Understanding Your Users

"Understanding Your Users is an easy to read, easy to implement, how-to guide on usability in the real world. It focuses on the "user requirements gathering" stage of product development and it provides a variety of techniques, many of which may be new to usability professionals. For each technique, readers will learn how to prepare for and conduct the activity, as well as analyze and present the data - all in a practical and hands-on way. The techniques can be used together to form a complete picture of the users' requirements or they can be used separately to address specific product questions. These methods have helped product teams understand the value of user requirements gathering by providing insight into how users work and what they need to be successful at their tasks."--BOOK JACKET.

This new and completely updated edition is a comprehensive, easy-to-read, "how-to" guide on user research methods. You'll learn about many distinct user research methods and also pre- and post-method considerations such as recruiting, facilitating activities or moderating, negotiating with product developments teams/customers, and getting your results incorporated into the product. For each method, you'll understand how to prepare for and conduct the activity, as well as analyze and present the data - all in a practical and hands-on way. Each method presented provides different information about the users and their requirements (e.g., functional requirements, information architecture). The techniques can be used together to form a complete picture of the users' needs or they can be used separately throughout the product development lifecycle to address specific product questions. These techniques have helped product teams understand the value of user experience research by providing insight into how users behave and what they need to be successful. You will find brand new case studies from leaders in industry and academia that demonstrate each method in action. This book has something to offer whether you are new to user experience or a seasoned UX professional. After reading this book, you'll be able to choose the right user research method for your research question and conduct a user research study. Then, you will be able to apply your findings to your own products. Completely new and revised edition includes 30+% new content! Discover the foundation you need to prepare for any user research activity and ensure that the results are incorporated into your products Includes all new case studies for each method from leaders in industry and academia

Today many companies are employing a user-centered design (UCD) process, but for most companies, usability begins and ends with the usability test. Although usability testing is a critical part of an effective user-centered life cycle, it is only one component of the UCD process. This book is focused on the requirements gathering stage, which often receives less attention than usability testing, but is equally as important. Understanding user requirements is critical to the development of a successful product. Understanding Your Users is an easy to read, easy to implement, how-to guide on usability in the real world. It focuses on the "user requirements gathering" stage of product development and it provides a variety of techniques, many of which may be new to usability professionals. For each technique, readers will learn how to prepare for and conduct the activity, as well as analyze and present the data —all in a practical and hands-on way. In addition, each method presented provides different information about the user and their requirements (e.g., functional requirements, information architecture, task flows). The techniques can be used together to form a complete picture of the users’ requirements or they can be used separately to address specific product questions. These techniques have helped product teams understand the value of user requirements gathering by providing insight into how users work and what they need to be successful at their tasks. Case studies from industry-leading companies demonstrate each method in action. In addition, readers are provided with the foundation to conduct any usability activity (e.g., getting buy-in from management, legal and ethical considerations, setting up your facilities, recruiting, moderating activities) and to ensure the incorporation of the results into their products. ·Covers all of the significant requirements gathering methods in a readable, practical way ·Presents the foundation readers need to prepare for any requirements gathering activity and ensure that the results are incorporated into their products ·Includes invaluable worksheet and template appendices ·Includes a case study for each method from industry leaders ·Written by experienced authors who teach conference courses on this subject to usability professionals and new product designers alike

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research aims to bridge the gap between what digital companies think they know about their users and the actual user experience. Individuals engaged in digital product and service development often fail to conduct user research. The book presents concepts and techniques to provide an understanding of how people experience products and services. The techniques are drawn from the worlds of human-computer interaction, marketing, and social sciences. The book is organized into three parts. Part I discusses the benefits of end-user research and the ways it fits into the development of useful, desirable, and successful products. Part II presents techniques for understanding people’s needs, desires, and abilities. Part III explains the communication and application of research results. It suggests ways to sell companies and explains how user-centered design can make companies more efficient and profitable. This book is meant for people involved with their products’ user experience, including program managers, designers, marketing managers, information architects, programmers, consultants, and investors. Explains how to create usable products that are still original, creative, and unique A valuable resource for designers, developers, project managers - anyone in a position where their work comes in direct contact with the end user Provides a real-world perspective on research and provides advice about how user research can be done cheaply, quickly and how results can be presented persuasively Gives readers the tools and confidence to perform user research on their own designs and tune their software user experience to the unique needs of their product and its users

Practical Web Analytics for User Experience teaches you how to use web analytics to help answer the complicated questions facing UX professionals. Within this book, you'll find a quantitative approach for measuring a website's effectiveness and the methods for posing and answering specific questions about how users navigate a website. The book is organized according to the concerns UX practitioners face. Chapters are devoted to traffic, clickpath, and content use analysis, measuring the effectiveness of design changes, including A/B testing, building user profiles based on search habits, supporting usability test findings with reporting, and more. This is the must-have resource you need to start capitalizing on web analytics and analyze websites effectively. Discover concrete information on how web analytics data support user research and user-centered design Learn how to frame questions in a way that lets you navigate through massive amounts of data to get the answer you need Learn how to gather information for personas, verify behavior found in usability testing, support heuristic evaluation with data, analyze keyword data, and understand how to communicate these findings with business stakeholders

This new and completely updated edition is a comprehensive, easy-to-read, "how-to" guide on user research methods. You'll learn about many distinct user research methods and also pre- and post-method considerations such as recruiting, facilitating activities or moderating, negotiating with product developments teams/customers, and getting your results incorporated into the product. For each method, you'll understand how to prepare for and conduct the activity, as well as analyze and present the data - all in a practical and hands-on way. Each method presented provides different information about the users and their requirements (e.g., functional requirements, information architecture). The techniques can be used together to form a complete picture of the users' needs or they can be used separately throughout the product development lifecycle to address specific product questions. These techniques have helped product teams understand the value of user experience research by providing insight into how users behave and what they need to be successful. You will find brand new case studies from leaders in industry and academia that demonstrate each method in action. This book has something to offer whether you are new to user experience or a seasoned UX professional. After reading this book, you'll be able to choose the right user research method for your research question and conduct a user research study. Then, you will be able to apply your findings to your own products. Completely new and revised edition includes 30+% new content! Discover the foundation you need to prepare for any user research activity and ensure that the results are incorporated into your products Includes all new case studies for each method from leaders in industry and academia

The ability to effectively create and interpret financial models is one of the most valued skills in corporate finance--from Wall Street to Main Street. Now, the acclaimed guide to designing, building, and implementing valuation projection models is fully revised and expanded to keep finance and accounting professionals competitive in today's marketplace. This second edition of Building Financial Models continues the tradition of its predecessor by providing a hands-on approach to creating a core model that is supported by broad coverage of cornerstone accounting and finance principles. Additionally, this updated volume features: Entirely new coverage of discounted cash flow (DCF) modeling Excel formulas for making powerful calculations within the spreadsheet In-depth explanations of both the principles and mechanics of projection models Building Financial Models helps readers practice good thinking and apply sound knowledge of their tools--two key attributes to producing robust and easy-to-use models. This practical guide takes you step by step through the entire process of developing a projection model, with a full chapter dedicated to each phase. By the end, you will have a working, dynamic spreadsheet financial model for making projections for industrial and manufacturing companies. Furthermore, this Second Edition provides the vocabulary and syntax of model building so you can tailor core models to fit any size company and allow for quick input changes to test sensitivity. The companion website www.buildingfinancialmodel.com offering example spreadsheets will give you a head start on developing your own models. A flexible and successful financial projection model does more than just add numbers--it explains the complex relationships between those numbers and illuminates ways to use those associations to add value to an enterprise. Building Financial Models is the only book you need to create and implement a fluid financial projection model that is both state of the art and user friendly.

Turn online visitors into PAYING CUSTOMERS! You’ve gone through all steps of developing a powerful business presence on the Web-—but it’s only the first step. Now, you have to make sure your visitors hit the “Purchase” button . . . before they start clicking through to your competitor’s site. From Duane Forrester, a leading expert in Search Engine Optimization and the author of the popular How to Make Money With Your Blog, comes a highly practical guide for using all the online tools available for turning curious visitors into paying customers. Turn Clicks into Customers reveals proven techniques for not only standing out in a crowded marketplace but for reaching customers who are most eager to buy your products or services. Forrester explains what works and what doesn’t for multiple online marketing strategies, including: E-mail Online searches Internet advertising Webinars Videos Social networking You’ll learn best practices for each strategy at both a local and global level to reach more paying customers than ever before. Plus, you’ll get interviews with global experts who reveal proven tactics they’ve used to successfully turn Clicks into Customers.