In creating clear communications, one of the most important steps to a successful result is usability testing. No matter what people say nor what you think, until you test with real users, you won’t know if the communications will succeed. Clients are amazed when they view the testing to learn what users actually say and think about the communications and, hence, the organization.
There are many types of usability testing; focus groups, surveys, IDIs, etc. For data driven communications, the proven, best method is In-Depth-Interviews (IDIs). This type of testing allows companies to understand what readers actually do when they are interacting with the communications. Because the information is more credible, as few as seven people can be interviewed and still have reliable results. The audiences include all those who touch the communications and can include financial professionals, consumers, relationship managers, interested third parties, etc.
We recommend IDIs be conducted by independent third parties and conducted away from any company facility. We have found that when our client moderates the interviews, they are likely to get users who try to ask questions or voice concerns relating to issues not directly related to the communications being tested. For instance, people will ask about fees or other services or complain about a service call, etc. If an independent third party is moderating, these questions and concerns go away, and the testing can focus on the communications exclusively.
Testing identifies both weaknesses and strengths with any communication and in our methodology, we recommend two phases. The first tests the current state samples to ensure all issues are identified, and the second tests the redesigned communication to verify all issues have been corrected and no new ones have appeared.
To properly test the behavior of users and their interaction with the hard copy and/or digital communications, we use the In-Depth Interview (IDI) method and/or customer surveys.
For testing current state samples, we recommend using electronic surveys. Identifying existing problems is vitally important, as correction of them often results in decreased support costs, savings on development and production, and a better customer experience. We will work with you to identify participants and testing questions. Electronic surveys are sent to participants via email for online completion.
For IDIs, we research and identify testing facilities, create a recruiter script and moderator guide. The purpose of the testing is to ensure that the information important to your end customer is well presented and understandable. A communication must reflect how people think about a task, how they find information, and what they do with that information. Therefore, the one-on-one interview sessions use real-life scenarios to:
We have expertise in clear communications and testing, specifically with the effective design of complex transactional and other customer facing communications such as letters and notices in both the financial and insurance marketplaces. We have created a philosophy and methodology that guides the final clear communication. The methodology is an all-encompassing process, ensuring that the resulting design can be produced in its target software, while meeting the highest standards of effectiveness, aesthetics, efficiency, accessibility and compliance from both a brand standard and legal perspective.
The design prototypes used for testing are created using data to make them appear as they would when an end-user receives them. We test the design prototypes to make sure they meet the intended needs of the users in terms of comprehension, understanding, Information design, task completion and navigation.
We structure approximately a one-hour interview that has two parts. In the first part, participants will talk aloud as they read through the communications, identifying words they don’t understand and places where they are confused by the communications’ layout and information. In the second, more structured part of the interview, we ask participants questions about specific issues that we have identified as potentially difficult. Identifying and correcting these areas before the communications are implemented saves expensive rework and improves customer satisfaction.
We use two interviewers for each session – one is the moderator who will guide the entire discussion; the other is the note taker who will identify the order in which the participant will look at various components of the document as well as take notes on critical incidents within the interview. We audiotape each interview and can arrange to videotape them at the client’s preference.