Our design methods
User interface design approach is important: Today, corporations involved in creating world-class user interface design solutions should be deeply concerned about the methodology and development processes employed by their partners. A methodology that fails to be appropriately rigorous yet suitably flexible can put a critical project at risk. Our development methodology is rigorous, flexible, and industry-proven. Whether you are undertaking an aggressive AGILE development effort or seeking a robust user-centered design approach, we have a reputation for aligning our methodology with your specific business objectives. We believe that development methods are an ends to a means and never the reverse. Here is what clients say about our development methods:
"We started out with a blank sheet of paper and ended up with a working design that not only meets, but I believe exceeds user expectations. Job well done!" Development executive for high-profile government design project
"Excellent project management skills that drive the project very smoothly — on time, on spec, and on budget." Product development executive for global credit rating agency
Business objectives development
Drawing on the methods and tools from the formal management sciences, we offer clients research and development of formal business objectives.
During this effort, we employ proprietary data gathering methods aimed at identifying and interpreting your underlying business objectives—those
objectives that are critical to creating effective solutions.
User needs analysis
Making assumptions about your user needs without confirming them through professionally executed needs analysis is the shortest path to
failure in complex user interface design programs. We employ a wide range of research methodologies to identify and verify the needs of your user.
Human performance criteria
What is "simple"? How many times have you read a product specification that states as a primary objective "the interface must be as simple
as possible for the user population"? Without objective human performance criteria, this is a meaningless statement. Human performance
criteria create a framework for formal usability and customer satisfaction testing during critical phases of development. The criteria we
develop are always mapped against hard business objectives to be certain that your customer experience optimization strategy is based on
real business goals and objectives.
Task analysis and data modeling
It is well known that every touch point that your customers have with your product or service impacts their decision to be
acquired, retained, and migrated. Task analysis drills deeply into the cognitive processes and needs of your customers and helps
define a cognitive model of the customers' decision making process and conceptualization of task structure. The data from the task
analysis is used to develop psychologically meaningful features and functions and create a design which simplifies and enhances
the customer experience.
Functional interface design
A common problem with complex user interface development programs is the tendency to move too quickly to interface design solutions.
Without taking time to develop the appropriate functional attributes, you can end up with a design which may look engaging, but
lacks a solid relationship with the underlying cognitive model of the user populations. As a core component of our user interface
design services, we offer development teams a structured approach which applies proven research and development methods to define
the functional interaction design of the interface. This process ensures you will have a solid design foundation on which to apply
visual and graphic design.
Visual/graphic interface design
The visual design of your screen-based interface will have a major impact on how your system is perceived by customers and users.
This first impression is an important component of building an effective and strong interactive brand for your system. However,
achieving high levels of visual design performance requires a clear understanding of how visual style impacts both usability and
brand attributes conveyance (See related report from Forrester). Our structured methods provide the desired visual design attributes
without sacrificing usability and brand conveyance. We offer clients a full range of visual design services including production of
all critical graphic elements for complex interfaces and supporting, pixel-level production documentation.
Simulation development/testing
The rush to create code is a major problem in most complex user interface design programs. For our methodology, we create robust
simulations of complex interfaces to visualize and investigate the impact that a given functional interface concept will have on
both user performance and satisfaction. The simulation phase is a critical component of all successful UID programs because it allows
for earlier testing with key stakeholders and user profiles, significantly reducing the risk of project failure.
Customer training development
The critical question in the development of effective screen-based user interfaces is how to understand and support only those
aspects of the user interaction that require training support and help. This problem is often overlooked by development teams until
very late in the development cycle, often leading to poor acceptance of beta releases and cost overruns. A complex user interface
that does not properly support user training needs can place high demands on call center volume resulting in increased costs and complexity.
We offer clients extensive support in training needs definition used for the development of complete online tutorials and help systems.
Have a specific user interface design need?: With more than 30 years of industry experience, we probably have run across your problem before. If we can't help, chances are good we know who can. Call us at 212-249-3683 ext. 105
Our specialized research applications
Agile software sprint testing
The centerpiece of all successful AGILE software development projects is rapid development of critical user needs followed by
reliable feedback from users during each sprint. Based on your project needs, we combine our research methodologies (described above)
to create a specialized AGILE user testing program to provide development teams with critical expertise and feedback during even the most
aggressive sprints. These services have proven highly effective in dramatically reducing the risk present in AGILE development projects.
Trading systems usability testing programs
Over the past 15 years, we have executed usability testing programs for several of the world's primary markets and market makers,
including major projects for The New York Stock Exchange, Goldman Sachs, Trading Technologies, Inc., WitCapital/Soundview, and other
leading financial institutions. We have financial trading systems experience covering all phases of usability research, including business
objectives development, needs analysis, task analysis, trading floor ethnography, and cognitive modeling of high-risk decision making.
We have developed usability testing programs for a wide range of profiles and have extensive experience analyzing and developing consumer
online systems including home banking, trading, and financial planning. Our trading solutions are running at the heart of the world economy.
Media and cross platform testing
A primary business problem all large media companies face today is how to successfully migrate their traditional media properties to the 4
interconnected and increasingly transparent delivery platforms of TV, Web, Mobile, and Virtual. We have worked with the world's most
successful media companies to design and execute cross-platform usability and user experience studies that address this difficult customer
"engagement" problem. Our research methods have proven effective in helping major media companies understand and optimize their migration
to successful new media business models.
Gaming and virtual reality testing
Online gaming and virtual reality are two of the primary forces of the "NEW" new media. Avatar-based interfaces allow customers to
play in synthetic environments, creating a staggering opportunity for those who understand the psychological impact and the primary
customer experience design challenges. Effective and reliable research in the virtual reality and gaming arena drives success. At
MauroNewMedia, we have pioneered research programs for some of the largest gaming and virtual world commercial projects in recent history.
Using these new methods for conducting research in gaming and virtual worlds, we have developed a deep understanding of user and avatar
behaviors and the related functions that drive deep immersion and expand in-world social networking participation. Our research services
have been used extensively to answer critical user experience questions related to how customers respond to gaming and virtual world interfaces.
Persona development
Understanding your user profiles (personas) is critical to understanding how to create and support a successful product or service. For
more than 25 years, we have created complex user profiles for a wide range of products and services, ranging from personas for cancer patients,
to brokers executing trades on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. In all of these projects, we employ a combination of professional user
testing, observational research, and interview methodologies to develop interactive persona solutions that combine the latest data with the most
appropriate and reliable research methods.
