we are: London

Abu Dhabi Media Company

Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC), formed in June 2007, is Abu Dhabi’s national media company which includes Abu Dhabi TV, Abu Dhabi Sports and Emirates TV Channels, four radio stations and various publications including Al Ittihad (Arabic), The National (English) newspapers, Zahrat, Majid and Super magazines.

Requirements

We are:london were appointed by ADMC to help launch ‘The National’ newspaper website and help put processes into place to help with other ADMC projects.

With ADMC building up a new digital team, we are:london were asked to provide support across the various digital media projects providing process management, project management, user centred design and development skills.

The National Newspaper website

Approach

With tight deadlines across various project channels, as highly skilled consultants, we are:london’s team were tasked to implement processes for various projects to ensure that ADMC staff had the support necessary to successfully deliver these digital projects.

Working closely with key stakeholders within ADMC, we are:london’s team identified project goals and deliverables and helped plan for the long-term delivery of these various projects, helping to minimise risk and ensure successful launches.

We are:london have continued to provide on going support throughout 2008 as ADMC has been recruiting it’s digital team, across various aspects from strategy, project planning, user experience design, graphical design and template build.

Result

ADMC have successfully launched ‘The National’ website and are in the process of launching several other digital projects over the coming months, across TV, web and mobile platforms, which have had the continuing input and support from we are:london.

Abu Dhabi Media Company, Design, Research, Strategy competitor review, information architecture, Online surveys, rapid prototyping

Metropolitan Police careers website

Website usability testing

The Metropolitan Police Services (the Met) have launched a new careers section in their website. To be successful, the new site has to be user-friendly and raise the brand profile of the Met amongst the target audience.

we are:london were commissioned to test the site by Empower, the Met’s communication agency. Our research methodology included a series of user tasks, taxonomy cards and brand-based questions to analyse the customer experience.

we are:london provided an expert team to record both quantitative and qualitative results over three days at the Science Museum ’s testing lab. This data was then translated for the Met into constructive reports on:-

User interaction - to identify the most common routes used around the site and any stumbling blocks.

Card sort - to understand any problems with comprehension of current terminology.

Brand review - to evaluate external reaction to and understanding of the Met’s brand and message.

Competitor review - to benchmark against sites operating in similar fields.

Shelley Rees, Director of Empower, said:

“Ensuring the user leaves the careers site with a positive view and complete understanding of what is involved in the varied jobs offered by the Met is crucial to the success of this site, as is the ease of use and compliance with accessibility standards. we are:london’s expertise in user testing, research and usability ensured that the project ran smoothly and has lead to what is probably the most in-depth user study of any careers site in the UK .”

Design, Metropolitan Police, Research competitor review, Lab Research

panmacmillan.com

Usability for grown ups and kids

Overview

The publishers PanMacmillan were committed to develop a new e-commerce website to replace the existing site. The two key objectives in the development process were to identify and understand user requirements of the site and to stay ahead of the competition.

A combination of traditional qualitative research coupled with we are:london’s website and competitor analysis ensured the development of a site which would satisfy the needs of all key stakeholder groups.

The issue

PanMacmillan needed to test an early development of the site to substantiate their initial research and to review a number of branded prototypes to choose the optimal brand direction. It was imperative that the research covered the broad customer base; which meant reviewing the site with a larger than normal group, including children and retired readers.

Solution

In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of all issues, we are:london ran a full suite of usability tests; which included card sorts to define the taxonomy, lab-based testing, competitor analysis and quantitative analysis.

The PanMacmillan team and their design agency chose to observe each session in order to have first-hand understanding of the user requirements, which resulted in conflicting opinions between the development team and the Board.  Competitor analysis proved very insightful, especially in the children’s section, and the card sort helped to considerably reduce the amount of primary and secondary navigation.

Success measures

1. Solid recommendations through research -  following an initial usability review, PanMacmillan and their design agency added the recommendations to their final business proposal to the Board. They were able to give clear evidence and examples of user requirements, which were contradictory to early business assumptions.
2. Site improvements for enhanced online experience - consequently a number of major positive additions and changes to the site were made, based on the research conducted by weare:london.

Client Testimonial

Clare Bennett, Website Consultant, PanMacmillan

“Chris and the team at we are:london provided a professional and thorough service, allowing PanMacmillan to gain valuable insight into to the usability of their prototype website.  Their research ensured that PanMacmillan were able to identify problematic areas such as content layout (in particular, the right hand channel) and navigation taxonomy (users didn’t understand corporate terminology).

The research also highlighted that the children’s section was a critical area of concern.  By testing with children, it was clear this area held no interest for them due to the corporate interface. As a result, a key business decision was made to develop a separate children’s website, which targeted both parents and children via a child-friendly interface.

The knowledge gained through this user-testing enabled PanMacmillan to make key strategic development decisions prior to the full website build and launch – which saved the business both time and money in post-launch amendments.”

PanMacmillian, Research Card sorting, competitor review, Lab Research, Qualitative research

National Curriculum

The QCA needed to further develop the curriculum.qca.org.uk site, in order to incorporate additional resources and to further enhance the user’s access to information.

The Project

The key issue with the revised design was to ensure that that it remained intuitive and easy to use and did not impact the user’s ability to locate important statutory information.   In addition to assessing the usability of this new site, the QCA wanted to conduct a study of three of their other sites in order to further understand their user’s needs and behaviours.

Solution

We lead the user research on this project, working with both the development agency, Reading Room, and internal teams within the QCA.   We used a range of usability review methods during the course of the project, including both qualitative and quantitative techniques:

• Online surveys – in depth quantitative analysis of user demographics and behaviours
• Remote testing – qualitative study with a range of users, conducted remotely and reviewing two separate sites: www.nc.uk.net  and www.ncaction.org.uk
• Lab based research – full usability lab with existing users of  curriculum.qca.org.uk, obtaining feedback on their site experience as well as assessing their navigation experience of the prototype
• Accessibility review – review of the prototype with a visually impaired users as well as a review by our own in-house accessibility experts to advice on W3C compliance

Outcome

This comprehensive approach to usability research provided the QCA with both understanding of their site’s users and actionable recommendations for further development and change. Prior to this research the web team had only a limited understanding of who their users were and most importantly, how they used the information available to them on site. Our research provided valuable insight into important taxonomy, navigation and content issues which, when corrected, will further improve the overall success and user experience of all QCA sites.

COI, Research Accessibility review, Lab Research, Online surveys, Remote research

NSPCC website

As part of the NSPCC’s on-going new media strategy, we are:london was employed to audit fifteen of the NSPCC’s most critical sites for accessibility compliance and make recommendations to ensure all sites could be brought into line with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

The Project

With such a vast audience for their sites, ensuring access to all information for every user is crucial. The need for accessible websites is compounded by the fact that one of the NSPCC’s most vulnerable audiences is children with disabilities.  A number of the sites were due for a design overhaul as part of the ongoing content management implementation programme.

we are:london recommended the following services:

Outcome

Using automatic and customisable tools in parallel with we are:london’ s accessibility audit a full review was undertaken of the main sites.  All changes were then implemented to budget and to deadline.

Design, NSPCC, Research, Strategy Accessibility review, competitor review

National Express Coach

The National Express group has launched a new look coaches website www.nationalexpress.com/coaches. The re-design of the website is born out of the brand development for the National Express Group, which focuses on their strap line:  ‘Making travel simpler’.

The Project

User centred design specialists, we are:london, was appointed to develop the new branding online by focusing on the navigation, information architecture and template simplicity. Key objectives focused on delivering a website that provided design consistency across the navigation and page templates and produced a cohesive and engaging new site for online users.

Services included:

• User centred design - through our proven methodology, detailed site maps and high level wireframes, in conjunction with brand design concepts, are produced to define the information architecture and navigation of the application. Interactive prototypes are tested thoroughly to ensure the end product is fully functional.

• Project management – working with multiple stakeholders to ensure all parties’ commercial requirements are defined & delivered using a seamless and unified methodology.

• Customer Experience Strategy – providing unparalleled visibility of your customers’ online activities with our monthly site monitoring service.

Outcome

we are:london’s agile development and delivery methodology ensured the project was delivered significantly within the project delivery deadline. Via we are:london’s ‘Customer Experience Strategy’ service, ongoing work to monitor the site’s performance is now underway.

Design, National Express, Research user centred design

National Express Portal

National Express is the UK’s leading travel provider, with over 1 billion journeys made every year on its bus, train, light rail and express coach and airport operations. we are:london was appointed to deliver an engaging and interactive website that streamlined the various travel services that National Express operates.

The Project

The National Express group operates a number of travel services and companies and wanted a web portal that combined all of the services under a unified branded portal so that customers could plan their journeys more effectively and efficiently. we are:london recommended the following services:

• User Centred Design – through our proven methodology, detailed site maps and high level wireframes are produced to define the information architecture and navigation of the application. Interactive prototypes are tested thoroughly to ensure the end product is fully functional.

• Remote Testing - remote user testing allows you to connect with geographically dispersed users over the Internet, providing you with a rich insight into the key usability issues.

Outcome

The final version was developed to high fidelity and tested through lab based research to refine the layout, content and services. Changes to the site build were implemented and the brand was developed with National Express and CHI&Partners to meet portal requirements. The site was successfully delivered on time and to budget.  An ongoing review process is in place along with continued multivariate testing.

Design, National Express, Research, Strategy Remote research, user centred design

dot2dot website

In November 2007, National Express launched Dot2Dot, a brand new airport transfer service.  With state of the art satellite navigation equipment, congestion tracking systems, highly experienced drivers and a range of specially configured shuttles; dot2dot will be the first-choice for savvy business or leisure travellers.

The Project

National Express recognised that the website interface would be a major factor in the success of this new service.  we are:london was appointed by National Express, with partnering agency Concentra, to deliver an engaging and interactive website with a unique, simple-to-use booking system.

Chris Averill of we are:london comments, “Our business is well-placed to deliver bespoke business solutions, which are created through a breakdown of the market demographics using our powerful user-definition research tools.”

Matthew Lovering, dot2dot Business Development Director, explains why he chose we are:london.  “We appointed we are:london to lead the development of the new website with our customers’ needs at the heart of the process.  As a booking service website it was clear that a user centred design approach was critical to the success of the site and we are:london ’s findings during user testing were instrumental to how the site now looks and works.

Chris and his team’s ability to develop site navigation and a booking process that delivers an extremely intuitive experience is testament to their skills.”

Project Initiation

we are:london simplified the process for the client by appointing specialist agency partners whilst taking full responsibility for the project management. we are:london ’s research team was commissioned to provide a detailed competitor analysis for dot2dot, which revealed its competitors’ strengths and weaknesses

Lab-based testing was undertaken at we are:london ’s custom-built facilities in London, using a broad mix of business & pleasure, domestic & foreign users.

Research Focused

Research findings helped define the brief, which included, target group requirements, site interaction, usability issues and identification of key sectors within the target market.  From the results, we are:london developed a number of iterative information architecture (IA) designs, which the team tested at two key levels. The results from the research prompted a number of dramatic changes during the development phase to both the site and the booking engine.

Design, National Express, Research information architecture, interactive prototypes, user centred design

FSA - What About Money website

What About Money website

The FSA wanted to create a website for young adults that provided information on everything from how to pay for university to buying a car and that could also direct users to other reputable sources of financial information; What About Money.

we are:london was enlisted by the FSA to provide usability and accessibility services from the very inception of the Whataboutmoney? site.  This involvement from the beginning of the project ensured that users were consulted and considered right from the initial brand conception stage all the way through to the final HTML build, which ensured that the site is credible, appealing and functional.

The Project

The target user group were consulted right from the very start of the project. We ran focus groups and iterative user testing labs, and for each of these services we carefully selected respondents who were  representative of the potential site users. Here is an outline of the services that we provided over the  course of the project:

• Focus groups– we presented two brand concepts to four different groups (two in London and two in Glasgow). All groups followed a similar format with participants encouraged to feedbacktheir thoughts on the designs and brands as well as contribute their own ideas. The end result was a report which summarised the brand direction that the site should be aiming at;
• Lab-based testing – once the wire frames had been finalised and the structure of the site confirmed, we ran a series of one-to-one interviews at our labs in Battersea.  During these sessions users were asked to explore the site, undertaking specific scenario based tasks, which would assess the intuitiveness of the navigation and taxonomy.  Our report highlighted some areas which required minor changes in order to provide the best and most natural user experience.  It also recommended that the homepage design be revised in order to make the messaging about the site’s target audience as clear as possible;
• Homepage design review – once the homepage design had been reviewed we re-tested it with a sample of 12 users.  Each participant was asked to look at the design and feedback their initial impressions; telling us whom they thought the site was aimed at and what it was about. This testing proved that the messaging was now clear after the design revisions, and that those aged from 16 all the way through to 25 could find content that they felt was directly aimed at them;
• Expert review – as part of our service provision, we also conducted an expert review, offering advice on how to make the site even more intuitive for the users;
• Accessibility review – in order to ensure that the site was accessible, we conducted a review of the site and advised the teams on how it could be made W3C AA compliant; and
• UAT– because of our understanding of the site as well as our experience in UAT, we were asked to conduct a full test of the site. UAT took three weeks and allowed us to fully review the site and ensure that all bugs and issues were resolved prior to launch.

The key concern for the FSA was that everything from the look and feel to the brand and site URL appealed to young people. The diverse range of services used on this project has ensured that the target audience were thoroughly consulted. We seldom work with a client who has such an appreciation and understanding of the user’s needs and this comprehensive approach guarantees that the site will provide the user with a good experience.

COI, FSA, Research Accessibility review, Expert review, Focus groups, Lab Research, UAT

O2 Joggler

Information architecture development

We have been successfully delivering information architecture projects for the past 8 months, directly to O2 and in partnership with Agency Republic. During a project that we were leading in early 2008 for a travel client, we started to investigate a new process for delivering complex information architecture and interface design projects in a more effective and efficient way. After working on a number of projects for O2 based on a traditional approach to IA development through Visio wireframes and multiple sign offs, we were able to pioneer our new approach on a live, cross platform project.

Our agile process

Our approach to rapid prototype delivery is based on a workshop or hothouse where key stakeholders discuss their requirements and, when applicable, start to define elements such as objectives, personas, user flows, navigation, behaviour, etc.

Week 1

An initial prototype is then built and hosted online for the client teams and 3rd parties to interact with prior to a review.

Week 2

A prioritised list of changes in agreed and the prototype is updated to reflect these changes, whilst new features and functions are added.

Week 3

A sign off review takes place to lock down agreed functionality and scope.The prototype is then either frozen, or developed in parallel to a detailed set of Visio documents.

Advantages

The main advantages of implementing our rapid prototype methodology are much faster UI development and sign off times; typically one third of a traditional IA project. Earlier input from stakeholders based on a tangible product rather than complex IA documents. Real-time changes during review sessions and workshops; this is key to reducing timescales. The delivery of a functional prototype that can be used for technical spec, demonstrations, usability research and marketing.

Nigel Suddell, project lead for O2 added: “we are:london delivered a very impressive managed service that dramatically reduced the amount of time usually required to develop an information architecture design. The interactive prototype was an invaluable tool, that led to a much better understanding of a complex set of process and interactions, across the O2 development agency teams.

By providing a clear definition of the functionality in a succinct manner there was little room for interpretation and little need for clarifications. This directly impacted the production of other project deliverables (requirement specs, technical designs, etc) and was of great benefit in the overall timelines. We will be communicating this example, across our business, as a best practice approach for similar projects.”

Design, O2 Agile approach, information architecture, interactive prototypes, rapid prototyping