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User Experience Directory 2010 Produced by
UserExperienceDirectory2010
Produced by
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USER EXPERIENCE DIRECTORY 2010is produced by new media ageon behalf of the UK Chapter of the
Usability Professionals’ Association
for World Usability Day
The content of this publication,
either in whole or in part, may not be
reproduced, stored in a data retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying or otherwise, without
permission from the publishers.
© Centaur Media plc 2010. Printed by
Headley Brothers Ltd, Ashford, Kent
3
Welcome to the 2010 User Experience Directory,published by new media age to celebrate World
Usability Day. This guide is designed to communicatecurrent trends in the user experience industry both touser experience practitioners and purchasers of user-centred design services.
World Usability Day was founded six years ago tohighlight a need to ensure services and products areeasier to access and simpler to use. The UsabilityProfessionals’ Association (UPA) co-ordinates morethan 36 hours of activities in 44 countries around theworld for the day. The UK UPA hosts one of theseevents and you can find details of the event whichexplored the future of communication on page 6.
The theme for this year’s World Usability Day wascommunication. For user experience professionals,this covers a huge and diverse variety of activities,from communicating the benefit of user-centreddesign to clients, to making our designs speak forthemselves. However, the focus of our profession is onensuring users’ needs are communicated effectively infinal products. In this guide you will find featuresexploring the challenges user experience professionalsface in addressing these communication activities.
Communication is a part of our everyday lives. Asusability professionals we need to be able to interpretuser needs and communicate them clearly to ourclients. We then need to work with clients to helpthem design the solution that strikes the balancebetween users’ needs and business needs.Communicating the proposition of the product interms the user understands and which translates intobusiness success is vital.
This year has seen continued financial uncertaintyin many industries. However, this has also meantthere is strong demand for user experience services asmany in industry realise a need to differentiatethemselves from their competitors by improving theuser experience of their products and services. Thestrong demand for user experience means thatagencies and companies are finding it a challenge torecruit suitably experienced and qualified candidates.
User experience is a relatively young industry withfew practitioners with more than ten years’experience. It is also a discipline that attracts peoplefrom related disciplines who rebrand themselves asuser experience practitioners. It is very important tounderstand what you are buying when you engageuser experience services. Asking for recommendationsand references, checking experience andqualifications are a good starting point.
A summary of our seventh annual salary surveycompiled in October/November 2010 on pages 4-5reveals the landscape of our profession. It providesinsight into the level of experience, salary and dayrates, as well as related information for professionalsacross the usability/HCI/Human Factors/UX industry.The survey allows comparisons to be made withprevious UK and international surveys to revealtrends in our field. Usability professionals can thenuse the results to help in salary negotiations, and UXpurchasers can use it as a guide to pay rates.
Beginning on page 22 is the main directory listingagencies that offer user experience consultancy astheir core business or part of their wider offering. Wehope you will find the information in the guide useful.
USER EXPERIENCE DIRECTORY 2010 is produced by new media age on behalf of the UK Chapter of the UsabilityProfessionals’ Association for World Usability Day
The content of this publication, either in whole or in part, may notbe reproduced, stored in a data retrieval system or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopyingor otherwise, without permission from the publishers. © CentaurMedia plc 2010. Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd, Ashford, Kent
A lasting conversation
Usability professionalsneed to be able tointerpret user needsand communicate themclearly to their clients
Dr Chandra Harrison
President of the UK UsabilityProfessionals’ Association anda principal consultant atSystems Concepts
http://ukupa.org.ukworldusabilityday.org
User Experience Directory 2010
4
Salary survey 2010Results from the UPA’s annual survey of
user experience professionals’ salary levels
Salary by experience
0-1 year 1-2 years 2-3 years 3-5 years 5-7 years 7-10 years 10-15 years 15-20 years
� 2010� 2009� 2007
£20,000
£40,000
£60,000
£80,000
Mean salary levels by experience
0-1 yr 1-2 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs 5-7 yrs 7-10 yrs 10-15 yrs 15+ yrs
Min £18,000 £18,000 £16,411 £24,000 £32,000 £31,250 £39,000 £58,000
Max £40,000 £37,000 £60,000 £91,000 £70,000 £85,000 £120,000 £95,000
Med £25,000 £31,000 £36,000 £40,000 £43,000 £54,000 £55,000 £70,000
Mean £25,692 £29,751 £35,785 £43,151 £46,159 £54,630 £64,997 £73,833
Base 13 22 19 38 21 25 16 6
Salary by seniorityThe survey tracks salarylevels and related data for
professionals across the usability/HCI/human factors/UX industry.Overall there has been a slightincrease in mean salary since lastyear, a little over 2% from £43,500to £44,539, which isn’t quite in linewith inflation. There’s much lessvariation in respondents’ day ratesfrom last year, probably due to thesettling of the profession after acouple of years of uncertainty.
Salary by seniorityAs in previous years, the spread ofsalaries within each level is wideand seems to be growing. Butsalaries based on job level increasepredictably, making your seniorityand experience the best indicatorsof the salary your should earn.
Salary by experienceThere’s a clear increase in meansalaries relating to experience.However, there’s great diversitywithin the segments. In generalthe mean has slightly increasedfrom previous years in accordancewith the overall salary increase.
Salary by ageThere’s a slight shift in the age ofrespondents but in general salaryby age has remained the same asprevious years. Increasing salariesaren’t necessarily related to age.This is likely to be because years ofexperience in the profession oftenaren’t related to age.
Salary by educationOn average salaries are similar fordifferent levels of education, withslight peaks for people with PhDsand, surprisingly, for those withA-levels as their highestqualification. This is likely to bebecause of the diverse educationalbackgrounds of our profession.
Salary satisfactionAs always, contractors are moreoften satisfied with theircompensation than salaried staff.This is possibly because they havemore power to negotiate whatthey get paid. Salaried staff are stillequally split on whether they’reunderpaid or fairly compensated.
Entry level Mid levelnon-supervisory
Mid levelsupervisory
Senior levelnon-supervisory
Senior levelsupervisory
Director Owner/director
� 2010� 2009� 2007
£20,000
£40,000
£60,000
£80,000
£100,000
Mean salary levels by seniority
Entry Mid level Mid level Senior level Senior level Director Owner/level non-super supervisory non-super supervisory director
Min —— £18,000 £16,411 £25,000 £24,000 £32,000 £50,000
Max —— £41,000 £67,000 £66,000 £80,000 £85,000 £120,000
Med —— £25,000 £36,000 £36,000 £42,500 £54,000 £76,000
Mean —— £28,882 £36,464 £40,846 £46,462 £54,433 £78,818
Base 0 17 55 13 29 33 11
User Experience Directory 2010
5
Salary by age
22-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-65
£20,000
£40,000
£60,000
£80,000 � 2010� 2009� 2007
Mean salary levels by age
22-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-65
Min £16,411 £19,000 £18,000 £28,000 £30,900 £35,000 £78,000 £45,000
Max £41,000 £70,000 £90,000 £120,000 £95,000 £55,000 £80,000 £45,000
Med £25,500 £35,000 £42,500 £50,000 £55,000 £40,000 £80,000 £45,000
Mean £25,516 £36,694 £45,171 £54,538 £61,803 £41,800 £79,333 £45,000
Base 13 52 44 26 16 5 3 1
Salary by education
None GCSE A-level Diploma Bachelor Master PhD
� 2010� 2009
£20,000
£40,000
£60,000
£80,000
Mean salary levels by education
None GCSE A-level Diploma Bachelor Master PhD
Min £36,000 –– £25,000 £37,000 £23,000 £16,411 £30000
Max £67,000 –– £91,000 £48,000 £100,000 £120,000 £95,000
Med £51,500 –– £47,000 £42,000 £40,000 £30,000 £52,000
Mean £51,500 –– £48,100 £42,600 £46,212 £42,418 £48,655
Base 2 0 10 5 53 80 10
2010 2009Min £150 £120Max £600 £1,300Med £400 £375Mean £400 £400Base 44 39
Freelance daily ratesSalary satisfaction
DemographicoverviewLevels of seniorityEntry level ..................................0.0%Mid-level, non-super .............10.8%Mid-level, supervisory ..........34.8%Senior-level, non-super...........8.2%Senior-level, supervisory .....18.3%Director .....................................20.9%Owner/director..........................7.0%
Most common education levelsMaster’s degree .......................51.4%Bachelor’s degree ...................30.8%PhD ...............................................6.3%
Most common qualificationsHCI ......................................................67Computer science............................18Interaction design ..........................18Visual design ....................................15
Level of experience0-1year ........................................7.7%1-2 years ...................................12.0%2-3 years ...................................11.5%3-5 years ...................................22.1%5-7 years ...................................13.9%7-10 years .................................17.3%10-15 years ...............................11.1%15+ years ....................................4.3%
Most common age groups26-30 .........................................29.3%31-35..........................................26.0%36-40 .........................................20.7%41-45 .........................................10.6%22-25 ............................................7.2%
Locations of workLondon ......................................74.0%South East England ..................5.8%Southern England .....................5.3%South West England .................2.9%Outside UK ..................................2.9%North West England .................1.9%Republic of Ireland ....................1.9%East Anglia ..................................1.4%Scotland.......................................1.4%Wales............................................1.4%Midlands ......................................1.0%North East England ..................0.0%
A complete report of the resultscan be found on the UK UPAwebsite at www.ukupa.org.uk
Freelance� Underpaid .......................9.1%� Fairly paid.....................79.6%� Overpaid..........................6.8%� Not sure ...........................4.5%
Salaried� Underpaid ....................46.9%� Fairly paid.....................43.1%� Overpaid ..........................3.7%� Not sure ...........................6.3%
User Experience Directory 2010
6
The future of communicationChandra Harrison highlights some of the activities at the 2010 World Usability Day event
at The Cumberland Hotel in London, hosted by the UK UPA and sponsored by UX London
The way we communicatehas changed drastically in
the past few decades, especiallywith the advent of socialnetworking tools, mobile devicesand improvement in high-speedbroadband. Video communicationhas finally come into its own after40 years, opening up internationalcommunication further.
The public is also activelyinvolved in providing andcommenting on media content,changing the face of journalism.We now tweet about aspects of ourbusiness and personal lives withmore proliferation than everbefore, often to people we’venever met. Ensuring these futurecommunication channels aredesigned in a user-centred wayposes interesting challenges for UXprofessionals.
The theme for this year’s WorldUsability Day was communication,providing a focus for creatinggreater awareness for designs,products and services that improveand facilitate communicationaround the world. On 11 November,almost 200 practitioners andstudents explored the challengesof future communication.
Keynote speaker Martin Belam,information architect at GuardianNews & Media and contributingeditor for FUMSI magazine,explained how nearly two decadesof the web have revolutionised theway traditional media companiescommunicate with their audience,and there are several ways thatGuardian News & Media has dealtwith this transformation. Belamexplained that by using moreactive digital communicationchannels, The Guardian hasinstigated conversations withreaders, introduced the concept of‘mutualised’ journalism, andimproved machine-to-machinecommunication with linked data.
The change in the way we readnews and how it’s presented to ushas been greatly influenced by theinclusion of comments by readers.As a result, journalism haschanged, with reporters having todeal with more active involvementof the masses. They now need tobe certain that they areauthoritative as the masses aremore likely to hold them to accountif they make mistakes.
Designer, creative thinker andentrepreneur Giulia Piu exploredthe value of harnessing collectiveknowledge to design a better andmore equal society in her keynotespeech. She is currently working onher first startup, BuddyBounce,using user-centred designtechniques. This is a social tool thatemploys the video-enabled web tohelp people build more immediateand authentic relationships online.Since Piu first presented the idea atStartup Weekend London in June,the project has evolved into a newsocial engagement platform thatuses online face-to-faceinteraction as the main means of
communication, and aims to setitself apart from other onlinecommunication tools.
For example, YouTube offers ameans of communicating to othersbut is an asynchronous tool that isimpersonal. Skype is used to talk topeople you already know but is adesktop application that requiresinstallation. ChatRoulette formany comes with severaldrawbacks, such as the chance ofbeing exposed to undesirablecontent. BuddyBounce wants tomake the most of the technologythat is available to encouragesynchronous, personalcommunication with an element ofdiscovery and playfulness.
One thing that hasn’t changed inUX is that we still need tocommunicate ourselves topotential employers. Nick Cochraneof Zebra People provided insightinto how to maximise the impact ofa CV. He stressed the importance ofensuring that you have bothphysical and digital portfolios tocommunicate your expertise.
This year the UPA also
welcomed representatives fromthe Institute for Ergonomics andHuman Factors. Ansgar Kupper,principal consultant at SystemConcepts, discussed the impact ofthe use of graphics and how thiscan enhance or hinderinternational and interculturalcommunication. He explored keyprinciples in the use of graphics(icons, symbols, illustrations) tocross cultural boundaries and howthey can be applied tointernational markets.
As we become more mobile andinternational, computer-supportedcollaborative work is another areawhere user-centred design ofcommunication tools is needed. RajArjan, interaction lab manager atCity University Interaction Lab,and Meirion Williams, creator ofThe Mezatop, demonstrated howmodern communication in thephysical world can be facilitatedwith digital technology. TheMezatop is an interactivetouchscreen tabletop computerbuilt by Williams. The cabinet-mounted screen enables severalpeople to interact andcommunicate using fingertips andhand gestures and attracted a lotof attention from delegates.
The evening offered a fantasticopportunity to discuss thechallenges of designing bettercommunication solutions. It wasalso an opportunity forprofessionals and students to mixand share knowledge. In additionto the main event, many agenciesthroughout the UK held WorldUsability Day events. With thegrowth of Twitter and othercommunication tools, morediscussion and hype was createdthan in previous years.
Finally, on behalf of the UK UPAcommittee, I’d like to thankeveryone who participated inmaking our World Usability Daycelebrations on 11 November sosuccessful. I hope you will beinspired to apply user-centreddesign to all your communicationsin the coming months.
More information on this andsimilar events on a variety oftopics can be found on the UK UPAwebsite, ukupa.org.uk. Follow the UK UPA and contribute todiscussions at twitter.com/ukupa
One thing thathasn’t changedin UX is that westill need tocommunicateourselves toemployers
SilviaZimmermann
Global presidentof the UsabilityProfessionals’Association
World Usability Day was
founded in 2005 as a strategic
initiative of the Usability
Professionals’ Association to
ensure that services and
products important to human
life are easier to access and
simpler to use. Each year, on
the second Thursday of
November, over 200 events are
organised in more than 44
countries to raise awareness
for the general public, and
train professionals in the tools
and issues central to good
usability research,
development and practice.
This year’s World Usability
Day events and forums
focused on how products and
services impact communication.
They highlighted how we as a
society and profession can help
make them easier to use so
that everyone from around the
world is empowered by new
communication technologies.
Dedicated World Usability Day
programmes examined all
products and services used in
the communication process,
including mobile devices, social
media, email, video and
perhaps other exciting
technologies that may not
have hit the mainstream.
We also host UX People: providing practical learning for UX practitioners.Find out more at www.uxpeople.co.uk
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User Experience Directory 2010
9
Communicating thoughtsFollowing the theme of this year’s World Usability Day, usability experts share their thoughts on how
user experience design can aid good communication and shape the way we interact in the future
CHRIS AVERILLFounder and MD, We Are London
Usability has come of age asa central plank for
communications planning acrossmore than just traditional techyand online domains. Media channelswitching and integration, and theincreased penetration of hand-held devices in different formatsand accelerated capability, havethrown UX architects, ad agencyplanners and strategists together.They’ve discovered commonground, developed a positivemutual appreciation and this hascreated more opportunity forcross-fertilisation.
Usability is now recognisedmuch more widely as the de factostrategic tool it has always beenargued to be, rather than aninstrument used to sharpen andimprove other people’s ideas.Experience architects are workingincreasingly further along thestrategic path and across thewhole customer journey, lookinginto the overall relationship fromoutdoor to direct to point of sale.
Through simple necessity, arecognition that signal is betterthan noise, efficiency is betterthan waste, offering utility isbetter than being useless andfrustrating people, doors areopening further and this is nolonger what felt like a nichedomain even until a year ago.
PETE BROADBENTHead of user experience,Webcredible
Website usability has beencreeping further up the
corporate agenda over the pastfew years and is now a key concernin most design and build projects.However, although an easy-to-usewebsite is important, it doesn’tnecessarily bring an excellentcustomer experience. For that youmust focus on the end-to-endcommunications journey.
There are four key stages of thecustomer lifecycle that must beconsidered with any customerexperience online or offline:acquisition, conversion, retentionand loyalty. It’s no longer sufficientto offer an aesthetically pleasingand easy-to-use website, as thereare now a vast number of
touchpoints with the user. Everyphase in the user journey hasdecision-making points which,when fulfilled, take them closer tobeing a customer or regular user.
The advantages of goodusability are well known, but whatabout after a purchase has beenmade? User experience focuses onthe big picture, widening the scopeof focus beyond the website toeverything that surrounds it.
All further points of contact canadd to (or detract from) thisexperience of interacting withyour brand, so every touchpointmay ruin or reinforce hard-wontrust. Touchpoints from emailcommunications to packing slipscontinue to influence customers’perceptions of the brand. These arecrucial to consider as part of a user-centred design approach thatencompasses not just your websitebut the whole end-to-endcommunications experience.
ANDY BUDDFounding partner and MD, Clearleft
Since the days of the printingpress, communication has
been intrinsically linked to theinterfaces and technology thatenable it. Be it vacuum tubes, thetelegraph or the telephone, theirdesign has dramatically affectedthe way we communicate.
The Qwerty keyboard wasdesigned to slow down typingspeed to prevent mechanicaljamming. As usability professionals,however, we understand thatefficiency, effectiveness andaccuracy are important measuresof an interface. So early telegraphicprinters used piano keyboards dueto an abundance of piano players,the speed of input and the fact thatjamming wasn’t a problem.
As well as shaping interfaces,technology has shaped themessages themselves, whether it’sinserting ‘stop’ at the end of eachsentence in a telegraph message tosave on the costly grammarcharacters, or the creation of txtspk to get around the characterlimitations of the early textmessaging. Even the word ‘hello’ isa hangover from the early days oftelephonic communication.
We’ve moved away frominterfaces that require years of
training and have seen the massdemocratisation of communication.We’ve also moved beyond themouse and keyboard towardsnatural user interfaces that even asix-month-old can use.
Interaction design has alwaysbeen a part of communication andis becoming increasingly importantwith the proliferation of devicesand technologies. If the interfacereally does shape the message,then we need to realise that thedesign choices we make today willhave a fundamental affect on theway we communicate tomorrow.
DR JON DODDCo-founder and MD, Bunnyfoot
Good communication,through words, pictures,
sound, video, touch and any of theother ways we can contrive toassault each other’s senses, is thebedrock of driving appropriateinteractions and relationships. Ifyou communicate well throughyour desired medium, then you’llenhance the triplet of efficiency,effectiveness and satisfaction forinteractions with your audience.This triplet defines good usability,so it’s highly appropriate thatcommunication was this year’sWorld Usability Day theme.
It’s interesting to see what thosewho are participating in WorldUsability Day focused on. We atBunnyfoot focused on what wecan learn by looking at thecommunication wants, needs and
expectations of people who aredifferent from most of us. Wechose two angles: learning fromten-year-old kids performing user-centred design activities to designtheir own tools for communication,and the experience of a blindscreen-reader user when usingonline content in general, andsocial media in particular.
In the sessions, the kids hadsome great ideas about how theywant to communicate in schools,not just about the way they learnbut also with key issues such astheir diets and environment.They’ve grown up in a mobile andinternet world and assumeconnectedness as a default, butthey’re just starting to experienceit and interact this way. Thedifferences arising from both theirage and experience make usquestion our assumptions aboutgeneral communication and inspirenew ideas. We anticipate learning awhole heap more from both themand our screen-reader user.
CATRIONA CAMPBELLFounder, Foviance
British companies are onlynow beginning to realise the
importance of joined-up customerexperience amid higher customerexpectations and the growingnumber of touchpoints in people’scommunication with a brand.
According to the newE-Consultancy Multi-ChannelCustomer Experience Report, 69%of brands are only now beginningto develop a customer experiencestrategy to improve thiscommunication with customers.It’s definitely in its nascency, but itwill evolve very quickly.
The same was said ten years agoof digital user experience research,when we founded our business inthis field. Foviance completed asurvey of UK brands in 2003 whichhighlighted the fact that less than25% had staff responsible forusability. Yet within three yearsmost brands did and had a usabilitystrategy of some kind in place.
At Foviance, where we work for43 of the FTSE 100, we’ve evolvedour business as the brands andtheir customers have evolved, tobecome a cross-channel specialist.The whole UC industry has toevolve along these lines too.
Interactiondesign hasalways been a part ofcommunicationand is moreimportant with theproliferation ofdevices andtechnologies
Fix up and look sharpBe Kaler Blake looks at recruitment trends in the UX sector
over the previous year and what skills clients are seeking
User Experience Directory 2010
10
Has it really been just a yearsince we all turned on the
telly to the recession that engulfedthe nation? It feels like muchlonger than that and I am pleasedto say that user experience isfinally taking centre stage — like Iwas absolutely certain it would.
Having worked in the digital anduser experience space for 15 years,in the last year alone our clientbase has shifted from 80%agencies to 50% agencies and 50%client-side. Clients and businesseshave realised that some of thisknowledge has to be kept in-houseso teams within companies areevolving, supported by agencies.
These clients are buildinginternal teams across industries toensure that their digital productsand services are protected by long-term resources and that businessideas are developed in-house in thefirst instance. This doesn’t meanthat there is less work for agenciesout there; it just means that it willbe critiqued by a web-savvy teamthat helps shape and direct adigital project in partnership.
Publishing, retail/ecommerceand financial services are some ofthe sectors recognising theimportance of the digital productsand service that are a central partof their business. It’s encouragingthat clients say they are already“doing” iPhone, Android and iPadapps. Those that haven’t alreadymade this move are now makingthis a priority as they know that tostay ahead of the curve they haveto provide richer brand experiences— the idea is central but it needs tobe delivered in the way theconsumer wants to explore it.
There seems to be less of a tusslein the boardroom about userexperience. During the recession,focusing on the small iterations,amendments and tweaks that UXcan achieve delivered the ROI thatclients were asking for and meantboards noticed that good UX equalsan increase in value and reward.
So user experience is being takenoff the page into other experiences.Whether it’s a customer who
touches a brand, or a member ofstaff who makes a decision with aCRM, CMS or internal application,the UX community is much indemand. From creating an “instore” feel for a retailer to helpingthem find their favourite productor personalisation and gamingtechniques, all projects start withan idea that has to be deliveredwith a slick UX and navigationacross multiple platforms.
High street banks were quick touse secure online systems to offerthe ability to spend money fromthe personal computer, but thecorporate and investment bankingindustry has also taken a hugeinterest in UX. Budgets for datavisualisation and products andservices that sit behind a firewallare bigger than before. If traderscan see accurate data that can helpthem make accurate decisions as aresult of increased involvement ofUX, that’s a good thing.
User experience teams andconsultants are winning hugelysignificant and in-depth projects tohelp clients understand theirbusiness requirements. This phasewas often seen as a luxury, butthese days it’s risky ignoring suchrequirements — something fewwould recommend. Usually, thewhole team has bought into userexperience, and there is a morecohesive approach to projects.
What does this mean for theskills out there? There has been asteady appetite for consultancyskills. You need to be able to workwith your client on a level tounderstand what the key driversfor the project are before layingdown any wireframes. You need tobe able to work a boardroom andstakeholders, gather all theirindividual thoughts and boil themdown into proper requirementsand present them back. You needto be a strong presenter and standby your recommendations andback them up with research andinsights. Good visualisation skillsare essential, sometimes somestatistics, nearly always roughscamps but often video and audio
to highlight how users behave intheir environment.
Contextual and ethnographicresearch with subject matterexperts and users is not a luxury,it’s a part of the process. And whilethe initial few weeks may be tough,there is a tipping point when userssee that you can make their lifeeasier. Working with users means atwo-way conversation and morefluidity in how an idea unfolds. Thenumber of pure wireframing roleshas decreased dramatically.
Getting your pen to paper andscamping out visualisations througha discovery or implementationphase is essential. There are goodsigns of a joined-up des/tec/uxprocess. This means that UX startsat the beginning and runs throughthe middle to the end of a project.The UX person is the guardian ofthe user and business principlesbehind the project, and can ensurethat it’s kept on track and notsidelined by inappropriate designor technology.
Having presented to students atUCL, City, Ravensbourne and StMartins this year, I am also seeingmore commercial awareness in theassignments set. People are oftengoing back to school to do a Mastersin Interaction Design to add to awork history in design, editorial,account management andtechnology, which means they canstart to contribute to projectsquicker. I recommend growing yourown staff in an employees’marketplace. I see graduate hireshave the longest tenure withinthis space — they are stayers andgrafters, so it’s worth developingthem and keeping them longer.
Overall, clients are asking formore consultancy skills, more ideageneration, more conceptdevelopment, good overallknowledge of technical platforms,more exposure to agile andwaterfall blended approaches.There’s a huge pile of exciting jobbriefs on my desk that need filling.
Be Kaler is director of FutureheadsRecruitment and director at BIMA
There has beena steadyappetite forconsultancyskills. You needto be able towork with yourclient on a levelto understandwhat the keydrivers for theproject arebefore layingdown anywireframes
UserExperiencePortfolioessays and insights on
the usability sector
from leading players
+44 (0)20 7539 3840www.foolproof.co.ukTwitter: Foolproof_ux
We specialise in:
For further information call Saul Annett on +44 (0)20 7539 3840
Unlock competitive advantage online
Nearly every company in the world wants to be more
customer-focused. Many pay lip service to the idea, but few
engage in the kind of structured user experience activity
which actually delivers business value.
Nearly every company in the world wants to be morecustomer-focused. Many pay lip service to the idea, but fewengage in the kind of structured user experience activity whichdelivers business value.
Those that do are unlocking competitive advantage online,winning new sales and maximising the lifetime value of theircustomers.
Foolproof is the leading user experience agency in the UK andevery day we help some of the world’s biggest brands get morebusiness value out of their digital channels. We have the team,methodology and experience to help you develop your brandexperience online. We specialise in three disciplines:
1. Customer-driven innovationWe bring together customers, clients and their agency teams to co-create interaction ideas and new experiences.
Our rapid innovation process turns these ideas into pragmaticconcepts that can be validated with customers and developedcommercially.
The beauty of this process is that traditional ‘blue sky’ thinking canbe turned into practical applications in just a few short weeks, and allideas are firmly rooted in real customer needs.
2. User-centred design (UCD)The benefits of UCD are well documented, but few companiesactually do it.
The risks and costs of developing new tools, functions and contentare minimised by validating the site architecture, customer journeysand main areas of interaction with real customers at regular points inthe design and build process. We make this process quick andcheap to bring customer prospective into your design process.
3. Sales process optimisationYou’d be surprised just how many companies think that once a newpart of their site is ‘live’ their work is done.
More sophisticated companies adopt a programme of regular reviewon their most important sales processes.
They employ user experience testing, multivariate testing andcustomer experience competitor benchmarking to ensure that siteprocesses are fine-tuned and in doing so ensure no salesopportunities are lost.
User researchTo support these methodologies we have an extensive tool-kit oftechniques to get you closer to your customers:• Depth interviews• Eye tracking• Focus groups• Ethnography• Research in social media• Experience benchmarks• Online surveys• International research• Personas & scenarios• Experience design workshops• Information architecture• Copy• Multivariate testing
How customer-centredis your organisation?
PETERBALLARDFounding Partner,FoolproofPrior to Foolproof, Peterwas the Marketing Directorat Virgin Money and workedon many of Virgin’s earliestonline initiatives. Peter hasan extensive background ine-commerce strategy,consultancy and user-centred design. He hassuccessfully headed upprojects at foolproof formany of the UK’s leadingconsumer and B2B brands.
CONTACT INFORMATIONSaul Annett020 7539 [email protected]
User Experience Directory November 2010 15
Sponsored Feature
CASE STUDY: HSBC Mortgages
This case study was ‘HighlyCommended’ in the NMA
Effectiveness Awards 2010, and haswon a Global Business Excellenceaward.
Foolproof has been HSBC’s onlycontracted worldwide user experienceand user-centred design agency since2006. The Mortgages project wasinitiated in the summer of 2009 with aninitial review of the existing process.
The project drew on insights froman ethnographic study of mortgagesshoppers conducted by Foolproof(OSS Mortgages), data analytics, andother extant user research we hadconducted for the client. Thisestablished the need for a thorough re-
evaluation of the mortgage salesprocess online.
The interaction concepts weredeveloped into wireframes and then alo-fi prototype for rapid testing. Thefindings from this were then used toiterate design into detailed userjourneys for branded design and build.
Rosie Seldon, HSBC said:“The results so far have been very
good and we exceeded the project’stargets. Foolproof helped us deliver atruly customer-driven experience forour customers.”
“Foolproof is theleading userexperience agencyin the UK and everyday we help someof the world’sbiggest brandsget more businessvalue out of theirdigital channels.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED
For most businesses their customer’s experience doesn’tjust take place on their website. The experience is builtfrom an interconnected set of moments that areexperienced through a myriad of different channels.
Websites, mobile, social media and search must all support realworld interactions to create a successful customer experience.This means we have to think holistically about how people interactwith a business across touchpoints. Great experiences deepenrelationships with customers, increase sales and encouragecustomer loyalty but can only be created by considering the whole experience.
At Head we take a human-centred approach to helping ourclients invent and grow. This approach enables us to identify newways to serve and support customers by uncovering latent needs,understanding behaviour and satisfying desires. We use thisapproach to design digital products, services and experiences thatare compelling and deliver real return on investment.
Understand.To invent captivating and persuasive multichannel experiences youneed to understand people and their behaviour. This cannot comefrom within a sterile lab and it takes more than focus groups todiscover real opportunities for innovation. Customers can’t designthe solution for us so we need to get inside their heads byunderstanding how they see the world and uncovering their goalsand motivations. At Head we talk to people, go where they go, dowhat they do and observe them in their own environment. Ourcontextual research techniques enable us to create compelling newexperiences. For example, for Electrolux we shadowed peopleshopping for major kitchen appliances and asked them to keepdiaries. This highlighted the iterative nature of customers’ decisionmaking and identified key decisions at each stage.
Invent.Inspiration has to be the ultimate goal of qualitative contextualresearch. Quick, economical studies can provide a springboard toinvent captivating new experiences. We realise you can’t run abusiness on intuition and inspiration alone but it’s just as dangerousto rely solely on the analytical because this can stifle opportunitiesfor inventiveness. Our design-based problem-solving methodsprovide an integrated alternative.
At Head, sketching, prototyping and acting out experiences are theways we explore, communicate and validate our ideas. Only byvisualising ideas at the earliest stages can we filter them by their fitwith a business’s aspirations and validate them with real customers.New products, solutions and experiences have to resonate with realpeople to be successful. The human-centred approach that Headuses ensures that the final experience is compelling and rewardingfor both customers and the business that delivers them. Forexample, we created publishing technology that increased thespeed and efficiency of publishing new learning content whilstminimising the cost of production. It now enables teachers all overthe world to bring their lessons to life.
Validate.Designing multichannel experiences is inevitably complicated. There are existing solutions to take into account. There are aplethora of channels and touchpoints to successfully combine intoan experience. Usability really just provides a baseline that ensuresthat the experience is understandable, interesting and useful. Forany business to compete they have to differentiate their customerexperience by creating something captivating.
Usability testing is too little, too late. By the time a solution isdeveloped enough to be usability tested a significant amount oftime and effort has been invested into it. That investment meansthat it’s usually too late for companies to make significant changes.At Head we involve users throughout the process to reduce projectrisk and ensure adoption.
Together.Of course our human-centred design process does include usabilitytesting. Out in the real world, not in a lab. More importantly though,real people should be involved throughout the design process. Weconduct design research for inspiration at the beginning of aproject, involve customers in filtering and developing ideas and wetest the final specification of the product, service or experiencethoroughly. Real people, involved throughout the process.
To design realistic solutions that solve business challenges we haveto accept that our expertise in a client’s industry is never as deep astheirs is. When a major bank approached us about designing a newservice for their customers we had to work closely togetherthroughout the design process. They brought deep understandingof retail banking and we introduced them to completely newinsights about their customers. At Head, we believe that the mostsuccessful teams are those that are diverse in approach, thinkingand experience. Especially if you’re going to solve complicatedbusiness problems and deliver successful multichannel experiences.
Good multichannel customer experiences create deeper customerrelationships, increase sales and encourage loyalty but need to becreated for real people living in the real world. Head’s human-centred design approach creates innovative and captivatingmultichannel experiences for your products and services that deliver business results.
Your website is only one of the
touchpoints your customers use to
interact with your business.
Websites, mobile, social media and
search need to work coherently with
real world interactions to create a
successful customer experience.
Beyond the website
PAUL-JERVISHEATHDirectorPaul-Jervis Heath is adesign leader and strategistwith a long career of solvingbusiness problems withdesign thinking and buildingsuccessful design teams forglobal clients. He is Directorof User Experience at HeadLondon. Head are a digitalproduct and service designagency with a reputation fordelivering inventive andcaptivating experiences thatrealise clients’ businessaspirations.
CONTACT INFORMATIONPaul-Jervis Heath020 7323 [email protected]: @HeadUX
User Experience Directory November 2010 17
Sponsored Feature
Online revenues have grown significantlyover recent years as Internetconnections have become faster,
websites have developed their functionality andinteraction options, and users have becomemore confident in the security of websites. The world of ecommerce is a prime example.The IMRG’s Capgemini e-Retail Sales Indexshowed that British shoppers spent a total of£4.4 billion online during August 2010 alone(increasing 15 per cent on August 2009) and asInternet users increasingly shop online, so theydemand more engagement and functionalityoptions.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCEA good experience is essential for a customer to return to your website. Happy customersrecommend your site/brand/company to others,and people are much more likely to makepurchases from somewhere that has beenrecommended by a friend. Happy customers arewalking, talking billboards, which are a greatway to drum up business.
However, it is no longer sufficient just to offer anaesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use website,as there are now a vast number of touch-pointswith the user, where the experience must beconsidered. Every phase in the user journey hasdecision making points which, when fulfilled, takethe site visitor closer towards being a customeror regular user. It can’t be taken for granted thatthe user will come to the website at a particularpoint, so the website must fulfil the user need atwhatever point in the lifecycle they are at.
LIFECYCLE STAGESThere are four key stages of the customerlifecycle that must be considered with any website, which must give a consistent user experience:
• Acquisition - You must ensure you arereaching your customers through the rightchannels. Whether it is Search EngineOptimisation (SEO), Pay-Per-Click advertising(PPC), or even social media, you must ensurethat you are connecting with users through thechannels they want and then optimising websiteentry-points
• Loyalty - As we have seen withsupermarkets, loyalty programmes can be agreat success, and online is another area whereit can pay to reward loyal customers. It alsopays to develop customer advocates online andone way of helping to do this is to rewardexisting customers who refer new customers.
• Conversion - Once you have attracted usersto your website, you must ensure that the userjourney is as smooth as possible. For example,if your site is an ecommerce site, you mustensure that from landing page to purchaseconfirmation, the process is as succinct andintuitive as possible, allowing a user to make apurchase in minimal time with minimal effort
• Retention - It’s much more cost effective todevelop repeat customers than it is to win newones, so when the purchase has been made,that shouldn’t be considered the end of thecustomer relationship. Following a purchase, youmust look to exceed customers expectations,continuing to communicate with them through a channel of their choosing and offering themincentives to make another purchase
DESIGNING AROUND YOUR USERSSo, let's look at the difference in focus betweenusability and user experience. Good site usabilityhas several advantages. It ensures people areable to use the site - making purchases, signingup to subscriptions, etc. It also reduces pointswhere people get stuck or frustrated. Afterpeople finish using the site they walk away witha positive perception of the brand.
But how about after they've turned off thecomputer? User experience focuses on the bigpicture. It looks beyond the site at the wholeexperience. It widens the scope of focus beyondthe website to everything that surrounds it.
All further points of contact can add to (or detract from) this experience of interactingwith your brand. This means every touch pointmay ruin or reinforce your hard won trust. Touchpoints such as email communications, packingslips, how phone calls and emails are handled,all continue to influence your customersperceptions of the brand. It is these touchpoints that are crucial for the retention andloyalty stages of the customer lifecycle.
User-centred design will help you to ensure agood experience throughout. By researchingyour user needs, you will be able to design yourwebsite around these, providing the bestexperience possible. However, user-centreddesign should not just be limited to the website,but should encompass the whole experienceincluding your contact processes and content.
“As a wide variety of onlinebusiness sectors havebecome increasinglycompetitive over recentyears, website usability has become a bigger concern for companies.However, a highly usablewebsite doesn’t necessarilylead to an excellent customer experience.”
User Experience:Beyond Usability
PETEBROADBENTHead of UserExperienceUser experience expert PeteBroadbent leads thecompany’s user experienceteam, as it continues todemonstrate success andgrowth in the competitiveuser experience marketplace.
Prior to joiningWebcredible, Petespecialised in the user-centered design of websites,intranets applications andservices for over nine years.
CONTACT INFORMATIONPete BroadbentTel 020 7423 [email protected] Mansell StreetLondon E1 8AX
User Experience Directory November 2010 19
Sponsored Feature
Nearly every company in the world wants to be more
customer-focused. Many pay lip service to the idea, but few
engage in the kind of structured user experience activity
which actually delivers business value.
How much of a role does a website’s navigation play in theuser experiences? For sure, it is vital I hear you cry and indeed Iagree, but when you pull together the various usability mantrasand guidelines for best practice it’s not surprising that familiaritycarries more weight than UI or UX innovation. Project afterproject we see IA’s, designers and developers agonise over theform and function of a navigation system and its varioussubparts, which in the end are not reflective of the energy spentfine tuning them. If we are being honest with ourselves, it wouldbe hard to argue that a large proportion of UXD tends to focuseither exclusively on the navigation and UI or is biased too farthat way.
Most people would agree with the age old statement ofcontent being king, but cutting back on the creating, developmentand innovation of content has become worryingly widespread. Itonly takes trip on the agency circuit to see clients and projectmanagers prioritising other more pressing parts of a productionschedule over the most engaging part of the experience –content!
For a while, I, like many UX practitioners, thought the cuttingback of user testing was the cardinal sin of website development(as it’s so easy to just ‘drop’ without any obvious consequence).The times do change (as is the nature of the Internet itself) andwe’re witnessing increasing amounts of clients protecting the userresearch and testing parts of projects as they move towards awider customer centric culture – happy days indeed. This is why Ifeel we in UXD should continue to push for the same degree ofadoption in the content spaces.
It is not without hardship though; technical innovations (likeJquery, HTML5, CSS3 etc) that allow more interactive experiencesare often limited to menu systems and could be further exploited forusers’ benefit at the content level. However, this demands moretime to think, plan and do and therefore difficult to make a businesscase for – especially if dealing with sceptical personalities.
CMS editing tools are still a bottleneck too – some are betterthan others, but publishers are held back by both the technologyand the skills of editors themselves. Clients are often unable tosay what they want/need, because of a lack of content resource.If production budgets for UI design and functional developmentactually came DOWN in line with technology efficiencies thenmore could be invested in content and user testing.
The plethora of SEO techniques has all but hijackedcopywriting for the web, but as the phenomenon is so large, weseem to be creating a societal acceptance to this bot-friendly wayto using text. So what can we do to push content forward?
At Zabisco, we’re increasingly using Infographics and we’regetting fantastic responses from them too. Visuals that go beyondplaceholders, heros and banners are making a big comeback andthe skills of a true illustrator (and copywriter) are being used ininteresting new ways – with or without Flash. Infographics lendthemselves to being interactive too, but even if static, they canplay a hugely valuable role to attract, engage and inspire websitevisitors – plus it’s an energising process seeing your thoughtscome to life in this form. Well worth commissioning one if youhaven’t done so before.
I predict this is just the start and hopefully we’ll continue tosee established and emerging IA’s, Designers and Developers usetheir skills to add more meat and less fat to websites; instead ofcontinuing the daily grind of chewing just the bones.
Return of the(content) king
HAMMADKHANDirector @zabiscoHammad is a specialistbroker of compromise,between businessrequirements and customerneeds. Through insight,innovation & impartiality, hespends as much as timetalking about userexperience design than hedoes doing it (and he talks aLOT). Just ask the BHF,Barclays and the growingnumber of clients/agencieswho continue to consultwith him and his agencyZabisco.
CONTACT INFORMATIONT: 0207 494 1975W: www.zabisco.com Twitter: @zabisco
User Experience Directory November 2010 21
Sponsored Feature
CASE STUDY: British Heart Foundation
The new BHF website is a majorpart of the long term commitment
the charity has made to customercentricity. This top-to-bottom culturechange is indicative of the directionmany organisations are choosing totake in order to create strongercustomer bonds. However, unlikemany website projects, the BHF andZabisco wanted to address all aspectsof the experience for audiencesincluding heart patients and BHFsupporters; not just an overhaul of theUI and navigation.
In true UCD fashion, we startedwith stakeholder workshops; internaland public. It became evident that thediversity of their audiences (along withtheir critical needs) demanded
innovative thinking in order to beeffective. We focused on motivationsinstead of individual needs tostreamline the site journeys; anapproach which refined over 20 usergroups to just four core experiences tobuild around.
This vision was then translatedinto an architecture that would supportcontent scale and diversity. The keywas that the BHF would also boosttheir capability to produce the rightcontent to address their audiences;both proactively and in response toneeds. This needed to include highquality video and a more broadcasterstyle to communication.
As a result of user-consultationand testing, we all had the confidence
to push ahead with our ambitions. Thisallowed the design stage to focus onproducing visually appealing stylesand layouts that editors could workwith to author consistent, inspiring andimmersive content – maximisinginternal resource as well ascommunication opportunities.
The website is due to be launchedin time for the Charity’s 50th yearanniversary at www.bhf.org.uk
A further case study is available atwww.zabisco.com/portfolio
“At Zabisco, we’reincreasingly usinginfographics andwe’re gettingfantastic responsesfrom them too.”
AMBERLIGHT PARTNERSamber-light.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2000CORE SKILLS Qualitative research,usability testing, contextual inquiry,ethnography, focus groups, expertreviews, accessibility, benchmarking,requirements gathering, concepttesting, ideation, co-creation,workshop facilitation, prototyping,service design, IA, wireframing, visualbrainstorming, quantitative researchKEY SECTORS Telecoms, mobile, retail,travel, digital media, financial services,government, gaming, softwareDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 17/21MEMBER OF UPA yes
We are an independent interactiondesign company based in London. Allour staff are qualified at masters levelor above. We offer research and designconsultancy driven by understandingof the underlying problems.
ABILITYNETabilitynet.org.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS Usability testing withdisabled users, accessibility auditing,guidelines and training, strategicconsultation, information architectureKEY CLIENTS AXA, BBC, BSkyB, BT,Bupa, Barclaycard, Citizen’s Advice,Defra, FA, HSBC, HSE, Microsoft, TfLDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 7/40MEMBER OF UPA no
As the UK’s leading ICT disabilitycharity, AbilityNet has a uniquely pan-disability perspective and insight. Weequip clients with an understanding oftheir accessibility issues and delivercost-effective solutions through triedand tested methodologies. Our GlobalAccessibility Strategies andGovernance Programmes are settingnew standards in best practice as wellas making digital inclusion a reality.
BLUHALO/GYROHSRbluhalo.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1999CORE SKILLS Information architecture,user experience planning, interactivedesign, digital development,accessibility testingKEY CLIENTS Virgin Atlantic, CancerResearch UK, BlackBerry RIM,Tottenham HotspurDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 25/120MEMBER OF UPA no
Bluhalo/GyroHSR is a full service globaldigital agency and part of the GyroHSRintegrated agency network. Withoffices in 19 cities worldwide, Bluhalo/GyroHSR provides a seamless digitaloffering that delivers impressiveresults for its clients. Clients includeVirgin Atlantic Airways, BlackBerryRIM, Cancer Research UK andTottenham Hotspur Football Club.
CACIcaci.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1997CORE SKILLS Usability consultancy, userexperience strategy, user-centred IAand graphic design, user research,heuristic evaluation, expert analysisKEY SECTORS Public sector, finance,transactional systems, travel, retailDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 12/140MEMBER OF UPA no
CACI provides a wide range of digitalservices, including analytics, usability,design and build of e-business systems,hosting and managed services, digitalconsulting, emarketing services anddigital data for a range of industrysectors. Underpinning everything wedo is the need to understand thecustomer and provide outstandingexperiences that lead not only toimmediate business value but alsorepeat interactions and purchases.
CITRONcitron.uk.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS User experience strategyand design, usabilityKEY SECTORS Automotive, creative,publishing, charity, broadcast,telecomsDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 1/1MEMBER OF UPA yes
Citron focuses on finding the harmonybetween business, usability anddesign to create solutions thatincrease efficiency and profitabilitythrough ease of use and appropriatecontent and functionality. Workingwith a wide range of clients from anumber of industries, includingautomotive, creative, publishing,charity, broadcast and telecoms,helping them improve their customers’experience of their business.
CLEARLEFTclearleft.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2005CORE SKILLS Depth of knowledge andexperience, attention to detailKEY CLIENTS Channel 4, NBC Universal,Riverford Organic, WWF, GumtreeDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 3/10MEMBER OF UPA yes
We design user-centred websites thatgive organisations a competitive edge.By understanding your business andlistening to your customers, we createbeautiful interactive experiences thatdeliver. We run two world-classconferences, UX London anddConstruct, organise and run regularworkshops like our most recent, UXFundamentals. We also speak atconferences and write books, includingUndercover User Experience Design.We also won the .net Design Agency ofthe Year Award in 2009.
COGAPPcogapp.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1985CORE SKILLS Information architecture,interaction design, usability testing,user research, visual design, brandingKEY CLIENTS London 2012, Home Office,TfL, British Museum, Tate, British FilmInstitute, Metropolitan Museum of Art,New York, Arts Council EnglandDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/34MEMBER OF UPA no
Cogapp is a multiple award-winningdigital media and user experiencecompany. We produce websites,interactive installations and next-generation mobile applications for arange of high-profile clients. Ourexperience integrating user testing,ethnographic research, informationarchitecture and interaction designensures clients get the results todeliver measurably better experiences.
User Experience Directory 2010
22
About the directory
This directory lists UK companiesactive in the field of userexperience, either as their solebusiness or as part of a broaderoffering. The information has beensupplied by the companiesthemselves. While every effort hasbeen made to include as manycompanies as possible, there maybe others offering similar services.
UserExperienceDirectory2010
AVVIOavvio.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1997CORE SKILLS Competitor and best-in-class analysis, usability testing,information architecture, user-centreddesign and developmentKEY SECTORS Telecoms, IT, retail,finance, travelDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 16/45MEMBER OF UPA no
We are an award-winning agency witha team of highly experienced artdirectors, designers, developers andproducers who have all worked in theindustry for many years. We createdigital solutions that engage with thelives of people in the real world. Thesecan take the form of online campaigns,SharePoint intranets, complexextranets, websites, carboncalculators, video, mobilecommunications, and many more.
CXPARTNERScxpartners.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS User-centred design, usertesting, customer journey mapping,ecommerce, information architecture,design for SEOKEY CLIENTS Ebay, Moneysupermarket,Marriott, Nokia, Unum, EnvironmentAgency, Virgin Trains, CharlesTyrwhitt, Kelkoo, Phones4u, AXADEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 17/20MEMBER OF UPA yes
We’ve increased client revenues by£327m over the past two years. Ourstrategic insights help you focus oncustomer needs, innovate and set youapart from the competition. We’reexperts at designing the pages on yourwebsite that do the real work: productdescriptions, forms and search results.And we interpret analytics to make itclear how to improve site performance.
ELECTRONIC INKelectronicink.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1990CORE SKILLS Design strategy, userexperience design, usability testing,business systems assessments,enterprise systemsKEY CLIENTS National Grid, EDF Energy,Novartis Pharmaceuticals, ThamesWater, Easynet Global ServicesDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/12MEMBER OF UPA no
Electronic Ink is an internationaldesign consultancy dedicated toimproving the way people interact.We’re retained by some of the best-known organisations in the world,which understand that the design oftheir systems, software andexperiences to consider the humancontext first and foremost can deliverexponential return and improve thelives of everyone their business touches.
FORTUNE COOKIEfortunecookie.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1997CORE SKILLS User experience design,user research, usability testing, servicedesign, digital strategy, continuousoptimisation programmesKEY SECTORS Financial services, traveland leisure, sport, retail, governmentKEY CLIENTS Legal & General, AmericanExpress, Experian, Comparethemarket,Domestic & General, TUI, National RailEnquiries, Butlins, Ebookers, UEFADEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/85MEMBER OF UPA no
Fortune Cookie is one of the UK’s best-respected digital agencies with a list ofglobal clients. We are famous fordelivering usable digital experiencesthat deliver stunning returns. We dothis by rooting our creative process inuser insights, and obsessing aboutreturn on investment.
FUSIONWORKSHOPfusionworkshop.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1999CORE SKILLS IA, wireframing andprototyping, accessibility testing, CMSand mobile usabilityKEY SECTORS Health, law, NFP, finance,housing, membership, heritage,performing artsDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/22MEMBER OF UPA no
Fusionworkshop works withorganisations across the UK that seethe web as business-critical. Byunderstanding the business objectivesof our customers, we offer themcompliant CMS solutions to give moreto their customers and members.Proven requirements-gatheringprocesses and rigorous testing ensureweb and mobile experiences that aresecure, scalable and offer true returnon investment.
CRAYONcrayonlondon.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2005CORE SKILLS User research, user testing,ethnography, expert review, analytics,information architecture, prototyping,user-centred design, optimisationKEY CLIENTS AXA, British Gas, BT,Deutsche Bank, Honda, Sony, Diageo,Hiscox, Lloyds Banking Group, RatedPeople, Sainsbury’s FinanceDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 15/140MEMBER OF UPA no
Crayon is a data-driven digital agencywhich has an absolute focus on results.We’re 140 people strong, stillindependent and have offices inOxford Circus, London, andBasingstoke, Hants. Our digital anddirect heritage means we’re obsessedwith measurement and proving thevalue of what we do, preferring to getpaid on results.
CSCAPEcscape.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2005CORE SKILLS Creative services, designconsultancy, customer engagement,digital marketing, analyticsKEY SECTORS B2B, financial services,third sectorDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 8/70MEMBER OF UPA no
cScape is a digital agency that delivershighly successful solutions for clients,from strategy and creative through toimplementation. We foster long-termpartnerships with clients and respondto their business challenges withintelligent digital solutions. Our workfocuses on audiences, developing webcommunications that are engaging andeffective.
DESIGN UKdesignuk.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1997CORE SKILLS Information architecture,visual design, eyetracking, webanalytics, accessibility audit/testingKEY CLIENTS Hobbs, Jaeger, BerwinLeighton Paisner, Odeon, Rail Europe,New Look, Virgin Media BusinessDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 25/28MEMBER OF UPA no
We focus on maximising customerengagement because the more a userengages with your brand and product,the greater the propensity for them toact on the call to action. Usability istherefore core to everything we dobecause it facilitates that engagement.We understand how people use a sitein both rational and emotional waysand build customer journeys thatsatisfy their needs and drive higherconversion rates as a result.
EMC CONSULTINGemc.co.uk/consulting
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1991CORE SKILLS Experience planning, userinsight and research, informationarchitecture, information/experiencedesign, interaction designKEY SECTORS Retail, financial services,telecoms, media, entertainment, lifesciences, energy, utilitiesDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 12/250MEMBER OF UPA no
EMC Consulting is number two in thenma Top 100 Interactive Agencies2010. We create rich, user-friendlyonline experiences, delivering sitesthat bring brands to life and implementstrategies that push their onlinepresence towards a brighter future.Our consulting methodology is akin toservice design, covering digital andnon-digital channels and is predicatedon value creation.
FLUENT INTERACTIONfluent-interaction.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2003CORE SKILLS User research, qualitativebehavioural analysis, user-centreddesign, accessibility, wireframing andprototype developmentKEY SECTORS Government, not-for-profit, ecommerce, banking andfinance, media, social mediaKEY CLIENTS Department for Education,RNID, LloydsTSB, TelegraphDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/10MEMBER OF UPA no
Fluent is a user experience and webdesign agency. We combinebehavioural research with creativeinnovation to deliver user-centriconline experiences. Public or privatesector, websites or applications, all ourclients have one thing in common: theyvalue their customers and want to givethem the best online experience.
User Experience Directory 2010
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E3e3.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2005CORE SKILLS Digital strategy, research,user-centred design, user testing,conversion optimisationKEY CLIENTS Kia, AXA, Land Rover,Orange, Canon, Principality BuildingSociety, National TrustDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/45MEMBER OF UPA no
E3 is one of the UK’s leadingindependent digital agencies. Our workcovers major websites, digitalcampaigns and social media. We deliverimpactful and innovative digitalexperiences for our clients, with greatcustomer journeys and commercialresults. Within this our work rangesfrom large websites and ecommerce tohelping clients visualise offlineproducts in the online world.
FOOLPROOFfoolproof.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2002CORE SKILLS User experience, user-centred design, customer-driveninnovation, sales process optimisationKEY SECTORS Mobile, financial services,travel, gaming, retailKEY CLIENTS Autoglass, AVG, Aviva, BT,Bupa, Direct Line, easyJet, First Direct,Homeserve, HSBC, ITV, NationalExpress, Nationwide Building SocietyDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 33/40MEMBER OF UPA yes
Foolproof is an experience designagency specialising in UCD andcustomer-driven innovation, usinguser research to help businessescollaborate with customers to producevaluable digital experiences. We findthe most valuable commercial solutionbetween what clients and consumerswant from digital experiences.
FOVIANCEfoviance.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS Customer experiencestrategy, usability, accessibility,experience testing, analytics, clientknowledge developmentKEY CLIENTS Barclays, BSkyB, WilliamHill, Camelot, BBC, Dell, NokiaDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 40/50MEMBER OF UPA yes
One of the most experienced andreliable specialists in its field. We helpclients improve their customers’experience, be it online, on TV, in print,on mobile or in call centres. We believethat customer experience is businesscritical and have evolved a suite ofservices to provide clients with theinformation they need to make cleardecisions. Our clients are our partnersin our work, and we are delighted towork with over half of the FTSE 100.
Presented by Clearleft
Alan CooperAuthor, About Face & The Inmates Are Running the Asylum
Kate RutterExperience Designer, Adaptive Path
Lou RosenfeldAuthor, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
Sunni BrownAuthor, Gamestorming: A Playbook for Rule-breakers, Innovators and Changemakers
Kim GoodwinAuthor, Designing for the Digital Age
Robert FabricantCreative Director, Frog Design
Inspirational Learning for User Experience Designers
REGISTER NOW for 3 days of UX design inspiration at uxlondon.com
UX London is a unique three-day event combining inspirational talks with in-depth workshops presented by some of the industry’s biggest names.
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Whether you’re beginning your career, or a seasoned professional, UX London is your chance to add core skills, absorb strategic thinking and learn advanced techniques from
Presented by Clearleft, a user experience design consultancy based in Brighton, UK.
We believe user experience can transform the quality of your products, the happiness of your customers and the success of your business. That’s why top digital brands such as Channel 4, BBC, Mozilla and Gumtree come to us for industry-leading expertise. If you share our passion for quality, why not see what Clearleft can do for you?
Find out more at clearleft.com
13th—15th April 2011Cumberland Hotel, London
Matt JonesDesign Director, Berg
Todd Zaki WarfelAuthor, Prototyping: A Practitioner’s Guide
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GRASS ROOTSgrassroots.uk.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS Design, informationarchitecture, focus groups, usertesting, accessibilityKEY CLIENTS RIM, Barclays, TescoMobile, BMWDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 2/300MEMBER OF UPA no
Grass Roots provides digital expertisein a wide range of sectors. In a tougheconomic climate, our clients havebenefited from our ability to provideout-of-the-box development combinedwith bespoke visuals, resulting ingreat-looking websites at competitiveprices. User experience lies at the heartof our solutions, including mobile,social media and all aspects ofmultimedia communications andloyalty strategy for consumers,channel partners and employees.
HARVEST DIGITALharvestdigital.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2007CORE SKILLS Audience research andinsight, user journey and personadevelopment, interaction design,conversion and customer acquisitionoptimisation, usability testingKEY CLIENTS Tesco, RBS, Experian, GoCompare, LV, SageDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/50MEMBER OF UPA no
We’re a full-service digital agencydedicated to improving the efficiencyof the digital channel for our clients.We offer an end-to-end service fromdrive to web via search marketing,display media and social. Userexperience sits at the heart of ourwork. We use a common user personaacross media, search and webdevelopment to help us deliver a fullyintegrated experience to the customer.
HAYGARTHhaygarth.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1999CORE SKILLS Digital and direct, retailand promotional, trade marketing,events and experiential, design andbranding, PR, planningKEY CLIENTS Walt Disney Home Studios,Procter & Gamble, Signet, Heinz, SCA,Majestic, Dairy Crest, BBC, Rachel’s,B&Q, Three, Organic UK, MonaghanMushrooms, Harrison Catering, Lego,O2, Southern Comfort, Nando’sDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 2/20MEMBER OF UPA no
Haygarth has been a leading UKindependent marketing agency for 26years and is solely owned by the seniormanagement. Truly integrated, ourdigital teams deliver online campaignswhile also creating interactivesolutions across promotional,experiential, PR and DM initiatives.
HEATHWALLACEheathwallace.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS User research, digitalstrategy and planning, informationarchitecture, user testing andeyetracking, content strategyKEY SECTORS Major global financialservices organisations. public sectorand governmentDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 9MEMBER OF UPA no
We are a dedicated digital agency,skilled in creating delightful customerjourneys and effective digitalexperiences. Our processes andmethodologies are best-in-class andthrough smart and flexible applicationof UX methods and techniques, ourprojects are always cost-effective. Ourbiggest accounts have lasted nearlyten years and over 95% of our work isrepeat business.
GRAND UNIONthegrandunion.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2007CORE SKILLS Business consultancy,multi-channel customer experiencestrategy, multi-platform interfacedesign, content architecture, multi-variant testingKEY CLIENTS Boots, Waitrose, Best Buy,Carphone Warehouse, Digital UK,FreeviewDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 6/90MEMBER OF UPA no
Grand Union is a global networkdedicated to delivering multi-channel,multi-platform solutions for its clients.Core to this service is a consumer-centric approach delivered through anumber of agency disciplines includingbusiness consultancy, strategicplanning, user experience and design.
KEYNOTE SYSTEMSkeynote.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1995CORE SKILLS Customer experienceresearch, technology for remoteunmoderated usability research, largesample-sizes, capturing attitudes andbehaviour, competitive benchmarkingKEY CLIENTS Ebay, IBM, Barclays, YahooDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/5MEMBER OF UPA no
Keynote has run over a million usertests using our remote unmoderatedresearch technology WebEffective.This provides much of the richness oftraditional usability research with thebenefit of large sample sizes and theability to run research in 130 countriesin 28 languages. Studies includecompetitive benchmarking,international research, prototype testsand mobile. WebEffective is alsoavailable in self service mode.
User Experience Directory 2010
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LBIlbi.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1998CORE SKILLS User experience strategy,user research and insights, interactiondesign, information architecture,cross-platform experience designKEY SECTORS Financial services, travel,telecoms, energy, entertainment,mobile, experientialDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 47/493MEMBER OF UPA yes
LBi is a leading European marketingand technology agency with a globalreach. It helps brands engage withtheir customers through digitalchannels from initial awareness of thebrand, through direct interaction toongoing relationships. This full serviceoffering combines analytical, directmarketing and digital competences,which means LBi can develop bigcreative ideas in the digital space.
MICROSOFTmicrosoft.com/uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1994CORE SKILLS Envisioning future userexperiences, user experience skillstransfer, user experience processimprovement, UX design anddevelopment best practices, userexperience reviewsDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/2,250MEMBER OF UPA yes
The mission of user experience designat Microsoft is to create services andproducts that people love toexperience. We are supported by anetwork of specialist UX partners andwork closely with our productdevelopment teams. Our focus is onhelping our customers realise theirpotential through the use of ourtechnology.
NEW EXPERIENCEnew-experience.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2003CORE SKILLS Ethnographic research,participatory design, informationarchitecture, usability testing, servicetrialsKEY SECTORS Technology, telecoms,media, entertainment, not-for-profitkey clients: Orange, Vodafone,Hutchison Whampoa, Microsoft, Metro,Sky, Sony Ericsson, BBC, vinspiredDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 6/8MEMBER OF UPA no
We are a London-based consultancythat creates innovative, compellingand usable products and services. Wesupport our clients through all stagesof the innovation process, bridging thegap between customer insight anduser experience. We are committed tohelping our clients create effectiveservices that generate ROI.
NICE AGENCYniceagency.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2009CORE SKILLS Interaction design, taskanalysis, user journeys, personas,interactive prototyping, flash catalystKEY SECTORS Financial services, mediaand entertainment, advertising, FMCG,healthcareDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/14MEMBER OF UPA no
We design and build innovative web,desktop and mobile applications usingour user experience design-led processand deep expertise of technologiessuch as Adobe Flex and AIR, MicrosoftSilverlight and WPF, iPhone, iPad andAndroid. We deliver solutions rangingfrom campaign-led mobile apps toenterprise financial trading systems.We focus on creative technology whilehaving a keen eye for usability. Theresult is rich, engaging experiences.
NOMENSAnomensa.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS Usability testing, userresearch, usability analysis, user-centred design, accessibilityKEY CLIENTS BBC, P&G, Sky, WHSmith,Austin Reed, NHS, Directgov, BIS,Department of Education, LondonBusiness School, Middlesex University,The National Turst, Big Lottery FundDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 16/30MEMBER OF UPA no
Nomensa is an independent user-experience design agency that createsengaging and customer-focusedwebsites. As experts in web strategy,usability, accessibility and design, weblend these services to deliverspectacular results for our clients. Weplace users at the centre of our webdevelopment process using provenresearch methodologies.
HEADheadlondon.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2000CORE SKILLS User experience strategy,human-centred design, contextualdesign research, interaction design,information architectureKEY CLIENTS British Gas, Electrolux,HTC, Royal Bank of Scotland, LloydsTSB, Humanic, Oxford University PressDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 18/32MEMBER OF UPA no
Head takes a holistic, human-centredapproach to design. This enables itsclients to identify new ways to serveand support their customers byuncovering latent needs, understandingbehaviour and satisfying desires. Headhas a reputation for creating digitalproducts, services and experiencesthat are compelling, engaging andwhich deliver real return oninvestment.
PIXEL THREADpixelthread.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2008CORE SKILLS Design of prototypes andinformation architecture, research,analysis, business requirementsKEY CLIENTS Aardman Animation, BBC,Bristol University, E-SkillsDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 1/1MEMBER OF UPA yes
Pixel Thread specialises in designingsimple and smart prototypes of digitalproducts and services based oncustomer, product and businessresearch. Typically these prototypesinclude site architectures, usertaskflows and interactive wireframesof key areas of functionality orcontent. Prototypes are tested withusers, revised and then used as aspecification for the full design andbuild phase of a project.
PROFEROprofero.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2008CORE SKILLS strategic consultancy, userexperience design, business analysis,information architecture, interactiondesign, rapid prototyping, user testing,web development, ecommerce build,CMS build, application developmentKEY SECTORS FMCG, finance, retail,governmentKEY CLIENTS PepsiCo, Mars, HSBC, RBS,Macquarie, ASOS, All Saints, M&S, COIDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/120MEMBER OF UPA no
We create ideas people belong to. Thismeans Profero is a full service digitalagency focused on creating compellingideas and delivering outcomes forclients. In our world, user-centreddesign and world-class planningcombine to establish ‘belonging’ as thecornerstone of any proposition.
PROXIMITY LONDONproximitylondon.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS User segmentation, needsanalysis, competitor review,information architecture, experiencedesign, lo-fi prototyping, rapid/agile/iterative methodologiesKEY CLIENTS Royal Mail, Orange, PostOffice, Procter & Gamble, Shell, CapitalOne, TV Licensing, ATOC, RNLI, VWDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/220MEMBER OF UPA no
Proximity London is a direct and digitalagency with data at its heart. Wecreate work that increases customervalue in ways that can be measured.We deliver customers communicationsthrough personal media which can betested and refined. Last year ProximityLondon won a total of 29 awards andwas the most awarded DM agency atthe DMA Awards.
READING ROOMreadingroom.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1996CORE SKILLS User experience, user-centred design, usability, accessibility,international market differentiation,brand experience strategy, contentstrategy and architectureKEY CLIENTS Philips Healthcare,UNHCR, Serco, G4S, EuromoneyDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 55/140MEMBER OF UPA no
We believe our holistic approach touser experience is unique. Our team isresearch driven and consists not onlyof IA, UX and ergonomic experts, butalso content, technical and brandstrategists. And don’t take our wordfor it: Forrester states Reading Roomwas a strong performer in its latestinteractive agencies review. Ouroffices in Asia Pacific allow us to helpbrands take their sites global.
RUFUS LEONARDrufusleonard.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1996CORE SKILLS User testing, informationarchitecture, UI design, interactiondesign, copywriting, accessibilityKEY CLIENTS British Gas, Lloyds TSB, O2DEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 13/107MEMBER OF UPA no
Rufus Leonard is an expert in bringingbrands to life and managing consumerinteraction both online and offline. Weare an award-winning, independentagency based in London and Dubai. Wework with leading UK brands thatinclude the biggest retail bank in theUK, Lloyds TSB, the most widelyadmired telecoms brand, O2, and themarket-leading utility company,British Gas. We also advise governmentagencies including Whitehall’s premierdepartment and one of its mostentrepreneurial business partners.
SAPIENTNITROsapientnitro.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1998CORE SKILLS Usability, accessibility,persona development, visual design,editorial content, informationarchitecture, site developmentKEY CLIENTS Auto Trader, BritishCouncil, BSkyB, BP, Coca-Cola, Disney,Foot Locker, Epson Europe, Mars, MTV,News International, Nokia, SamsungDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 51/320MEMBER OF UPA yes
SapientNitro is an integratedmarketing and technology servicescompany. By combining multi-channelmarketing and commerce with thetechnology that binds them, weinfluence customer behaviour acrosscontent, communication andcommerce channels, resulting in moremeaningful relationships betweencustomers and brands.
REDWEBredweb.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS Experience strategy, userresearch, interaction design, analyticsand optimisation, usability testingKEY CLIENTS AXA Insurance, Training &Development Agency, ElectoralCommission, Scottish ParliamentDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 6/115MEMBER OF UPA no
Redweb is one of the UK’s fastestgrowing digital agencies specialising indesigning and building intelligent,award-winning websites. This year weopened our new UX and Creativity labsin the heart of London. Organisationstrust us to deliver exceptional resultsto demanding service levels. We arecommitted to excellence and to addingvalue for our customers. As a result,we manage some of the UK’s leadingand business critical digital platforms.
R/GArga.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1998KEY SECTORS Systematic design,application design, mobile app design,retail design, digital commerce, m-commerce, digital product designKEY CLIENTS Nike, Walmart, VerizonWireless, MastercardDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/65MEMBER OF UPA no
R/GA helps clients solve their businessproblems through the application ofdesign and technology. Interactiondesign and user experience are centralto our way of working, and ensure theexperience for the consumer isseamless and branded, whether thatbe a website, app, retail installation orecommerce solution. R/GA turnsinsights into innovations that result inmeaningful engagements forconsumers.
REDEYE OPTIMUM.WEBredeye.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2000CORE SKILLS User testing, conversionoptimisation, user experience, multi-variate testing, analytics, informationarchitecture, user needs research,accessibility auditing and user testingKEY CLIENTS Abbey, Esure, HSBC,Nationwide, Macdonald Hotels,Monarch Airlines, Marks & Spencer,ASOS, River Island, Ted Baker, COIDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 16/16MEMBER OF UPA no
RedEye Optimum.web helps clientsimprove digital engagement byoptimising their online propositions.Uniquely we combine usability andanalytics expertise with behaviouralemail to create deeper customerinsight and increased conversion andretention, allowing clients to improvetheir online presence.
RMA CONSULTINGrma-consulting.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2006CORE SKILLS Interaction design,experience strategy, applicationdesign, user experience design, richinteractive information visualisationKEY CLIENTS Morgan Stanley, LloydsTSB, BBC, Met Office, RBS, AdobeDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 21/55MEMBER OF UPA no
We believe in using design totransform organisations and theirservices, where design strategyinforms what we need to do, designcraft (from interaction design toinformation visualisation) executesbreathtakingly elegant solutions thatwork for end users, and design processapplies rigour to deliver again andagain. We specialise in innovativeworking solutions for enterprisesoftware and rich internet applications.
User Experience Directory 2010
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PANCENTRIC DIGITALpancentric.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2003CORE SKILLS User-centred design,persona creation, informationarchitecture, usability testing,heuristic analysis, card sortingKEY CLIENTS BBC, Channel 4, Disney,Burger King, Clipper Teas, Hennessy,RSA, AXA, PetplanDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 3/44MEMBER OF UPA no
Pancentric Digital is a specialist digitalagency that combines creativity,marketing, multimedia and technicalexpertise under one roof. We workwith some of the best-known globalbrands and place great emphasis onclient collaboration. Our end-to-endsolutions are grounded in customerinsight. We have extensive experiencein media and entertainment, FMCG andinsurance.
ONE TO ONE INSIGHTSotoinsights.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2002CORE SKILLS Usability testing, user-centred design, accessibility audits,ethnographic studies, benchmarking,focus groups, neuromarketingKEY CLIENTS Samsung, O2, DeutscheBank, AXA, BAA, Hotels.com, PayPal,Reed Business Information, HBOSDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 22/26MEMBER OF UPA no
One To One Insights (formerly Fhios) isa leading, international customerexperience research consultancy withoffices in the UK, US, Asia and SouthAmerica. We help clients to understandtheir customers’ wants and needsacross any touchpoint. We areredefining customer experience withour neuromarketing tool Quantemo,which takes a scientific approach tomeasuring customer engagement.
SIMPLEUSABILITYsimpleusability.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS Eyetracking, retail,usability testing, market researchKEY CLIENTS Asda, Republic, Oli, HSBC, Stockport Council, Hoseasons,Irwin MitchellDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/7MEMBER OF UPA no
Experts in usability, market researchand eyetracking, working with B2C,B2B and public bodies. Our specialisteyetracking methodologies allow ourclients to open a window into theminds of the people who use theirproducts/services so they can bechanged for the better, whether onwebsites (through usability testing),in-store (using retail insight), print andpackaging or email and advertisement.
SPOTLESS INTERACTIVEspotlessinteractive.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS Usability and concepttesting, accessibility audits, training,creating and using personas,wireframes and workflowsKEY CLIENTS Virgin Games, PaddyPower, Dare Digital, Fasthosts, Skype,National StrategiesDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/4MEMBER OF UPA yes
We are a London-based userexperience consultancy that offers arange of services including usabilitytesting, training, user research anduser experience design. We researchusers, build interfaces and offertraining courses to support userrequirements and business goalsacross websites, intranets, CD/DVDand mobile devices.
SYNTAGMsyntagm.co.uk/design
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1985CORE SKILLS User-centred designconsultancy and training, web andintranet usability, user experiencebenchmarking, agile user experienceKEY SECTORS Intranets, ecommerce,public body websitesDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 1/2MEMBER OF UPA no
We provide world-class user-centreddesign, user experience, usabilityservices and training. Our clients rangefrom startups to global enterprises inthe UK, Europe and North America. Wecan help with a range of problems fromsimple usability evaluations to userexperience benchmarking and training.We are happy to act as advisors onlarge UX projects, help technologyterms work together or to provide pureuser experience strategy advice.
SYSTEM CONCEPTSsystem-concepts.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1981CORE SKILLS Accessibility audit/testing,competitor review, ergonomics, expertanalysis, eyetracking, informationarchitecture, interaction design,mobile, product usability, training,user research, user segmentationKEY CLIENTS Microsoft, LV, MobileIndustry Crime Action Forum, BBC,Department for Transport, Samsung,O2, Sainsbury’s, Directgov, VodafoneDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 16/32MEMBER OF UPA yes
Our usability consultants arededicated to helping you understandyour users and so deliver efficient,effective design solutions. We offer afull range of consultancy, testing andtraining services to provide practical,actionable advice which will help youimprove sales and reduce costs.
SYZYGY UKsyzygy.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2000CORE SKILLS User journey analysis,prototyping and usability testing,information architecture and contentstrategy, interaction design, cross-platform experience designKEY CLIENTS Mazda, De Beers, HSBC,Toshiba, QFinance, MercedesDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/72MEMBER OF UPA no
Syzygy is a leading pan-European, fullservice, digital agency, part of WPP.We create engaging and rewardinginteractive experiences for majorbusinesses, helping to grow brands’market share and profitability. Wepride ourselves on delivering large-scale integrated digital strategies forbrands, built on a culture of ideas,innovation and accountability.
TECHNOPHOBIAtechnophobia.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1995CORE SKILLS Requirements gatheringand analysis, information architecture,interaction design, functionalprototyping, usability testing, visualdesign and front-end developmentKEY CLIENTS Co-operative Bank, AlfaRomeo, Planning Portal, TechnologyStrategy Board, Buying Solutions,Pizza Express, Best Western, BectaDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/67MEMBER OF UPA no
We consult, design and build at thecutting edge of the web, creatingapplications and dynamic sites withspot-on user experience that solvereal-world problems. We don’t believetechnology is the answer to businessproblems, but that user experience-ledcreative solution design is, and thattechnology is merely the enabler.
TENCXtencx.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2010CORE SKILLS Research and strategy,information architecture, optimiseduser journeys, taxonomy,wireframing, information and graphicdesign, content and copy, user testingKEY SECTORS Financial services, retail,publishing, media and entertainmentDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF n/sMEMBER OF UPA no
We’re work alongside clients to designand deliver digital experiences that areuser-centred and achieve commercialobjectives. We’re discipline-neutral,discussing with clients how to blendin-house resources with our skills andexperience. And we’re channel-neutral, developing seamless solutionsallowing users to interact with a brandusing whichever channel they choose.
THEALLOYthealloy.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1999CORE SKILLS User research, propositioncreation, concept creation, productdesign, interface design, system andservice designKEY SECTORS Telecoms, healthcare,consumer electronics, structuralpackagingDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 22/22MEMBER OF UPA no
TheAlloy is a design consultancywhich creates platforms that deliverbetter user experiences to driveimproved organisationaleffectiveness. It has createdthousands of improved experiencesthat have delivered real businessbenefits to its clients and partners.
THE LONG DOGthelongdog.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2003CORE SKILLS User experience design,usability testing, audiencesegmentation, informationarchitectureKEY CLIENTS HSBC, B&Q, Barclays,Directgov, Rolls-Royce, SkandiaDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 2MEMBER OF UPA no
Organisations increasingly want tounderstand how a new site or app willhelp their business. The Long Dog helpsthem decipher the process from auser’s perspective from design todelivery. We excel in user experiencedesign and with our expertise to refineand define structure, rapidly iterateand test these designs on yourcustomers, we bring about changethrough a user centred design process.
THE TEAMtheteam.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2008CORE SKILLS Interaction design,information architecture, experiencestrategy, user research, service designkey clients Cisco, Vodafone, BP, NHS,Universal Music, Logica, GSKDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 7/100MEMBER OF UPA n/s
A Loewy Group brand communicationsconsultancy making a differencethrough communications. Our clientscross every boundary and includecommercial, public sector and not-for-profit organisations. We have a high-calibre digital team and a broadportfolio of delighted clients. Webelieve in making a positive differenceto the user experience of all ourengagements through a strongsynergy of messaging, visual design,brand strategy and user-centred design.
TH_NKthink.eu
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS Design research, strategyand documentation, facilitation,information architecture, interactiondesign, experience prototypingKEY CLIENTS BBC, Sony, Bupa, NorthernRock, BlackBerryDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 15/65MEMBER OF UPA no
We transform some of the world’s mostsuccessful businesses and the waythey communicate through digital bycreating long-term partnerships wherewe explore exciting opportunities,develop award-winning ideas anddefine successful strategies. Thiscollaboration is underpinned by a solidfoundation of research, insight anditerative design methods, which helpsus to deliver the most engagingcustomer experiences.
User Experience Directory 2010
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SEQUENCEsequence.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1995CORE SKILLS User experience strategy,user-centred design, digital strategy,website design and development,mobile design and developmentKEY CLIENTS BBC, Welsh Assembly,Eversheds, SA Brains, Rachel’s OrganicDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 8/55MEMBER OF UPA no
A digital marketing agency with a richhistory in website design and build, wework across a multitude of digitalplatforms and styles of execution forclients of all shapes and sizes, fromwebsites through to viral campaignsand mobile apps. User experience is atthe centre of everything we do. Ourcore principle of creating “beautiful,clever things” ensures we producehigh-quality creative and technicallyexcellent solutions.
TMGtmg.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 1996CORE SKILLS Accessibility, analytics andconversion optimisation, creativedesign, user experience testing anddesign, technical developmentKEY CLIENTS COI, HMRC, Directgov, IPSGRO, CQC, Reed Smith, Caravan Club,DST, Healthcare ConnectionsDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/25MEMBER OF UPA no
We help clients use creativity andtechnology to transform the way theycommunicate and do business. Ourteam blends insight, content,interaction, design and technology toproduce solutions that solve businessproblems, leverage opportunities andimprove business returns.
TOBIAS & TOBIAStobias.tv
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2001CORE SKILLS Digital strategy andplanning, user experience andinteraction design, visual design,content strategy, interface andapplication developmentKEY SECTORS Financial services,publishing, retailDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 20/30MEMBER OF UPA no
Tobias & Tobias is a leading digitaldesign consultancy with a strongdelivery arm and a team of specialistsin digital strategy, user experience,design, development, and full servicedelivery. Our client portfolio includes agrowing number of blue-chip brands,and we have significant domainknowledge in the financial servicessector, where we enjoy a reputationfor delivering user-led solutions.
TRICKY BUSINESStrickybusiness.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2006CORE SKILLS Sketching, prototypingand realising UI designs across multipleplatformsKEY CLIENTS Microsoft, Audi, RBS,Capita, Sky News, The British LibraryDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 4/6MEMBER OF UPA no
Tricky Business is uniquely positionedto offer purely design and UX servicesto development partners and solutionsproviders. As brand guardians weconsistently consider the customer’sperspective — we believe that whatyou make people feel is as important aswhat you make. Bringing design-ledthinking to the development mix andpartnering with some of the top UKdevelopers, we take an iterativeapproach involving the designers,developers and clients throughout.
THE USABILITY LABusabilitylab.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2006CORE SKILLS User experience design,wireframing, prototyping, informationarchitecture, user research, usabilitytesting, accessibilityKEY CLIENTS Tesco, Post Office, LloydsTSB, JPMorgan, Friends Provident,British Red Cross, Scottish GovernmentDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/6MEMBER OF UPA yes
We design user experiences with akeen eye for effectiveness. Our focus ison creating useful and engagingexperiences. Research and usabilitytesting underpins our work becauseyou can’t predict user behaviour. Wehave created wireframes andprototypes for trading platforms,online banks, supermarket checkouts,air traffic control systems and libraries.
WE ARE LONDONwearelondon.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2003CORE SKILLS Interaction and interfacedesign, information architecture, rapidprototyping, quantitative andqualitative customer researchKEY CLIENTS O2, Giffgaff, NSPCC,Chiltern Railways, Ogilvy, Deloitte,Barclays, National Express, ZurichDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 15/15MEMBER OF UPA yes
We Are London was established tomeet the challenges faced by clientsthat knew they needed more specificskills in user-centred design than fullservices agencies could offer. Ourbusiness has evolved from a nicheusability agency to become one of theleading user experience design anddigital research businesses, pioneeringthe use of rapid prototyping acrossmobile, web and TV.
WEB USABILITY PARTNERSHIPwupltd.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2002CORE SKILLS Usability testing, mobiletesting, user research, informationarchitecture, wireframing, accessibilityKEY CLIENTS Boots, Jet2, British Library,Orange, Environment Agency, Dyson,Superbreak HolidaysDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 6/8MEMBER OF UPA no
We combine rigorous user-focusedresearch with a process to generateagreed and actionable results quicklyand cost effectively. WUP has a uniqueapproach to user testing, involvingreal-time research. This has three keyadvantages: a shared understanding ofthe problems; solutions fit yourorganisation because you are part ofthe process; and it’s quick as you agreethe issues and solutions in a single day.
WHAT PEOPLE WANTwhatpeoplewant.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2002CORE SKILLS Ethnography/behaviouralresearch, natural usability testing,mobile, emerging TV platforms, web,product strategy, service designKEY CLIENTS BBC, Intel, Nokia, Yahoo,Virgin AtlanticDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 10/10MEMBER OF UPA yes
We see the wood for the trees anduncover the insights that show youexactly what your customers want.Whether it’s a business idea on anenvelope or an established globalservice, we have the expertise to meetyour needs. We offer all qualitativeresearch techniques and haveinvented cutting- edge new ones,giving our clients a competitive edge.We have offices in London andManchester.
WHATUSERSDOwhatusersdo.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2009CORE SKILLS Remote usability testingKEY CLIENTS Top-tier brands, SMEs,agencies, public sector organisationsDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 2/5MEMBER OF UPA no
WhatUsersDo is an online userexperience research service with alarge panel of UK internet users. Wehave made usability testing so fast,easy and affordable that there’s nowno excuse not to do it. It takes fiveminutes to order usability tests onlineand within 48 hours you’ll be watchingonline videos of real people using yourwebsite and hearing their spokenthoughts.
WUNDERMANwunderman.co.uk
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2000CORE SKILLS Interaction design,information architecture, accessibility,design and build, competitor analysis,heuristic benchmarkingKEY CLIENTS Land Rover, Ford, Nokia,Triumph, Best Buy, Lufthansa,Telefónica, P&G, Microsoft, JaguarDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 5/380MEMBER OF UPA no
Wunderman is the UK’s largest agencyspecialising in direct and digital tobuild campaigns that deliver profitablerelationships. We create behaviour-changing strategies, user experiencesand creative work that deliver resultsyou can count on. We do this by creatingexperiences that are integrated anditerative, leveraging the skills of directmarketing while exploiting the waysconsumers want to talk to brands.
User Experience Directory 2010
30
THOUGHTWORKSthoughtworks.com
PROVIDING UE SINCE 2004CORE SKILLS Agile experience design,rapid proposition development,information architecture, systems andservice design, design and buildKEY CLIENTS TheTrainline.com, TraderPublishing, The Guardian, Channel 4,Lonely Planet, Unicef, Traffic BrokerDEDICATED USABILITY STAFF 9/180MEMBER OF UPA no
ThoughtWorks is an IT consultancyproviding agile-based softwaredevelopment and transformationservices to Global 1000 companies. Wehave pioneered agile experience design,delivering customer experience-basedend-to-end solutions. ThoughtWorkshelps clients maximise investment andperformance across a portfolio ofcomplex, business-critical applications,while reducing time and risk
