They open it, but do they see it?   Disney- Case Study

Problem:   Disney was looking to optimize the guest experience via their ONE Trigger email and direct mail campaigns. They wanted to increase the overall conversion of these campaigns and wanted to know what changes were needed in order to optimize them for their resorts and resort specials.

Process:  The email optimization study was conducted and included eye tracking information used to support the findings as well as behavioral observation and qualitative feedback. Participants discussed past experiences and expectations surrounding vacation emails and direct mail. Each participant viewed one direct mail piece and two emails from Disney and three competitor direct mail and emails. They had to choose an action for handling it (keep it for later, throw it away, use it right away) and explain their reasoning. 

Results:   A list of recommendations and enhancements were presented to Disney in an in-person presentation in Orlando. 

What I did:   Designed the testing protocol for the study and conducted all 12 interviews. Analyzed and presented the data to Disney and led discussions concerning the recommendations proposed.

When a $18 million Website Redesign Goes Wrong   Four Seasons- Case Study

Problem:   Four Seasons, a luxury hotel chain, had made some radical changes to their booking process. After launching a redesign that cost them $18 million, their conversion dropped significantly, but they had no idea why. Four Seasons designed two alternative booking processes (traditional and express) and needed to know which one to choose for the next redesign. They needed me to identify potential areas of success within the proposed booking flows and identify potential areas of opportunity for improving the booking process.

Process:  Each participant completed the same tasks with each booking process (the order was switched for each user to ensure no order bias). Participants were asked to discuss past experiences and expectations about booking rooms on similar websites. They then were tasked with booking a room for a family trip using both of the booking processes. At the end of the session, each participant filled out a SUS and discussed their overall impressions of the booking processes. I also employed an eye tracker to capture eye movements.

Results:   A list of recommendations and enhancements were presented to Four Seasons. The hotel chain implemented many of these changes as quickly as they could and saw a positive change in their conversions. 

What I did:   Designed the comparison and validation testing protocol and conducted all 10 interviews. Analyzed and presented the data to Four Seasons. 

All I want to do is finish my homework   Education.ti.com - Case Study

Problem:   Texas Instruments Education Division's TI -Nspire product line needed to understand how students, educators, and school administrators shopped for scientific calculators and if their current website supported these actions. They also wanted to know how well different homepage designs performed. 

Process:   Each participant was shown three different homepage designs in an alternating order. For each homepage design, participants filled out a modified SUS. They then completed a series of tasks, designed to elicit their feedback, on the current site.

Results:   Texas Instruments Education Division's TI-Nspire product line was provided with a series of website improvement recommendations. These ranged from ideas on how to improve the overall process flow to what information students, educators, and school administrators were looking for when shopping for scientific calculators.  

What I did:   Designed the testing protocol and conducted all 12 interviews. Analyzed and presented the data to Texas Instruments' Education Division. 

How much does that credit card cost?  Captial One - Case Study

Problem:   Capital One wanted to increase the overall ease of use of the tiered pricing credit card area on CapitalOne.com. They also needed to know what features were of highest value to customers and understand what additional features or changes would improve their experience based on their experiences with competitors' websites.

Process:   The RITE (Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation) was used to elicit feedback. Testing was conducted Monday/Wednesday/Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the feedback from the previous day was integrated and new designs were created and tested the next day. Each participant was shown the CapitalOne website as well as two functional prototypes. They also viewed the website of an industry competitor and were asked to provide feedback on the differences between the two sites. 

Results:   CapitalOne was provided with a series of design improvements for their tiered pricing credit card area. These ranged from suggestions on labeling to suggestions on layout.

What I did:   Designed the testing protocol and conducted all 11 interviews. Analyzed and presented the data to CapitalOne. This included comparative analysis of strengths and weaknesses for both the CapitalOne and its competitors' websites.