Delivering value through a structured UX programme

CrownPeak provides digital quality management solutions for leading global corporations including Shell, Sony and KPMG. These give senior corporate managers high level website optimisation and compliance assessment capabilities, while hands-on web managers gain detailed tools for identifying and resolving issues.

A significant design update of its user interface was planned, and the Lead Interaction/Visual Designer began the search for a specialist agency partner to create a more systematic user testing programme.

The challenge

CrownPeak needed to optimise its user interface design cycle. To make this happen, it first needed to gain a more in-depth understanding of how clients were using its product; whether there were any problem areas; and how it could support its users more effectively. It sought our help to create a more systematic, structured and insightful user research programme, including building robust personas and key user journeys for its two primary user types. The CrownPeak team wanted to, “dip our toes in the water with a professionally run framework, and to use what we learnt to fill-in gaps in our own understanding”.

What we did

We advised on and implemented a full usability research programme. Participants were drawn from CrownPeak’s client base, and included senior as well as more hands-on roles. The team reported that having clients know that CrownPeak works with a user research agency was a positive additional factor.

The research included users completing a series of representative tasks. The project lead says, “System Concepts brought in a number of interview and facilitating techniques that were really valuable.” A participative design exercise provided insights on users’ ideas for improvements, and an interactive workshop with the CrownPeak project team established findings and key areas for improvement.

Benefits

The research enabled CrownPeak to:

• Improve understanding of users’ roles, tasks and characteristics
• Develop personas and key user journeys
• Uncover and fix some significant usability issues
• Validate ideas for development
•  Improve navigation and labelling
•  Gain powerful insights, and reset incorrect assumptions.

The findings from the programme steered a major redesign exercise, and resulted in a number of significant changes that have been well received by users. The development of more accurate and meaningful personas has enabled dedicated pages to be created, while user journeys have been greatly improved.