Jul 11, 2010 Posted by bradz

Personifying a Product: The Breakup Letter

There are many things happening now in the field of design research. And I am not talking specifically about marketing and communications design research, rather research that will help us design, build and bring more meaningful things into the world. “The Breakup Letter is a design research tool that Smart Design uses to understand the emotional connection between people and their products,... read more

Jun 30, 2010 Posted by bradz

Evidence That Personas Are Effective

In creating effective experiences, I have always found that developing personas helped our design teams better align their mindset with the users we were targeting. This is often a daunting task especially when faced with  high profile public brands whose message transcends among a diverse user base. Many believe that it requires a large research investment to properly inform a persona. That is not always... read more

Dec 30, 2009 Posted by bradz

Mobile Analytics and the User Experience

ROI. Three letters that lead just about every planning meeting. And in “O” 10, it will be louder then ever. But is tracking mobile habits as easy as its desktop counterparts? In rebuilding or exploring any new desktop online experience I heavily rely on analytics to provide us with that important, real-time data on how users are consuming content. It allows us to find importance in everything... read more

Dec 8, 2009 Posted by bradz

Google Sticks Decals on Favorite Retailers

The gap between online and offline – offline and online retailing is closing and no one proves this like Google. Recently, Google launched their newest effort to connect both worlds by sending window decals to the most searched upon local retailers. Behold Google Favorite Places. “Businesses unlock their free business listing with Google’s Local Business Center, allowing them to enhance... read more