User testing includes traditional usability testing. Researchers look for user pain points, observe body language, and any other nuanced dynamics.

Competitors timing of market entry, market penetration, uniqueness of product, customer feedback, competitive position, & what they are doing to stay relevant can be helpful when considering how to stay at the top of the industry.

Comparative iterations of the same design or different designs that aim to accomplish the same goal. Great for exploring options or when there might be a team dispute about a certain direction or design. Examples: A/B, or Guerrilla Testing

Observe users completing a general goals. This will allow an understanding of the product as a whole rather than a specific component or feature. Examples: Contextual inquiry (in the context of the users natural environment) or Diary studies

Summative evaluations describe how well a design performs. Benchmarking, Comparing metrics to a prior version of the design or a competitor, can help understand if the design will be or is successful.

What is similar and different about their website & SEO content focus? Products, services, marketing, customer service, distribution, social media presence, & customer base. Conduct a competitive analysis report.

Identify a competitor's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats helps teams understand how well a product, service, or organization is positioned in the market to serve its customers.

eCommerce websites are on the brink of a design revolution.
4 e-commerce trends to consider:

• Interactive product visuals
• Storytelling approach
• Mobile first design approach
• Page hybrids

Using 3D visualization for marketing offers the best customer experience and fosters a strong brand reputation creating a higher sense of ownership and reduced return rates.

It can be a challenge to help users feel the same emotional connection online as they might feel with a face-tot-face interaction. Storytelling is a great ways to immediately engage a user. Utilizing company values can highlight the benefits of your product and distinguish you from your competitors.

Prioritizing small screen experiences will allow for the best design across platforms.

“Mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 62.54 percent of global website traffic.” (statista.com)

Landing or product pages can come together to offer more than one selling point. A hybrid page can feature a product demo video, product information, and include an attractive call to action feature.

An industry leader doesn’t only look to the top trends, but creates them. Thinking outside of the box, looking to the future and being a leader might not be the goal, but it is a great way to think. Understanding the latest tech advancements is an important role of UX/UI designers.

“IKEA Studio allows users to capture detailed 3D room plans, complete with measurements, windows, and doorways. It even detects existing furniture and marks their locations with white boxes, helping you visualize your current setup.

The app also includes interactive features, such as turning AR lamps on and off or stacking items, like placing a lamp on a sideboard. Developers have hinted that more advanced features are coming, including machine learning capabilities that can suggest wall paint colors based on the selected furniture, further enhancing the user experience.”

Virtually enhance customer engagement and experience. This could looke something like setting up a look-alike store that customers could walk through and click on items they are interested in, viewing them in 3D movement.

Summative evaluations describe how well a design performs. Benchmarking, Comparing metrics to a prior version of the design or a competitor, can help understand if the design will be or is successful.