User research has many benefits. Obviously, qualitative behavioral research is intended to yield insights to aid design of intuitive applications. However, many overlook the possible marketing applications of user research studies. Consider, your client is paying you to learn about the brand so that you can effectively market the brand. These two objectives do not have to be siloed. As long as research studies are unbiased, positive results can be turned into marketing opportunities for your client. Research provides opportunities and a platform to reach customers and potential customers. Here are three ways to maximize this reach to convert participants into "brand evangelists:"

1. Carefully screen and target research participants - In order to ensure reliable research studies, participants must be screened to be relevant to client business objectives and likely consumers of your client's business and services. If participants meet target demographics, and are particularly receptive to client brand messages, there is potential to convert these participants into customers. (Note: ethical boundaries should prohibit researchers from biasing or disguising a study as a marketing ploy...however, researchers often hear enthusiastic responses to the brand in conducted studies, and may pursue opportunities to market to participants after studies have concluded)

2. Create a "Beta Test" population for community applications - One effective means of observing user behavior is watching actual community interaction over time. When testing
and launching a "community" it is possible to use research dollars to recruit a "beta community." In essence, you are paying participant to "jump-start" a community (for observational study, at first). Community "uptake" generally starts "grassroots." If you create a compelling and intuitive suite of tools, and community makes sense for your client's brand and business, your beta test population (of carefully screened and targeted test participants) may help the community to succeed.

3. Always ask study participants about their impressions of the brand- It is important to observe how a participant's impressions of a client's brand change pre and post-exposure to the application being tested. A research study provides you, the researcher, a valuable audience to proposed ideas and expression of your client's brand. You must use this platform to inspire your participants to give thoughtful consideration of the brand. This act of "putting brand X into mind" may have the effect of shifting your participant's thinking and changing your participant's behavior "outside of the laboratory."

The concept of "social networking," "online communities," and "user generated content" has been around for years. It is nothing new. We've had newsgroups, bulletin boards, chat rooms, and multi-user-dimensions (MUDs). There was "Friendster" before "My Space," or even "Facebook"...so why even try to compete in this crowded landscape?

Companies add community-based tools to their websites for various reasons. The worst reason for doing it, however, is because "social networking" is trendy.

Social networks should be created to further business objectives, such as connecting individuals for site-specific purposes...or showcasing user contributions where these contributions will be advantageous to end-users. For example, dating websites should introduce community content to give participants a better understanding of each other prior to setting up dates. Artist portals should provide talent the means to upload and showcase their content. Discussion boards should be implemented in conjunction with content that normally inspires discussion.

The creation of a community for the sake of creating a community is a risky proposition. First of all, generic communities are ubiquitous on the internet. "My Space" and "Facebook" are major players in this space, and provide robust tools for social networking. Competing in the "generic community" category would require massive promotion, viral marketing, and/or richer community tools. Basically, you'd have to convince existing "My Space" and "Facebook" users who have invested time and effort into maintaining their existing profiles, that they should spend even more time and effort creating a new profile on a new, generic community. It is a fickle landscape, too. In 2005, it was tough to find individuals who didn't have a "My Space" profile. Now, it is tough to find people who aren't on "Facebook."

It seems as though long-term success of social networks rely upon their relevance to end-users. Consider "LinkedIn." Networking in a professional context is always important, and makes perfect sense via the online medium. Searching for colleagues, businesses, and professional opportunities makes the perfect platform for a rich community. "LinkedIn" got the formula right, and early enough to gain enough loyalty to make it difficult for existing users to waste time and effort re-creating their profiles on other professional networks. This is the perfect model for successful social networking online.

Jonathan Lupo - VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

• When pressed to define the metric of “Usability,” most define it as a measurement of a system’s “ease-of-use.” Web agencies generally dedicate a team to this measurement, and to the pursuit of an engineered, easy-to-use experience. Empathy Lab agrees that easy-to-use experiences can be engineered, but disagrees that “ease-of-use,” in of itself, is an important metric. An easy-to-use experience is only important if it is used (i.e. – has a high rate of adoption). Empathy Lab believes that “Usability” and “Usage” are equally important. Furthermore, we feel that an easy-to-use experience does not guarantee a high rate of adoption. Therefore, we aim to create usable experiences that are also compelling to your visitors. We understand that emotional connections with your brand and content, as well as intuitive information architecture, will drive usage and repeat visits. Creating these types of connections requires a deeper insight into the individuals who will likely engage with your Web site

• Because we strive to design compelling experiences as well as easy-to-use experiences, we are forced to re-evaluate the concept of a web “user.” The term “user” implies a focus on behavior. If Empathy Lab limited its focus to “user” behavior, we would only be able to engineer easy-to-use experiences. The creation of compelling experiences requires Empathy Lab to conduct extensive research aimed at understanding the personalities, lifestyle, attitudes and motivators of your potential visitors (as well as their onsite behavior). Our research and Usability testing tactics take into account all facets of the individual.

• It all begins with contextual inquiry. Empathy Lab studies individuals where they live, work, and play. Our initial research may take us to homes, schools, conferences, or places of employment. We immerse ourselves in the daily lives and important rituals of those who will likely be your web visitors. We learn what is important to people when they are most likely to interact with your brand. Armed with this research data, your visitors’ needs are documented in the form of personas, and made relevant within the context of their daily lives

• Concept Validation - Concept testing does not have to start in the design phase, but may be conducted earlier to validate a conceptual model for an information taxonomy, workflow, or architectural prototype. Conducting tests early in the requirements gathering process will ensure that the right conceptual models are constructed prior to costly design and development. Empathy Lab utilizes contextual card sorting, flowcharting, and categorization exercises as early methods of concept validation. We try to perform these activities “out in the field."
• Design Validation - We also differ from our competitors in our approach to “low-fi” design validation (paper prototyping). When conducting paper prototype testing on a design, Empathy Lab believes that it is more valuable to use an actual comp, or mock-up, rather than a wireframe (interaction design schematic). Because of the level of abstraction, wireframes and interaction design documentation are best used as internal tools to guide design and development, and not to put in front of test participants. Results of primary task completion exercises on a wireframe can never be trusted. Design validation can be performed anywhere, but must be performed in a comfortable environment, where the test subject feels at ease, and documented on video. Another point of differentiation is Empathy Lab’s use of design validation to measure visitor acceptance of the design, as well as success or failure in critical task completion (where our competitors limit their focus)
• Performance Analysis & Analytics - Measuring performance through ongoing quantitative analysis, surveys and analytics is important in making incremental changes and enhancements to content, architecture, interaction design, and visual design. Your site is constantly being monitored and measured according to the Key Performance Indicators that we identify with at the onset of our engagement with you.

Jonathan Lupo - VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

I already have a tv set.

What broadband content providers must focus on is to intelligently integrate video into interactive content. Vehix TV, and CNET TV are using video for things like virtual test drives and tutorials. Advanced video interactivity of interest include the ability to create playlists, tag content, and rate content.

We used to "surf the web." It would seem as if we are now out of the ocean, lounging on the beach with a cocktail, and watching the surfers in their bikinis.