to build out standards compliant accessible UI
- Award winning design and development solutions
- Collaborative and communicative approach model to client engagements
- Competitive rates for top UX design talent
- Comprehensive quality assurance (QA) testing before “Go Live” event
- Cross-functional team of experts based in North & South America, Europe & Asia
- Inspired by strategy, insight, and data: we are your user experience design partner form idea to implementation
- Rigorous testing and validation of ideas throughout the design and development process
- Successful and reliable track record of project delivery
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Appnovation is a global, full-service digital consultancy. We deliver people-inspired business solutions to our clients.
Embracing the powerful combination of technology and agility, our award-winning team delivers creative and experience design that inspires possibility.
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