Our process

We work with startups, large multinational corporations, and everything in between. If you have clearly defined objectives and just need to get a quick quote and get moving with a basic contract for a single project, we can do that.

On the other hand, if your organization has a lengthy vetting process for suppliers, we are well prepared for that too. We typically execute mutual Non-Disclosure Agreements immediately and can typically turn around Master Services Agreements in a day or two if your process allows. When in-depth vetting is required our ISO-9001:2015 certified quality system makes that process much easier. Our data privacy, information security, and project-level processes are routinely audited by our clients and we always receive high praise.

We start by asking the right questions to ensure we have a complete understanding of your objectives for the engagement and what outcomes will make you successful. We can then build flexible, creative, research-based approaches to ensure those objectives are achieved. If you already have an approach identified, we are happy to execute according to your plan or work with you to optimize details like timeline, output, and expectations.

Whether in your format or ours, we provide a detailed accounting of our approach and transparent, “all-in” pricing. We listen to your needs and carefully review your objectives to identify your desired outputs.

Our services encompass every stage of the research lifecycle (planning, management, and execution) and can include one or all of the following:

• Build an overall research plan
• Generate documentation required as input to research, such as detailed research protocols and use-related risk analyses (URRAs)
• Develop other research materials such as moderator’s guides, data collection tools, etc.
• Manage Institutional Review Board (IRB) process and approval
• Manage participant recruitment/compensation
• Secure research facilities
• Execute the study itself, conduct the analysis
• Generate a variety of deliverables

Once we have aligned on an approach during the proposal stage, we will confirm key target dates, locations, your project team, and main point of contact. During the project kickoff meeting we will ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear, and that all stakeholders are aligned on the engagement plan.

You will typically interact with one or two key team members during the preparation phase, including your main point of contact. We are most often responsible for development of informed consent forms, protocols, recruitment screeners, and session guides. We work with your team to ensure all materials support research objectives.

We take pride in our robust internal training programs – both in the general application of UX and HF research, as well as in the specifics of each individual engagement. We invest the time and effort necessary to ensure that all team members contributing to your project have the knowledge and skills necessary to make it successful.

With over 20 years of experience recruiting just about every specialized population there is, we have a good handle on recruit timelines, test day schedule, locations, and show rates. We also know that this part of the project can be unpredictable, so we have multiple backup plans to mitigate surprises and delays.

We work with specialized professional recruiting firms and, when necessary, leverage partnerships with advocacy groups and/or networks of (e.g.) clinical trial sites to access hard-to-reach populations.

We understand the importance of maximizing the realism with which research participants interact with your product and adapt our practices to ensure realistic simulated use for our lab-based studies. Our moderators are highly trained, and our fieldwork teams work seamlessly together to manage data collection and fieldwork logistics simultaneously. Whether remote or in-person, our technology team designs labs to ensure cameras capture the user interaction with and reaction to your product or device. This delivers a rich viewing experience for stakeholders as well as maintains the integrity of data captured for analysis.

Our deliverables are wide-ranging to meet your organization’s objectives. We can provide a one-page topline report to a full, detailed research report; we can also provide workshops, readouts, video montages, customer journey maps, and many other options customized to your goals and needs. All reports include our analysis and design recommendations where appropriate.

We can also provide design deliverables (wireframes to high-fidelity designs). We have particular expertise in designing instructions for use (IFU).