I recently had the honor of participating in a panel discussion with my colleagues Tanarra Schneider, Mick Champayne, and Natalie Hanson. We spoke about the experience of speaking at tech and design conferences. Here’s a recap of what I said (or wish I’d said!), in response to prompts from the panel moderator, Danielle Barnes of Women Talk Design.

In Boston or Chicago this May? Come hear Centralis’ Kathi Kaiser and Claire Mallory give insightful, thought-provoking talks!

We have a wide array of UX research methods that we use at Centralis, and each one has its own advantages and limitations. Which method will work best in your situation will depend on your learning objectives. Broadly speaking, there are three types of usability tests: un-moderated quantitative studies, un-moderated qualitative studies, and moderated qualitative studies.

One of the best ways to test out a new concept or site is by using a prototype – you can check if the new idea is effective with users before investing the time and money required for a fully functioning product. Prototypes are also great if you want to compare how well a few different ideas connect with users before deciding which one you want to use. But what makes a prototype ready for a successful test?