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Read our latest UX research case studies and best practices.Using a Website Survey for UX Metrics & Insights
We recently led a usability research project for a major regional health system that includes one of the top-ranked hospitals and medical schools in the U.S. Our primary research was moderated usability testing with 7 participants. To supplement our qualitative...
5 Ways to Use “Team Sport” User Research to Innovate in 2020
2019 was Marketade's most exciting year in its 10-year history. Here’s a look back at some of our favorite projects last year, along with 5 approaches your team can use to boost its innovation in 2020. The magic of team sport research and innovation Across all types...
Chicago UX Testing & Usability Workshop Case Study
We recently wrapped up a website usability testing project for a regional bank in the Chicago area. The 5-week project included qualitative and quantitative usability testing of the bank's new website and a 1-day UX and design thinking workshop in Chicago....
There’s Not Always a Eureka Moment: Why Painful Testing Experiences Are Valuable, Too
When attempting to sell a newbie on the value of user research, many UXers tell a familiar story. A group of stakeholders thought they understood their product, but after a few minutes of watching users, their eyes were opened. Maybe there was a product feature...
6 Questions About UX Research That We Love to Answer
When we start working on a new project team, we ask a lot of questions. One of the first things we ask is, “What data do you have that sheds light on the problems?” This data might come from many sources: analytics about site usage, conversion numbers, usability...
Assembling the Right Team for UX Workshops
Marketade’s research analysis method revolves around a collaborative UX workshop, where a team of stakeholders works together to prioritize findings and brainstorm solutions. Critical to this approach is first making sure that you have the right people in the room at...
Got Users? How to Recruit for UX Testing when Access to Users is a Challenge
Every UX research project starts with two questions: what are the research goals and who are the users? These questions are critical to kick off recruiting. Recruiting can be a hurdle in UX research because we do not always have access to the target users. On any...
How Google Analytics Data Can Inform Your UX Research
At Marketade, we strive to conduct research projects that positively impact our clients and their users. This is no easy task; a great deal of effort goes into identifying where to focus our research endeavors as well as how to define and measure success. While we...
The Power of Data-Driven Design
At Marketade, one of the first questions we ask a new client is “what data do you have that sheds light on the problems.” This data can come from many sources: analytics about site usage, conversion numbers, usability insights and customer feedback. A successful...
Research in the Real World: Human-Centered Design After Grad School
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon’s MHCI program in August 2017, and moved from Pittsburgh armed with in-depth knowledge about user experience research. I’d taken classes and conducted studies with classmates and participants from around the city, and I felt excited to...
Avoiding Workshop Curveballs with Day 0 Meetings
Imagine that you are facilitating a workshop, and that you have budgeted all the time you need for what you’re planning. Yet at the end of the session, you’re still rushing a bit to get through the last few items, and wishing you had another couple of hours. It is...
UX Research with Marketade: What to Expect
We love collaborating with our clients to help produce delightful online experiences. When you work with us to make decisions based on research, you can turn your website and app users into your biggest fans. Here’s how we work with our clients. Step 1: Getting to...
Lean Personas for Marketade: A Team Sport Approach
Earlier this year, we decided to initiate sales and marketing efforts with a focus on UX projects. Before we could start, we needed to get a better handle on who to target. We love creating research-based personas based on customer interviews and field studies. But...
Combining SEO, SEM, UX & Analytics in a 4-Week Sprint
We recently collaborated with a global nonprofit that conducts wellness education for organizations and individuals. Over a 4-week sprint, we performed holistic analysis, optimization, and strategy across organic search, paid search, user experience, and web...
Why Teams Beat Experts in UX Research
"Just Give Us the Takeaways" 9 people from the product team had gathered around the conference table: a mix of designers, developers, business analysts and management. After some technical challenges with the big-screen TV, we were ready to play the first video...
How User Research Made the Marketing Director a Design Genius
A real estate company adopts a culture of research and testing, and within months achieves a 180% increase in leads. Challenge: Renter Leads Down 60% The multi-state apartment finder company called us in a panic. They had overhauled their site a few months back, with...
Advising PRWeb on Product Strategy … Without Access to Customers
Challenge: No Access to Customers for B2B User Research It was around noon on a spring Friday. The following Monday morning, our product and marketing strategy was due to PRWeb’s VP of Ecommerce. In the previous couple weeks, we had done all the research...
Using a Card Sort to Design a User-Centered IA for a Top Financial Site
Challenge: The Marketer-Designed IAThe marketing team at a Fortune 500 financial company, with a well-recognized consumer brand, was working with their IT group to create a microsite. The site would house informational and brand-focused content, which had...
How PetSmart Charities Combined Usability and A/B Testing to Increase Newsletter Signups by 167%
Challenge: “This is Not What I Expected” For the first time in 10 minutes, the bulldog lover in our usability test was speechless. She’d been browsing the PetSmart Charities website, learning about the non-profit and its efforts to end pet homelessness. She was...
Helping Banner Alzheimer’s Institute Reach Consensus on Design Decisions
Challenge: Differing Opinions on How to Improve Designs 80% of Alzheimer's research studies are delayed because too few people sign up to participate. The Banner Alzheimer’s Institute has been on a mission to change this equation. Their recruiting goals are...