Our team enthusiastically discusses the latest tech, UX trends, and health industry topics over lunch, coffee, and happy hours. We want to open those discussions to you! Check out our latest bold insights and join the conversation.
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user...
Our team has seen an increase in requests for rolling research to support product design across multiple industries, from consumer goods to healthcare. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of executing...
In an industry where we rely on research data to improve product designs, we need to take steps to ensure that our sample for testing reflects all intended users; we need to ask, "is this product...
Over the past few years, many teams have made the move towards becoming a more dispersed workforce. Along with the influx of solutions aimed at providing integrated communication between colleagues...
In user research, the protection of participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) is paramount. Globally, privacy concerns and policy are becoming more center stage and it is increasingly...
A generational gap exists in the workplace around gender identity. For companies and organizations to successfully attract much-needed knowledge workers from emerging generations, including...
At Bold Insight, we are definitely not leaders on public health. But we are practitioners of how to ask questions and get at the heart of what’s needed and desired across your customer base and...
One of the biggest hurdles to a smoothly-run global research project is the planning of logistics. Most research teams are aware that different customs need to be taken into account when conducting...
Global user experience (UX) research comes with unique challenges that require planning and consideration. One area to focus on is how a study’s research materials and testing environments will be...
Twenty years of global research have taught us (sometimes the hard way) that challenges can arise when prepping devices or other products for international research. When not accounted for, these...
Companies today are highly vocal about promoting an environment of openness and support for individual employee needs. However, there’s often a disconnect between what is said and what an employee...
Packaging is often one of the last pieces to come together in R&D activities, yet it is often the first experience users have with a new product. The design of a product’s packaging can set the...
Building rapport is key to collecting quality data. A safe environment where participants feel their opinions are valued encourages them to openly express their thoughts without fear of judgement or...
Throughout my career, I’ve been used to dense, urban environments, teeming with people and movement and action. An all-remote work environment couldn’t be any more different. Joining a company...
The healthcare industry continues to evolve its use of smart devices, ranging from wearable technology to remote monitoring, but with innovation brings new obstacles in meeting patients’ needs. As...
It is with many emotions that we reflect on the one-year mark since the world shut down. We are filled with sadness over the loss of life and for loved ones that continue to be impacted by COVID-19....
For most of us, keeping up with the latest tech updates is exhausting, but for my 90-year-old father it is impossible. I get phone calls from him every day because I am the only one he seems to be...
An interview with Dr. Enid Montague Designing products and systems with equity in mind impacts every domain: civics, voting, healthcare, technology, banking, cars, etc. As we continue to learn, many...
With years of experience conducting human factors research with injection devices, we wanted to share some data-driven insights to those involved in the product development for these devices. We...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented...
Both patients and clinics have had to rapidly adopt to telehealth due to safety concerns associated with in-person visits. Last summer, we published a blog post highlighting common areas of concern...
As researchers, we know the importance and power of asking a good question. When the question is good, the answer you receive is more specific, detailed, and insightful. When the question is not the...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that...
For those of us who are new to working from home full time, it may have taken a few months of quarantine for the importance of a well-designed home office to really set in. As more people plan to...
Anyone who has spent time with an inquisitive toddler knows how persistently they ask “Why?” about anything and everything. As researchers, we have important lessons to learn from their curiosity:...
Given the multidisciplinary nature of MedTech and connected health, we have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of professionals including engineers of many stripes, scientists, researchers,...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and...
Let’s be real: While some aspects of a physical product like a medical device or home appliance can be evaluated over Zoom, there are certain experiences that can only be measured in person as it...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be...
“How can we help?” This is a question we have found ourselves asking both personally and professionally amidst unprecedented events caused by COVID-19. As a company, over half of our work is...
As part of the overall human factors effort associated with the development of a medical device, critical tasks1 must be determined and evaluated. To support testing of critical tasks related to a...
It does not matter what you do for a living, where you do it, or who you do it for – the global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we work in one way or another. UX research is no different. At a...
We are frequently reminded, as user experience (UX) and human factors (HF) researchers, that our work matters. We research products that impact millions of lives; whether it is to design a safer and...
I recently attended a conference on human factors and medical devices. In one session, on the topic of moderating usability test sessions, the speaker used the phrase “Be the student” to describe...
Millions of people, by choice or circumstance, take advantage of the sharing economy, an economic model based on peer-to-peer sharing of goods and services. Some of the largest contributors and most...
HCPs and Telehealth by Chris Goesel, Kamila Lada Part 1 ∙ UX research reveals common concerns from HCPs about telehealth technology Pharmaceutical manufacturers and health IT developers are looking...
You have written the screener, kicked off your recruit weeks before the study, you keep in regular communication with the recruiter and things seem to be going well. You are at the Friday before...
The Bold Insight team offers some key insights from the conference, most from the medical and drug delivery device track, but some general insights as well.
As designers, we assume users will behave the way we expect them to behave. Unfortunately for us, humans are unpredictable … attempts to model behavior typically predict less than 10% of actions....
During usability, when participants have trouble using something we often hear ‘I could do better but I’d just have to get used to it.’ This is a common phrase; it typically means there are...
Arriving at a fantastic design rarely happens by magic or luck. More typically, it occurs through a great deal of work … including revisions, iterations, and seeking out the voice of the user. We...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 6 ∙ 6 UX trends for 2019 There are reasons to be both optimistic and somewhat cautious about what’s coming in 2019 for the UX...
Bold Insight started out small, much like my former company 20 years earlier, User Centric, where a few set off with lofty ideas and a plan. But this time, we are smarter. We learned from the...
Earlier this year, I was a part of a formative study for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to investigate patients’ opinions about a new liquid medication delivery device. It was a daily dose that came...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital...
During a recent study, we asked participants how long they thought they would have to speak in order for their voice to be uniquely recognized (i.e., voice print). While their estimates varied...
As a company with many channels, you should always be looking at the ways in which customers connect with you. Movement across channels often reflects customer choice, but it also may reveal poor UX...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 4 ∙ UX principles for robot design: Have we begun to baseline? In a previous post, I discussed the challenges of designing a user...
A quick follow-up to our blog posts about AI… The name of the game is no longer Moore's Law where we see processors getting exponentially faster. AI technology is driven not by computing processes...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 3 ∙ The critical component missing from AI technology In our last post on artificial intelligence (AI) , we discussed the three...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 2 ∙ Three things to improve acceptance of AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest topics in tech right now....
Minimizing bias and mitigating risks to validity Earlier this month we attended the 4th Annual Human Factors Excellence for Medical Device Design. We had a great time connecting with clients and...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 1 ∙ Singularity and the potential impact on UX design principles The times they are a-changin’. I know it’s a corny, overused refrain...
The idea of connected devices and a connected home fascinates me – I’m all for anything that makes my life more convenient! I have Alexa in pretty much every room of my house; she’s even in my car....
An interview with Carlos Manalo (Co-Founder at The Office of Experience) and Gavin Lew (Managing Director, Bold Insight). What is the history with Bold Insight and The Office of Experience?...
I recently completed a training to become a certified UX-PM trainer. While I’ve worked in the UX field for the last 7 years, going through this training was a nice, compact reminder of how to...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user...
Currently, diabetes is diagnosed as either Type 1 or Type 2 (setting aside gestational diabetes). Research has suggested that diabetes should be reclassified into multiple separate diseases; a group...
Point-of-sale (POS) interfaces are increasingly consumer facing. No longer limited to employee use, the customer often places their own order. Or, if the order is entered by the employee, the...
Post-market surveillance is already an important component of human factors analyses that inform the development of any safe and effective medical device. For manufacturers of Software as a Medical...
I just switched phones from iOS to Android. In re-creating my new phone environment, I was irritated by how many apps and settings I had to confirm. Later in the day, I got an email from my dentist...
Pre-Symposium U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workshops have become the norm over the past few years at the annual International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care....
After recently conducting research on drivers’ experience with technology in their vehicles, I reflected on what has changed about that experience in the last 10 years…. and what hasn’t changed. The...
One of the CES presentations I attended was a panel in the sports technology track called, The Future of Fan Engagement. The panel discussed cutting-edge research in the sports tech market and...
Good design involves understanding and incorporating core UX elements (people, environment, and tasks), but frictionless voice UI design needs more: UX designers need to understand the idiosyncrasies of voice as a medium. What we learn, and how those insights are translated into a voice interface design is a new challenge for UX design.
We thought we’d have a little fun and, at the same time, share our perspectives on the relationship between user research and user-centered design via gridiron metaphor.
If history has shown that payer behavior tends to shift once a critical mass has been achieved, and we are on the precipice of achieving that critical mass for digital therapeutics, having a “user friendly solution” is about to replace “having a reimbursable solution” as the #1 factor affecting physician prescribing behavior.
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user groups that become more defined throughout the product development life cycle, but every time, even the...
Our team has seen an increase in requests for rolling research to support product design across multiple industries, from consumer goods to healthcare. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of executing this model of research and why it can revolutionize the way product teams approach incorporating...
In an industry where we rely on research data to improve product designs, we need to take steps to ensure that our sample for testing reflects all intended users; we need to ask, "is this product really designed for all intended users, including those who do not conform to the gender binary?" An...
Over the past few years, many teams have made the move towards becoming a more dispersed workforce. Along with the influx of solutions aimed at providing integrated communication between colleagues who no longer work together in a physical space, new pain points around efficiency and protocol have...
In user research, the protection of participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) is paramount. Globally, privacy concerns and policy are becoming more center stage and it is increasingly important to be transparent and precise about the data processing activities (e.g., collecting...
A generational gap exists in the workplace around gender identity. For companies and organizations to successfully attract much-needed knowledge workers from emerging generations, including Millennials and Gen Z, leaders have a pressing need to expand and change the way that they think about...
At Bold Insight, we are definitely not leaders on public health. But we are practitioners of how to ask questions and get at the heart of what’s needed and desired across your customer base and employee base. You’re likely facing new challenges in the workforce with the Omicron variant of COVID,...
One of the biggest hurdles to a smoothly-run global research project is the planning of logistics. Most research teams are aware that different customs need to be taken into account when conducting global research, as certain cultures are more punctual than others or may expect different standards...
Global user experience (UX) research comes with unique challenges that require planning and consideration. One area to focus on is how a study’s research materials and testing environments will be prepared. While most teams allocate for the translation of some study materials, there are other...
Twenty years of global research have taught us (sometimes the hard way) that challenges can arise when prepping devices or other products for international research. When not accounted for, these factors can threaten the validity of insights gleaned from the research, or at minimum introduce...
Companies today are highly vocal about promoting an environment of openness and support for individual employee needs. However, there’s often a disconnect between what is said and what an employee feels about how much support they would receive from their manager and company leadership if they...
Packaging is often one of the last pieces to come together in R&D activities, yet it is often the first experience users have with a new product. The design of a product’s packaging can set the tone for the entire user experience. Within the medical device space, considering the human factors...
Building rapport is key to collecting quality data. A safe environment where participants feel their opinions are valued encourages them to openly express their thoughts without fear of judgement or making mistakes. In remote sessions, the layer of technology between the moderator and participant...
Throughout my career, I’ve been used to dense, urban environments, teeming with people and movement and action. An all-remote work environment couldn’t be any more different. Joining a company during the pandemic required me to exercise social and professional skills all while adjusting to remote...
The healthcare industry continues to evolve its use of smart devices, ranging from wearable technology to remote monitoring, but with innovation brings new obstacles in meeting patients’ needs. As UX researchers and designers, we have played a key role in helping design solutions to these complex...
It is with many emotions that we reflect on the one-year mark since the world shut down. We are filled with sadness over the loss of life and for loved ones that continue to be impacted by COVID-19. At the same time, we’re filled with hope. There will be many articles that accompany this somber...
For most of us, keeping up with the latest tech updates is exhausting, but for my 90-year-old father it is impossible. I get phone calls from him every day because I am the only one he seems to be able to reach when he tries to use his phone. He pushes so many buttons on his phone that he gets...
An interview with Dr. Enid Montague Designing products and systems with equity in mind impacts every domain: civics, voting, healthcare, technology, banking, cars, etc. As we continue to learn, many human-centered systems are not inclusive to all groups of people. So, this raises the question,...
With years of experience conducting human factors research with injection devices, we wanted to share some data-driven insights to those involved in the product development for these devices. We have pulled together five research and design tips to mitigate use-related risk for injection devices:...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented times? How could we work safely with people when we were advised to not be around one another? As a...
Both patients and clinics have had to rapidly adopt to telehealth due to safety concerns associated with in-person visits. Last summer, we published a blog post highlighting common areas of concern that healthcare professionals (HCPs) have when using telehealth. We suspected a gap between...
As researchers, we know the importance and power of asking a good question. When the question is good, the answer you receive is more specific, detailed, and insightful. When the question is not the best, participants tend to ramble, answer vaguely, or completely miss the question’s intent. Remote...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that deliver on users’ needs and expectations while delighting and engaging visitors will be prioritized...
For those of us who are new to working from home full time, it may have taken a few months of quarantine for the importance of a well-designed home office to really set in. As more people plan to shift to fully-remote office work even after the pandemic is over, now is a great time to consider...
Anyone who has spent time with an inquisitive toddler knows how persistently they ask “Why?” about anything and everything. As researchers, we have important lessons to learn from their curiosity: 1. Toddlers’ questioning feels repetitive and bombarding; asking “why” requires tact. Think back to...
Given the multidisciplinary nature of MedTech and connected health, we have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of professionals including engineers of many stripes, scientists, researchers, designers, experts in regulatory, and quality management. Our collaborations with the talented UX...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans have developed a tactile relationship with technology and design. The problem with creating a...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a language barrier, the research would be unable to progress.Using real-time interpretation helps to...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and models. User feedback on what they like, dislike, or find confusing about their current vehicle can...
Let’s be real: While some aspects of a physical product like a medical device or home appliance can be evaluated over Zoom, there are certain experiences that can only be measured in person as it requires physical interaction interact with the device. As locations relax shelter-in-place...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold Insight’s Managing Partner Korey Johnson describes why at least some of this research must be...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for service-based companies to invest in UX research to improve and enhance the design of their mobile apps. Bold...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would have otherwise been conducted in person if not for COVID. We’ve published some ourselves (Three...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be ideal, circumstances may warrant a more flexible approach to contextual research. Here are three...
“How can we help?” This is a question we have found ourselves asking both personally and professionally amidst unprecedented events caused by COVID-19. As a company, over half of our work is involved in healthcare, so we feel invested to help solve these problems. From working alongside our...
As part of the overall human factors effort associated with the development of a medical device, critical tasks1 must be determined and evaluated. To support testing of critical tasks related to a device, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the hazards associated with use of the...
It does not matter what you do for a living, where you do it, or who you do it for – the global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we work in one way or another. UX research is no different. At a time when travel and face-to-face communication are viewed more as risks than benefits, Bold Insight...
We are frequently reminded, as user experience (UX) and human factors (HF) researchers, that our work matters. We research products that impact millions of lives; whether it is to design a safer and easier-to-use medical device, a more efficient and less frustrating call center experience, or new...
I recently attended a conference on human factors and medical devices. In one session, on the topic of moderating usability test sessions, the speaker used the phrase “Be the student” to describe the attitude the moderator should have when conducting this type of research. That is, while the...
Millions of people, by choice or circumstance, take advantage of the sharing economy, an economic model based on peer-to-peer sharing of goods and services. Some of the largest contributors and most well-known players in this game are companies that offer ridesharing, short-term accommodation,...
HCPs and Telehealth by Chris Goesel, Kamila Lada Part 1 ∙ UX research reveals common concerns from HCPs about telehealth technology Pharmaceutical manufacturers and health IT developers are looking for ways to incorporate features into products that increase and improve communication channels...
You have written the screener, kicked off your recruit weeks before the study, you keep in regular communication with the recruiter and things seem to be going well. You are at the Friday before your study and you only have one slot to fill. Your recruiter is confident and you are feeling good!...
The Bold Insight team offers some key insights from the conference, most from the medical and drug delivery device track, but some general insights as well.
As designers, we assume users will behave the way we expect them to behave. Unfortunately for us, humans are unpredictable … attempts to model behavior typically predict less than 10% of actions. Consider the Theory of Planned Behavior, which suggests behaviors depend on an individual’s attitude,...
During usability, when participants have trouble using something we often hear ‘I could do better but I’d just have to get used to it.’ This is a common phrase; it typically means there are usability issues. But maybe something more subtle is at play. Sometimes the designs we test are not expected...
Arriving at a fantastic design rarely happens by magic or luck. More typically, it occurs through a great deal of work … including revisions, iterations, and seeking out the voice of the user. We know this. It makes sense. Yet, stakeholders still cut design cycles short because they can’t be sure...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 6 ∙ 6 UX trends for 2019 There are reasons to be both optimistic and somewhat cautious about what’s coming in 2019 for the UX industry. Walking through the expansive halls of CES, as I have done every year for the last 10 years,...
Bold Insight started out small, much like my former company 20 years earlier, User Centric, where a few set off with lofty ideas and a plan. But this time, we are smarter. We learned from the growing pains, the corporate red tape, and how to run a business better to ultimately benefit our clients....
Earlier this year, I was a part of a formative study for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to investigate patients’ opinions about a new liquid medication delivery device. It was a daily dose that came in one-time-use bottles made of plastic, meaning patients would have to dispose of approximately 30...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are fundamentally altering the in-car experience; the extent to which these developments are implemented...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital technologies advance. For the next installment of our Bold Future of UX blog series, we look at how the...
During a recent study, we asked participants how long they thought they would have to speak in order for their voice to be uniquely recognized (i.e., voice print). While their estimates varied widely - from 30 seconds to 30 minutes - most people said about three to five minutes. The reality is,...
As a company with many channels, you should always be looking at the ways in which customers connect with you. Movement across channels often reflects customer choice, but it also may reveal poor UX in a channel. In other words, ‘channel hopping’ is often driven by a failure of usability or a lack...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 4 ∙ UX principles for robot design: Have we begun to baseline? In a previous post, I discussed the challenges of designing a user experience for AI and how it needs three components to truly deliver on the promise of the technology:...
A quick follow-up to our blog posts about AI… The name of the game is no longer Moore's Law where we see processors getting exponentially faster. AI technology is driven not by computing processes of the past, but from an evolution beyond central processing unit (CPU) advances to graphics...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 3 ∙ The critical component missing from AI technology In our last post on artificial intelligence (AI) , we discussed the three pillars that AI needs to consider to be successful: context, interaction, and trust. In this post, we...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 2 ∙ Three things to improve acceptance of AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest topics in tech right now. Conversations around AI inevitably lead to dreams of a world where a computer is predicting every need one...
Minimizing bias and mitigating risks to validity Earlier this month we attended the 4th Annual Human Factors Excellence for Medical Device Design. We had a great time connecting with clients and colleagues (and gave away some awesome cooler backpacks). We also enjoyed the conference topics ranging...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 1 ∙ Singularity and the potential impact on UX design principles The times they are a-changin’. I know it’s a corny, overused refrain but I don’t think that it has ever been truer. Technology, as well as its impact on society, is...
The idea of connected devices and a connected home fascinates me – I’m all for anything that makes my life more convenient! I have Alexa in pretty much every room of my house; she’s even in my car. However, as I expand my connected home network, I have struggled with setting up additional devices...
An interview with Carlos Manalo (Co-Founder at The Office of Experience) and Gavin Lew (Managing Director, Bold Insight). What is the history with Bold Insight and The Office of Experience? Gavin: Over the last few years, the impact of user experience (UX) on an organization’s brand has...
I recently completed a training to become a certified UX-PM trainer. While I’ve worked in the UX field for the last 7 years, going through this training was a nice, compact reminder of how to integrate UX into the overall product design experience. It was a great opportunity to think big picture,...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user population, stimuli, or even personal preferences for where the research should take place. Because of...
Currently, diabetes is diagnosed as either Type 1 or Type 2 (setting aside gestational diabetes). Research has suggested that diabetes should be reclassified into multiple separate diseases; a group of scientists in Scandinavia argues for 5 (where others argue for as many as 11). Either way, one...
Point-of-sale (POS) interfaces are increasingly consumer facing. No longer limited to employee use, the customer often places their own order. Or, if the order is entered by the employee, the customer frequently sees a more detailed order summary than has traditionally been presented. On a recent...
Post-market surveillance is already an important component of human factors analyses that inform the development of any safe and effective medical device. For manufacturers of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) that elect to participate in the FDA’s Digital Health Software Precertification...
I just switched phones from iOS to Android. In re-creating my new phone environment, I was irritated by how many apps and settings I had to confirm. Later in the day, I got an email from my dentist office asking me to confirm my appointment. Then I made a reservation for dinner on an app, yet the...
Pre-Symposium U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workshops have become the norm over the past few years at the annual International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care. This year, both Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Center for Devices and Radiological...
After recently conducting research on drivers’ experience with technology in their vehicles, I reflected on what has changed about that experience in the last 10 years…. and what hasn’t changed. The availability of customized, on-demand, and context-appropriate information in in-vehicle displays...
One of the CES presentations I attended was a panel in the sports technology track called, The Future of Fan Engagement. The panel discussed cutting-edge research in the sports tech market and perspectives on the relationship between emergent media technologies and sports fandom. Sandra Lopez,...
Good design involves understanding and incorporating core UX elements (people, environment, and tasks), but frictionless voice UI design needs more: UX designers need to understand the idiosyncrasies of voice as a medium. What we learn, and how those insights are translated into a voice interface design is a new challenge for UX design.
We thought we’d have a little fun and, at the same time, share our perspectives on the relationship between user research and user-centered design via gridiron metaphor.
If history has shown that payer behavior tends to shift once a critical mass has been achieved, and we are on the precipice of achieving that critical mass for digital therapeutics, having a “user friendly solution” is about to replace “having a reimbursable solution” as the #1 factor affecting physician prescribing behavior.
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are...
I recently completed a training to become a certified UX-PM trainer. While I’ve worked in the UX field for the last 7 years, going through this training was a nice, compact reminder of how to...
After recently conducting research on drivers’ experience with technology in their vehicles, I reflected on what has changed about that experience in the last 10 years…. and what hasn’t changed. The...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and models. User feedback on what they like, dislike, or find confusing about their current vehicle can...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are fundamentally altering the in-car experience; the extent to which these developments are implemented...
I recently completed a training to become a certified UX-PM trainer. While I’ve worked in the UX field for the last 7 years, going through this training was a nice, compact reminder of how to integrate UX into the overall product design experience. It was a great opportunity to think big picture,...
After recently conducting research on drivers’ experience with technology in their vehicles, I reflected on what has changed about that experience in the last 10 years…. and what hasn’t changed. The availability of customized, on-demand, and context-appropriate information in in-vehicle displays...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital...
The idea of connected devices and a connected home fascinates me – I’m all for anything that makes my life more convenient! I have Alexa in pretty much every room of my house; she’s even in my car....
Point-of-sale (POS) interfaces are increasingly consumer facing. No longer limited to employee use, the customer often places their own order. Or, if the order is entered by the employee, the...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that deliver on users’ needs and expectations while delighting and engaging visitors will be prioritized...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans have developed a tactile relationship with technology and design. The problem with creating a...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital technologies advance. For the next installment of our Bold Future of UX blog series, we look at how the...
The idea of connected devices and a connected home fascinates me – I’m all for anything that makes my life more convenient! I have Alexa in pretty much every room of my house; she’s even in my car. However, as I expand my connected home network, I have struggled with setting up additional devices...
Point-of-sale (POS) interfaces are increasingly consumer facing. No longer limited to employee use, the customer often places their own order. Or, if the order is entered by the employee, the customer frequently sees a more detailed order summary than has traditionally been presented. On a recent...
At Bold Insight, we are definitely not leaders on public health. But we are practitioners of how to ask questions and get at the heart of what’s needed and desired across your customer base and...
Throughout my career, I’ve been used to dense, urban environments, teeming with people and movement and action. An all-remote work environment couldn’t be any more different. Joining a company...
It is with many emotions that we reflect on the one-year mark since the world shut down. We are filled with sadness over the loss of life and for loved ones that continue to be impacted by COVID-19....
Bold Insight Managing Partners Bob Schumacher and Gavin Lew will present at the 16th UX Masterclass on December 4-5, 2020. This year, the conference will be held virtually and is hosted by...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented...
Like many conferences, the shift to a virtual format will apply to this year’s Intellus Worldwide Summit. The Fall vForum will extend over four days and highlight topics that are top of mind for the healthcare insights and analytics community.
Both patients and clinics have had to rapidly adopt to telehealth due to safety concerns associated with in-person visits. Last summer, we published a blog post highlighting common areas of concern...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans...
Bold Insight conducts research that informs the development of safe and effective products, including medical devices. The portion of the research that is related to the commercialization of medical...
Let’s be real: While some aspects of a physical product like a medical device or home appliance can be evaluated over Zoom, there are certain experiences that can only be measured in person as it...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be...
“How can we help?” This is a question we have found ourselves asking both personally and professionally amidst unprecedented events caused by COVID-19. As a company, over half of our work is...
UPDATED ON MARCH 31, 2020 Bold Insight has been keeping abreast of all COVID-19 impacts to research, and we are well prepared to deal with implications. Managing Partner Gavin Lew has...
It does not matter what you do for a living, where you do it, or who you do it for – the global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we work in one way or another. UX research is no different. At a...
At Bold Insight, we are definitely not leaders on public health. But we are practitioners of how to ask questions and get at the heart of what’s needed and desired across your customer base and employee base. You’re likely facing new challenges in the workforce with the Omicron variant of COVID,...
Throughout my career, I’ve been used to dense, urban environments, teeming with people and movement and action. An all-remote work environment couldn’t be any more different. Joining a company during the pandemic required me to exercise social and professional skills all while adjusting to remote...
It is with many emotions that we reflect on the one-year mark since the world shut down. We are filled with sadness over the loss of life and for loved ones that continue to be impacted by COVID-19. At the same time, we’re filled with hope. There will be many articles that accompany this somber...
Bold Insight Managing Partners Bob Schumacher and Gavin Lew will present at the 16th UX Masterclass on December 4-5, 2020. This year, the conference will be held virtually and is hosted by PeepalDesign and UXalliance. The conference theme, The Changing Faces of UX: Global perspectives, will...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented times? How could we work safely with people when we were advised to not be around one another? As a...
Like many conferences, the shift to a virtual format will apply to this year’s Intellus Worldwide Summit. The Fall vForum will extend over four days and highlight topics that are top of mind for the healthcare insights and analytics community.
Both patients and clinics have had to rapidly adopt to telehealth due to safety concerns associated with in-person visits. Last summer, we published a blog post highlighting common areas of concern that healthcare professionals (HCPs) have when using telehealth. We suspected a gap between...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans have developed a tactile relationship with technology and design. The problem with creating a...
Bold Insight conducts research that informs the development of safe and effective products, including medical devices. The portion of the research that is related to the commercialization of medical devices is therefore considered Essential Business as defined in Illinois Executive Order 2020-32...
Let’s be real: While some aspects of a physical product like a medical device or home appliance can be evaluated over Zoom, there are certain experiences that can only be measured in person as it requires physical interaction interact with the device. As locations relax shelter-in-place...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold Insight’s Managing Partner Korey Johnson describes why at least some of this research must be...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for service-based companies to invest in UX research to improve and enhance the design of their mobile apps. Bold...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would have otherwise been conducted in person if not for COVID. We’ve published some ourselves (Three...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be ideal, circumstances may warrant a more flexible approach to contextual research. Here are three...
“How can we help?” This is a question we have found ourselves asking both personally and professionally amidst unprecedented events caused by COVID-19. As a company, over half of our work is involved in healthcare, so we feel invested to help solve these problems. From working alongside our...
UPDATED ON MARCH 31, 2020 Bold Insight has been keeping abreast of all COVID-19 impacts to research, and we are well prepared to deal with implications. Managing Partner Gavin Lew has experienced widespread, project-impacting challenges like this in the past and commented, "we realize that...
It does not matter what you do for a living, where you do it, or who you do it for – the global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we work in one way or another. UX research is no different. At a time when travel and face-to-face communication are viewed more as risks than benefits, Bold Insight...
Our team has seen an increase in requests for rolling research to support product design across multiple industries, from consumer goods to healthcare. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of executing...
In an industry where we rely on research data to improve product designs, we need to take steps to ensure that our sample for testing reflects all intended users; we need to ask, "is this product...
In user research, the protection of participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) is paramount. Globally, privacy concerns and policy are becoming more center stage and it is increasingly...
Throughout my career, I’ve been used to dense, urban environments, teeming with people and movement and action. An all-remote work environment couldn’t be any more different. Joining a company...
For most of us, keeping up with the latest tech updates is exhausting, but for my 90-year-old father it is impossible. I get phone calls from him every day because I am the only one he seems to be...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that...
For those of us who are new to working from home full time, it may have taken a few months of quarantine for the importance of a well-designed home office to really set in. As more people plan to...
Anyone who has spent time with an inquisitive toddler knows how persistently they ask “Why?” about anything and everything. As researchers, we have important lessons to learn from their curiosity:...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be...
Millions of people, by choice or circumstance, take advantage of the sharing economy, an economic model based on peer-to-peer sharing of goods and services. Some of the largest contributors and most...
Arriving at a fantastic design rarely happens by magic or luck. More typically, it occurs through a great deal of work … including revisions, iterations, and seeking out the voice of the user. We...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 6 ∙ 6 UX trends for 2019 There are reasons to be both optimistic and somewhat cautious about what’s coming in 2019 for the UX...
Bold Insight started out small, much like my former company 20 years earlier, User Centric, where a few set off with lofty ideas and a plan. But this time, we are smarter. We learned from the...
Earlier this year, I was a part of a formative study for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to investigate patients’ opinions about a new liquid medication delivery device. It was a daily dose that came...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are...
As a company with many channels, you should always be looking at the ways in which customers connect with you. Movement across channels often reflects customer choice, but it also may reveal poor UX...
An interview with Carlos Manalo (Co-Founder at The Office of Experience) and Gavin Lew (Managing Director, Bold Insight). What is the history with Bold Insight and The Office of Experience?...
I recently completed a training to become a certified UX-PM trainer. While I’ve worked in the UX field for the last 7 years, going through this training was a nice, compact reminder of how to...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user...
I just switched phones from iOS to Android. In re-creating my new phone environment, I was irritated by how many apps and settings I had to confirm. Later in the day, I got an email from my dentist...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher offers insights on getting started with global research in part three of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 1 - Why invest in global research? Webisode 2 -...
Bob Schumacher outlines design localization and its impact on global user research in part two of this three-part series. Webisode 1 -Why invest in...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher, editor of The Handbook of Global User Research, breaks down the benefits of global research in part one of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 2 - Global User...
We thought we’d have a little fun and, at the same time, share our perspectives on the relationship between user research and user-centered design via gridiron metaphor.
Our team has seen an increase in requests for rolling research to support product design across multiple industries, from consumer goods to healthcare. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of executing this model of research and why it can revolutionize the way product teams approach incorporating...
In an industry where we rely on research data to improve product designs, we need to take steps to ensure that our sample for testing reflects all intended users; we need to ask, "is this product really designed for all intended users, including those who do not conform to the gender binary?" An...
In user research, the protection of participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) is paramount. Globally, privacy concerns and policy are becoming more center stage and it is increasingly important to be transparent and precise about the data processing activities (e.g., collecting...
Throughout my career, I’ve been used to dense, urban environments, teeming with people and movement and action. An all-remote work environment couldn’t be any more different. Joining a company during the pandemic required me to exercise social and professional skills all while adjusting to remote...
For most of us, keeping up with the latest tech updates is exhausting, but for my 90-year-old father it is impossible. I get phone calls from him every day because I am the only one he seems to be able to reach when he tries to use his phone. He pushes so many buttons on his phone that he gets...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented times? How could we work safely with people when we were advised to not be around one another? As a...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that deliver on users’ needs and expectations while delighting and engaging visitors will be prioritized...
For those of us who are new to working from home full time, it may have taken a few months of quarantine for the importance of a well-designed home office to really set in. As more people plan to shift to fully-remote office work even after the pandemic is over, now is a great time to consider...
Anyone who has spent time with an inquisitive toddler knows how persistently they ask “Why?” about anything and everything. As researchers, we have important lessons to learn from their curiosity: 1. Toddlers’ questioning feels repetitive and bombarding; asking “why” requires tact. Think back to...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans have developed a tactile relationship with technology and design. The problem with creating a...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for service-based companies to invest in UX research to improve and enhance the design of their mobile apps. Bold...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be ideal, circumstances may warrant a more flexible approach to contextual research. Here are three...
Millions of people, by choice or circumstance, take advantage of the sharing economy, an economic model based on peer-to-peer sharing of goods and services. Some of the largest contributors and most well-known players in this game are companies that offer ridesharing, short-term accommodation,...
Arriving at a fantastic design rarely happens by magic or luck. More typically, it occurs through a great deal of work … including revisions, iterations, and seeking out the voice of the user. We know this. It makes sense. Yet, stakeholders still cut design cycles short because they can’t be sure...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 6 ∙ 6 UX trends for 2019 There are reasons to be both optimistic and somewhat cautious about what’s coming in 2019 for the UX industry. Walking through the expansive halls of CES, as I have done every year for the last 10 years,...
Bold Insight started out small, much like my former company 20 years earlier, User Centric, where a few set off with lofty ideas and a plan. But this time, we are smarter. We learned from the growing pains, the corporate red tape, and how to run a business better to ultimately benefit our clients....
Earlier this year, I was a part of a formative study for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to investigate patients’ opinions about a new liquid medication delivery device. It was a daily dose that came in one-time-use bottles made of plastic, meaning patients would have to dispose of approximately 30...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are fundamentally altering the in-car experience; the extent to which these developments are implemented...
As a company with many channels, you should always be looking at the ways in which customers connect with you. Movement across channels often reflects customer choice, but it also may reveal poor UX in a channel. In other words, ‘channel hopping’ is often driven by a failure of usability or a lack...
An interview with Carlos Manalo (Co-Founder at The Office of Experience) and Gavin Lew (Managing Director, Bold Insight). What is the history with Bold Insight and The Office of Experience? Gavin: Over the last few years, the impact of user experience (UX) on an organization’s brand has...
I recently completed a training to become a certified UX-PM trainer. While I’ve worked in the UX field for the last 7 years, going through this training was a nice, compact reminder of how to integrate UX into the overall product design experience. It was a great opportunity to think big picture,...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user population, stimuli, or even personal preferences for where the research should take place. Because of...
I just switched phones from iOS to Android. In re-creating my new phone environment, I was irritated by how many apps and settings I had to confirm. Later in the day, I got an email from my dentist office asking me to confirm my appointment. Then I made a reservation for dinner on an app, yet the...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher offers insights on getting started with global research in part three of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 1 - Why invest in global research? Webisode 2 - Global User Research: Things to think about
Bob Schumacher outlines design localization and its impact on global user research in part two of this three-part series. Webisode 1 -Why invest in global research? Webisode 3 - Global User Research: Where to...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher, editor of The Handbook of Global User Research, breaks down the benefits of global research in part one of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 2 - Global User Research: Things to think about Webisode 3 - Global User Research: Where to start
We thought we’d have a little fun and, at the same time, share our perspectives on the relationship between user research and user-centered design via gridiron metaphor.
One of the biggest hurdles to a smoothly-run global research project is the planning of logistics. Most research teams are aware that different customs need to be taken into account when conducting...
Global user experience (UX) research comes with unique challenges that require planning and consideration. One area to focus on is how a study’s research materials and testing environments will be...
Twenty years of global research have taught us (sometimes the hard way) that challenges can arise when prepping devices or other products for international research. When not accounted for, these...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher offers insights on getting started with global research in part three of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 1 - Why invest in global research? Webisode 2 -...
Bob Schumacher outlines design localization and its impact on global user research in part two of this three-part series. Webisode 1 -Why invest in...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher, editor of The Handbook of Global User Research, breaks down the benefits of global research in part one of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 2 - Global User...
One of the biggest hurdles to a smoothly-run global research project is the planning of logistics. Most research teams are aware that different customs need to be taken into account when conducting global research, as certain cultures are more punctual than others or may expect different standards...
Global user experience (UX) research comes with unique challenges that require planning and consideration. One area to focus on is how a study’s research materials and testing environments will be prepared. While most teams allocate for the translation of some study materials, there are other...
Twenty years of global research have taught us (sometimes the hard way) that challenges can arise when prepping devices or other products for international research. When not accounted for, these factors can threaten the validity of insights gleaned from the research, or at minimum introduce...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a language barrier, the research would be unable to progress.Using real-time interpretation helps to...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and models. User feedback on what they like, dislike, or find confusing about their current vehicle can...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital technologies advance. For the next installment of our Bold Future of UX blog series, we look at how the...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user population, stimuli, or even personal preferences for where the research should take place. Because of...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher offers insights on getting started with global research in part three of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 1 - Why invest in global research? Webisode 2 - Global User Research: Things to think about
Bob Schumacher outlines design localization and its impact on global user research in part two of this three-part series. Webisode 1 -Why invest in global research? Webisode 3 - Global User Research: Where to...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher, editor of The Handbook of Global User Research, breaks down the benefits of global research in part one of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 2 - Global User Research: Things to think about Webisode 3 - Global User Research: Where to start
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user...
Packaging is often one of the last pieces to come together in R&D activities, yet it is often the first experience users have with a new product. The design of a product’s packaging can set the...
Bold Insight will feature two trending topics during the 2021 International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care. Sharing lessons learned when managing in-person research with...
The healthcare industry continues to evolve its use of smart devices, ranging from wearable technology to remote monitoring, but with innovation brings new obstacles in meeting patients’ needs. As...
With years of experience conducting human factors research with injection devices, we wanted to share some data-driven insights to those involved in the product development for these devices. We...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented...
Like many conferences, the shift to a virtual format will apply to this year’s Intellus Worldwide Summit. The Fall vForum will extend over four days and highlight topics that are top of mind for the healthcare insights and analytics community.
Both patients and clinics have had to rapidly adopt to telehealth due to safety concerns associated with in-person visits. Last summer, we published a blog post highlighting common areas of concern...
Given the multidisciplinary nature of MedTech and connected health, we have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of professionals including engineers of many stripes, scientists, researchers,...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would...
As part of the overall human factors effort associated with the development of a medical device, critical tasks1 must be determined and evaluated. To support testing of critical tasks related to a...
Millions of people, by choice or circumstance, take advantage of the sharing economy, an economic model based on peer-to-peer sharing of goods and services. Some of the largest contributors and most...
The Bold Insight team offers some key insights from the conference, most from the medical and drug delivery device track, but some general insights as well.
Minimizing bias and mitigating risks to validity Earlier this month we attended the 4th Annual Human Factors Excellence for Medical Device Design. We had a great time connecting with clients and...
Currently, diabetes is diagnosed as either Type 1 or Type 2 (setting aside gestational diabetes). Research has suggested that diabetes should be reclassified into multiple separate diseases; a group...
Post-market surveillance is already an important component of human factors analyses that inform the development of any safe and effective medical device. For manufacturers of Software as a Medical...
Pre-Symposium U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workshops have become the norm over the past few years at the annual International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care....
If history has shown that payer behavior tends to shift once a critical mass has been achieved, and we are on the precipice of achieving that critical mass for digital therapeutics, having a “user friendly solution” is about to replace “having a reimbursable solution” as the #1 factor affecting physician prescribing behavior.
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user groups that become more defined throughout the product development life cycle, but every time, even the...
Packaging is often one of the last pieces to come together in R&D activities, yet it is often the first experience users have with a new product. The design of a product’s packaging can set the tone for the entire user experience. Within the medical device space, considering the human factors...
Bold Insight will feature two trending topics during the 2021 International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care. Sharing lessons learned when managing in-person research with vulnerable populations during COVID, Michelle Jahn Holbrook, Senior UX Researcher at Bold Insight, and...
The healthcare industry continues to evolve its use of smart devices, ranging from wearable technology to remote monitoring, but with innovation brings new obstacles in meeting patients’ needs. As UX researchers and designers, we have played a key role in helping design solutions to these complex...
With years of experience conducting human factors research with injection devices, we wanted to share some data-driven insights to those involved in the product development for these devices. We have pulled together five research and design tips to mitigate use-related risk for injection devices:...
When COVID-19 first reared its ugly head, the global UX community was one of many that reacted in despair as we considered the future of our work: How were we going to work in these unprecedented times? How could we work safely with people when we were advised to not be around one another? As a...
Like many conferences, the shift to a virtual format will apply to this year’s Intellus Worldwide Summit. The Fall vForum will extend over four days and highlight topics that are top of mind for the healthcare insights and analytics community.
Both patients and clinics have had to rapidly adopt to telehealth due to safety concerns associated with in-person visits. Last summer, we published a blog post highlighting common areas of concern that healthcare professionals (HCPs) have when using telehealth. We suspected a gap between...
Given the multidisciplinary nature of MedTech and connected health, we have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of professionals including engineers of many stripes, scientists, researchers, designers, experts in regulatory, and quality management. Our collaborations with the talented UX...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold Insight’s Managing Partner Korey Johnson describes why at least some of this research must be...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would have otherwise been conducted in person if not for COVID. We’ve published some ourselves (Three...
As part of the overall human factors effort associated with the development of a medical device, critical tasks1 must be determined and evaluated. To support testing of critical tasks related to a device, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the hazards associated with use of the...
Millions of people, by choice or circumstance, take advantage of the sharing economy, an economic model based on peer-to-peer sharing of goods and services. Some of the largest contributors and most well-known players in this game are companies that offer ridesharing, short-term accommodation,...
The Bold Insight team offers some key insights from the conference, most from the medical and drug delivery device track, but some general insights as well.
Minimizing bias and mitigating risks to validity Earlier this month we attended the 4th Annual Human Factors Excellence for Medical Device Design. We had a great time connecting with clients and colleagues (and gave away some awesome cooler backpacks). We also enjoyed the conference topics ranging...
Currently, diabetes is diagnosed as either Type 1 or Type 2 (setting aside gestational diabetes). Research has suggested that diabetes should be reclassified into multiple separate diseases; a group of scientists in Scandinavia argues for 5 (where others argue for as many as 11). Either way, one...
Post-market surveillance is already an important component of human factors analyses that inform the development of any safe and effective medical device. For manufacturers of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) that elect to participate in the FDA’s Digital Health Software Precertification...
Pre-Symposium U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workshops have become the norm over the past few years at the annual International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care. This year, both Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Center for Devices and Radiological...
If history has shown that payer behavior tends to shift once a critical mass has been achieved, and we are on the precipice of achieving that critical mass for digital therapeutics, having a “user friendly solution” is about to replace “having a reimbursable solution” as the #1 factor affecting physician prescribing behavior.
Building rapport is key to collecting quality data. A safe environment where participants feel their opinions are valued encourages them to openly express their thoughts without fear of judgement or...
Bold Insight Managing Partners Bob Schumacher and Gavin Lew will present at the 16th UX Masterclass on December 4-5, 2020. This year, the conference will be held virtually and is hosted by...
As researchers, we know the importance and power of asking a good question. When the question is good, the answer you receive is more specific, detailed, and insightful. When the question is not the...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be...
UPDATED ON MARCH 31, 2020 Bold Insight has been keeping abreast of all COVID-19 impacts to research, and we are well prepared to deal with implications. Managing Partner Gavin Lew has...
It does not matter what you do for a living, where you do it, or who you do it for – the global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we work in one way or another. UX research is no different. At a...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher offers insights on getting started with global research in part three of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 1 - Why invest in global research? Webisode 2 -...
Building rapport is key to collecting quality data. A safe environment where participants feel their opinions are valued encourages them to openly express their thoughts without fear of judgement or making mistakes. In remote sessions, the layer of technology between the moderator and participant...
Bold Insight Managing Partners Bob Schumacher and Gavin Lew will present at the 16th UX Masterclass on December 4-5, 2020. This year, the conference will be held virtually and is hosted by PeepalDesign and UXalliance. The conference theme, The Changing Faces of UX: Global perspectives, will...
As researchers, we know the importance and power of asking a good question. When the question is good, the answer you receive is more specific, detailed, and insightful. When the question is not the best, participants tend to ramble, answer vaguely, or completely miss the question’s intent. Remote...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that deliver on users’ needs and expectations while delighting and engaging visitors will be prioritized...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a language barrier, the research would be unable to progress.Using real-time interpretation helps to...
While COVID and social distancing poses challenges to automotive research, it also provides unique opportunities to assess the in-vehicle experience and identify opportunities in future makes and models. User feedback on what they like, dislike, or find confusing about their current vehicle can...
As an industry, we’ve done a lot thinking about the impact of COVID-19 on research that informs the development and commercialization of safe and effective medical devices. In this webisode, Bold Insight’s Managing Partner Korey Johnson describes why at least some of this research must be...
The impacts resulting from coronavirus are vast, and many of us hope to identify some things that can be made better because of it. One silver lining may be that it is the ideal time for service-based companies to invest in UX research to improve and enhance the design of their mobile apps. Bold...
How to continue to support development of safe and effective medical devices Many thought pieces are being pushed out around what remote research methods are available to replace research that would have otherwise been conducted in person if not for COVID. We’ve published some ourselves (Three...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be ideal, circumstances may warrant a more flexible approach to contextual research. Here are three...
UPDATED ON MARCH 31, 2020 Bold Insight has been keeping abreast of all COVID-19 impacts to research, and we are well prepared to deal with implications. Managing Partner Gavin Lew has experienced widespread, project-impacting challenges like this in the past and commented, "we realize that...
It does not matter what you do for a living, where you do it, or who you do it for – the global spread of COVID-19 has impacted how we work in one way or another. UX research is no different. At a time when travel and face-to-face communication are viewed more as risks than benefits, Bold Insight...
Managing Partner, Bob Schumacher offers insights on getting started with global research in part three of this three-part webisode series. Webisode 1 - Why invest in global research? Webisode 2 - Global User Research: Things to think about
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user...
Our team has seen an increase in requests for rolling research to support product design across multiple industries, from consumer goods to healthcare. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of executing...
In an industry where we rely on research data to improve product designs, we need to take steps to ensure that our sample for testing reflects all intended users; we need to ask, "is this product...
In user research, the protection of participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) is paramount. Globally, privacy concerns and policy are becoming more center stage and it is increasingly...
One of the biggest hurdles to a smoothly-run global research project is the planning of logistics. Most research teams are aware that different customs need to be taken into account when conducting...
Global user experience (UX) research comes with unique challenges that require planning and consideration. One area to focus on is how a study’s research materials and testing environments will be...
Twenty years of global research have taught us (sometimes the hard way) that challenges can arise when prepping devices or other products for international research. When not accounted for, these...
Building rapport is key to collecting quality data. A safe environment where participants feel their opinions are valued encourages them to openly express their thoughts without fear of judgement or...
An interview with Dr. Enid Montague Designing products and systems with equity in mind impacts every domain: civics, voting, healthcare, technology, banking, cars, etc. As we continue to learn, many...
As researchers, we know the importance and power of asking a good question. When the question is good, the answer you receive is more specific, detailed, and insightful. When the question is not the...
Anyone who has spent time with an inquisitive toddler knows how persistently they ask “Why?” about anything and everything. As researchers, we have important lessons to learn from their curiosity:...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be...
I recently attended a conference on human factors and medical devices. In one session, on the topic of moderating usability test sessions, the speaker used the phrase “Be the student” to describe...
You have written the screener, kicked off your recruit weeks before the study, you keep in regular communication with the recruiter and things seem to be going well. You are at the Friday before...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are...
During a recent study, we asked participants how long they thought they would have to speak in order for their voice to be uniquely recognized (i.e., voice print). While their estimates varied...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user...
Pre-Symposium U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workshops have become the norm over the past few years at the annual International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care....
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user groups that become more defined throughout the product development life cycle, but every time, even the...
Our team has seen an increase in requests for rolling research to support product design across multiple industries, from consumer goods to healthcare. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of executing this model of research and why it can revolutionize the way product teams approach incorporating...
In an industry where we rely on research data to improve product designs, we need to take steps to ensure that our sample for testing reflects all intended users; we need to ask, "is this product really designed for all intended users, including those who do not conform to the gender binary?" An...
In user research, the protection of participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) is paramount. Globally, privacy concerns and policy are becoming more center stage and it is increasingly important to be transparent and precise about the data processing activities (e.g., collecting...
One of the biggest hurdles to a smoothly-run global research project is the planning of logistics. Most research teams are aware that different customs need to be taken into account when conducting global research, as certain cultures are more punctual than others or may expect different standards...
Global user experience (UX) research comes with unique challenges that require planning and consideration. One area to focus on is how a study’s research materials and testing environments will be prepared. While most teams allocate for the translation of some study materials, there are other...
Twenty years of global research have taught us (sometimes the hard way) that challenges can arise when prepping devices or other products for international research. When not accounted for, these factors can threaten the validity of insights gleaned from the research, or at minimum introduce...
Building rapport is key to collecting quality data. A safe environment where participants feel their opinions are valued encourages them to openly express their thoughts without fear of judgement or making mistakes. In remote sessions, the layer of technology between the moderator and participant...
An interview with Dr. Enid Montague Designing products and systems with equity in mind impacts every domain: civics, voting, healthcare, technology, banking, cars, etc. As we continue to learn, many human-centered systems are not inclusive to all groups of people. So, this raises the question,...
As researchers, we know the importance and power of asking a good question. When the question is good, the answer you receive is more specific, detailed, and insightful. When the question is not the best, participants tend to ramble, answer vaguely, or completely miss the question’s intent. Remote...
Anyone who has spent time with an inquisitive toddler knows how persistently they ask “Why?” about anything and everything. As researchers, we have important lessons to learn from their curiosity: 1. Toddlers’ questioning feels repetitive and bombarding; asking “why” requires tact. Think back to...
With global partners and clients, one of the first obstacles to overcome during user research is addressing a language barrier. If any of the connections in the figure below are hindered by a language barrier, the research would be unable to progress.Using real-time interpretation helps to...
Conducting in-context research allows us to see action as it happens – show, don’t tell, in its truest form. But what happens when we can’t be in context in a given environment? While it may not be ideal, circumstances may warrant a more flexible approach to contextual research. Here are three...
I recently attended a conference on human factors and medical devices. In one session, on the topic of moderating usability test sessions, the speaker used the phrase “Be the student” to describe the attitude the moderator should have when conducting this type of research. That is, while the...
You have written the screener, kicked off your recruit weeks before the study, you keep in regular communication with the recruiter and things seem to be going well. You are at the Friday before your study and you only have one slot to fill. Your recruiter is confident and you are feeling good!...
There are many facets of the technological renaissance currently underway in the automotive industry. Development in areas such as infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving are fundamentally altering the in-car experience; the extent to which these developments are implemented...
During a recent study, we asked participants how long they thought they would have to speak in order for their voice to be uniquely recognized (i.e., voice print). While their estimates varied widely - from 30 seconds to 30 minutes - most people said about three to five minutes. The reality is,...
When we start planning UX projects for our clients, one of the main things that we keep in mind is that one size does NOT fit all. Every client has different needs due to method, target user population, stimuli, or even personal preferences for where the research should take place. Because of...
Pre-Symposium U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) workshops have become the norm over the past few years at the annual International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care. This year, both Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Center for Devices and Radiological...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital...
The idea of connected devices and a connected home fascinates me – I’m all for anything that makes my life more convenient! I have Alexa in pretty much every room of my house; she’s even in my car....
Point-of-sale (POS) interfaces are increasingly consumer facing. No longer limited to employee use, the customer often places their own order. Or, if the order is entered by the employee, the...
If you were waiting for a time to revamp your website, the time has arrived. Google recently announced that it will factor website user experience (UX) into search results. Sites with great UX that deliver on users’ needs and expectations while delighting and engaging visitors will be prioritized...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans have developed a tactile relationship with technology and design. The problem with creating a...
The bold future of UX: How new tech will shape the industry Part 5 ∙ When building next gen fintech, start with research in Africa The finance industry is changing in massive ways as digital technologies advance. For the next installment of our Bold Future of UX blog series, we look at how the...
The idea of connected devices and a connected home fascinates me – I’m all for anything that makes my life more convenient! I have Alexa in pretty much every room of my house; she’s even in my car. However, as I expand my connected home network, I have struggled with setting up additional devices...
Point-of-sale (POS) interfaces are increasingly consumer facing. No longer limited to employee use, the customer often places their own order. Or, if the order is entered by the employee, the customer frequently sees a more detailed order summary than has traditionally been presented. On a recent...
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans...
After recently conducting research on drivers’ experience with technology in their vehicles, I reflected on what has changed about that experience in the last 10 years…. and what hasn’t changed. The...
Good design involves understanding and incorporating core UX elements (people, environment, and tasks), but frictionless voice UI design needs more: UX designers need to understand the idiosyncrasies of voice as a medium. What we learn, and how those insights are translated into a voice interface design is a new challenge for UX design.
Up until this point, customers have been rewarded with a tactile-focused, sensory-filled experience with…almost everything. From the touchscreens on their phones to test driving a new car, humans have developed a tactile relationship with technology and design. The problem with creating a...
After recently conducting research on drivers’ experience with technology in their vehicles, I reflected on what has changed about that experience in the last 10 years…. and what hasn’t changed. The availability of customized, on-demand, and context-appropriate information in in-vehicle displays...
Good design involves understanding and incorporating core UX elements (people, environment, and tasks), but frictionless voice UI design needs more: UX designers need to understand the idiosyncrasies of voice as a medium. What we learn, and how those insights are translated into a voice interface design is a new challenge for UX design.