Train your staff

Through user-centred design training, mentoring or project guidance we can ensure the professional development of your people and help you maintain the integrity of your end product and to grow a user-focused culture in your organisation.

We recommend the following activities

Training

We have experience in delivering clear and outcome focused usability training and accessibility training. We have outlined our training packages below, however if you require further information please contact us, or call your nearest Stamford office.

Writing for the web

We will train your content team in effective web writing techniques.

Students learn the important differences between writing for print publications and writing for the web. Through progressive exercises, they learn how to re-purpose print documents for online publication and how to write web content from scratch.

Course Outline:
  • Understanding the differences in how people read print and online content.
  • Identifying your audience and how to write or them
  • Scannable content employing keywords, lists and chunking
  • Writing techniques and editorial voice
  • Writing style and editing techniques.

Information architecture techniques

We will outline IA techniques such as open and closed card sorting and more recent technologies such as Card Sword.

Participants learn some of the common pitfalls experienced in the design of information architectures. They are introduced to powerful technique called Card Sorting which can be used to design effective information structures. Case studies and two exercises cement student's understanding of the technique.

Course Outline:
  • Common issues with information architecture design
  • Overview of card sorting
  • Open and closed card sorting techniques
  • Step by step method
  • Exercises 1 and 2 for practice and consolidation
  • Software tools to support the analysis process
  • Presenting the results of card sorting

Introduction to usability

We will provide a general introduction to the principles of usability. This course is suitable for a general audience.

Participants learn the basics of usability testing. They are introduced to informal and formal techniques, usability waltkthroughs and heuristic evaluation techniques. Students are given step-by-step instruction on how to conduct a usability test and a practical exercise helps then to put into practice what they have learned.

Course Outline:
  • Formal and informal usability testing
  • How to set up and run a usability test
  • Usability walkthroughs and their benefits
  • Software tools to support usability testing
  • How to conduct an heuristic usability evaluation
  • Reporting the findings from usability tests

Usability evaluation techniques

We will cover evaluation techniques such as heuristic evaluation and usability testing.

User centred design techniques

We will cover techniques such as paper prototyping, collaborative design and usability walkthroughs.

Identify user and business requirements

We will provide an explanation of techniques such as focus groups, site visits, user workshops and stakeholder interviews.