UX Tweak Review
The MSc User Experience Engineering program is in its 5th year at Goldsmiths now and has experienced significant growth since its beginning. Our students this year have had the opportunity to engage with a variety of technologies and industry-relevant methodologies in their research undertakings. Dissecting problems and evaluating prototypes with large numbers of users or complex tasks can be challenging. Great UX research tools make this process efficient, allowing the researcher to focus on the outcomes instead of the minutiae of execution.
The opportunity to partner with UX Tweak again this year has been a game-changer for our students. The product suite offers robust testing tools to cater to research at any stage of a product’s development. From explorative and formative research, like organizing content with card sorting or empathizing with users through preferences tests, to summative research like website or prototype testing, UX tweak caters to all. No matter the product, the platform supports easy integration, with the ability to import prototypes or test website links. The interface is clean with simple instructions and intuitive navigation through the various stages of a study. The platform even supports participant recruitment, should a researcher need it, and produces detailed and insightful reports as rich ground for further analysis.
As an example, Fathima’s final project proposed a new mobile app product, requiring a task-based Prototype Test and a comparative Preference Test. UX Tweak had tools for both. Her participants were specifically university students and as this study took place at the end of the summer, participant availability was scarce. Because UX Tweak supports remote testing with screen and audio recordings on its prototype test, along with post-task questions, all she had to do was design the test clearly and share the link. Within 24 hours she had 20 completed studies with a rich variety of data, from audio describing thoughts to textual answers reflecting on the user experience.
UX Tweak actually has a mobile app that remote testers can download which is an added bonus for ease of participation. The platform, while robust, had a minor snag. Some mobile testers realized that they could not see the entire prototype on their specific phones because the prototype had been designed for a particular screen size. Fathima had to find a way to adjust the prototype, as the screen length does not automatically adjust to the tester’s phone, or replace the participant altogether. This meant that she had to postpone the test by a day to ensure all participants could run the prototype on their phones. Nonetheless, the minor snag did not overshadow the easy execution and rich data derived from the platform.
On a final note, the platform’s integrated blog, a goldmine for UX education, is worth highlighting. It teaches users how to make the most of the product suite with articles, video tutorials, case studies, and industry trends. The resources are thoughtfully curated, catering to designers, developers, and product managers alike. Whether you’re a seasoned designer seeking to stay at the forefront of industry trends or a newcomer eager to learn, UX Tweak offers an unparalleled platform for research and growth as a UX expert.
Tony Russell-Rose and Fathima Abdul Majeed
September 2023