This past week I had the distinct pleasure to work with our partner NewCity on a higher education project. During our planning and discovery week we conducted one-on-one user testing, executed KJ sessions, and engaged in wireframing exercises. Although these days are fast paced, I learned to slow down and discover hidden gems from users and project sponsors. I felt like an old prospector who found a new stream of treasure!

Getting to Know Your Users

Simply observing participants engage a site while performing scenarios is not enough these days. In order to glean the essence of the school, its students, and the community it represents requires probing. Although I make sure we accomplish the tasks in our script I always listen out for keywords, phrases, and body language indicators. These occurrences prompt me to go off the beaten path a bit to discover “hidden gems.”

For instance, I discovered that the medical school content on the web site was inadequate for first year students. So the students took it upon themselves to create an “unofficial guide to med school” with illustrations and humor. It was great! It even had little personas of each type of med school student.

Often these types of underground materials represent workarounds to existing deficiencies in the web site content, program content, orientation, or all of the above. And now an entire community of “first years” will find the content they need in the redesign.

Tapping Into Passion

Often times you’ll encounter client team members who are particularly passionate about the web site. They don’t like the color, or don’t appreciate the direction of new creative. Don’t discount them- listen to them.

Finding people who are passionate about their workplace or the people they serve is not a regular occurence. Tap into this passion. You’ll likely discover more hidden gems.

Discovering the real story behind a brand, an organization, its customers is not an easy task. But if you take the time to conduct one-on-one sessions with users and listen to passionate client project team members you’ll find an essence that will turn a good site redesign into a great, brand building site that is easy to use and contains delightful moments that quietly say to the user, “we listened to you and we thank you for your participation.”

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