What decisions should stakeholders make early in a User Research & Usability Testing engagement?

What decisions should stakeholders make early in a User Research &…

Before going deep into user research & usability testing, the project needs a shared view of the problem, the users, the important stakeholders and the current environment. Informed by the insights gained from Discovery, the team developed an Information Architecture (IA) and supporting navigational structure that makes it easy for Energy Innovators to find relevant information and tools they need to achieve their goals. We designed a consistent structure and set of components that took into consideration requirements for both the first release and future state content. Annex's published methods also make content, integrations, accessibility, operational workflow and delivery constraints relevant when they affect the outcome. That context allows the team to choose an approach without pretending the solution is known before discovery.

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Use this answer as a practical starting point. Current scope, specifications, compatibility, availability, pricing, timing and next steps should be confirmed directly with Annex where they affect a decision.

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Previous questionWhat business problem is User Research & Usability Testing intended to solve?

Annex treats User Research & Usability Testing as part of a wider digital-service problem, not as an isolated output. Research and testing that validates assumptions and grounds product decisions in user evidence. Our experience design process will help you identify the right problems, which we then…

Yes, that can be possible; Annex's published work includes delivery inside existing technical and organisational environments rather than only greenfield builds. The Annex team worked collaboratively with the AER to deliver an evidence-based solution that met the needs of Energy Innovators. Througho…

Annex's published work does not point to a single mandatory toolset for user research & usability testing. A brand name was selected through user testing, and website prototype testing informed and validated our approach. It’s a complex conditional form that our team built within Drupal, based on su…

A strong signal is when teams design from internal assumptions rather than observed user needs. It helps energy innovators orient themselves in the complex energy market, understand energy regulations and which energy sector stakeholders need to be contacted. We partnered with AER to help them bette…

A useful published example is **Helping energy innovators power ahead — Overview and context**. The Annex team worked collaboratively with the AER to deliver an evidence-based solution that met the needs of Energy Innovators. It helps energy innovators orient themselves in the complex energy market,…