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1-on-1 Interview: Meet Tatsuro Kimura and Mami Inoue, International UX Consultants

For the first time, this month’s interview features two user experience experts: Tatsuro Kimura and Mami Inoue of U’eyes Design! Based in Japan, Tatsuro and Mami are UX researchers and consultants for Japanese and international clients alike. While they come from quite different backgrounds, both of their careers ended up in the user experience world.…
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Accessible Design Tips: POUR

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main guideline that web developers and designers should look to for accessible design requirements. Within the WCAG 2.1, four basic design principles are described in relation to accessibility. To help make these four principles easy to remember, they use…
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1-on-1 Interview: Meet Michael Kuzel, Human Factors & Safety Engineering Expert

This month’s human factors expert interview is with Mike Kuzel, Principal and Co-Owner of 4M Consulting Group. Mike comes from a strong engineering background and is heavily involved in safety engineering and litigation matters. In the interview, he explains how he became interested in human factors, how human factors plays a role in his work,…
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Accessible Design Tips: Contrast

Published in its revised form in June 2018, The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 is the main guideline that web developers and designers should look to for accessible design requirements. It describes everything related to the world of accessible design — closed-captioning details, time-related factors, alt-text, spacing, and of course, guidelines for successful contrast…
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Gestalt design principles hero

Gestalt Design Principles

Research Collective approaches Human Factors from a Cognitive Psychology perspective. We believe that to develop products that serve the needs of people, it is crucial to understand how the human mind works. One facet of Psychology that is particularly relevant to Human Factors is something called Gestalt Psychology. Gestalt Psychology is a movement within Psychology…
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7 Common Mistakes that Can Derail Your Human Factors Validation Study

In order to market and sell a new medical device in United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that you provide evidence of its safe and effective use among users. Part of this “evidence” is in the form of conducting a validation usability study that evaluate all of your identified critical tasks. As…
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1-on-1 Interview: Meet Dean Barker, User Experience Expert

We are excited to introduce Dean Barker, Vice President of User Experience at Optum. Having authored ISO standards, content in industry magazines, and co-authored a book, Dean is highly respected in the User Experience field. In his interview with Russ, he discusses some of the biggest mistakes he sees and what he’d like to see…
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Cognitive Bias in Human Factors Research

A cognitive bias is a pattern or tendency to have incorrect, distorted, or irrational judgements. They come in many forms, and as a ‘blind spot’ or a ‘lens’ for how we view our environments, cognitive biases can significantly alter human decision making in a manner that is nearly always beyond awareness.  As human factors researchers,…
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The Basics of Validity and Reliability in Research

In research, no two concepts are more confused with one another than validity and reliability. It’s not necessarily the difference between them that is so baffling; it’s more the fact that there is so much more to it. The tricky stuff comes when we examine the different types of validity and reliability, as well as…
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A Guide for the Aspiring UX Professional, Part 1: Getting Your First Job

New professionals entering into UX encounter a common problem: employers want their entry level candidates to have at least a couples years of experience. But how does one acquire those years of experience without a job? If you’re reading this and fall into the category of an “entry level UX professional”, I’m sure you have…
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Research Collective’s 2018 Reading List

Hello there! As the summer rolls on here in Tempe, AZ, we thought we’d share some of our favorite usability, user experience (UX), human factors, psychology, and design literature. Some texts are light, others– not so much. Each, however, we find to be quite helpful. The Research Collective Reading List is here! So whether you’re…
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1-on-1 Interview: Meet Hanniebey D. Wiyor, PhD, Lieutenant, USPHS

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Hanniebey D. Wiyor to this month’s Human Factors and User Experience interview. Hanniebey, a Human Factors Regulatory Officer in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reviews human factors reports for post and pre-market submissions for a variety of medical products and devices. In this interview, he shares common mistakes…
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FAQs about FDA’s Guidelines for Human Factors and Usability

When the FDA released its guidance document Applying Human Factors and Usability Engineering to Medical Devices in 2016, the intent was to provide a clear picture of the human factors and usability methods that medical device manufacturers should implement into their product development processes. A few of the guidelines that are explicitly stated include: The…
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Human Factors and the FDA: Buzzwords

Medical device manufacturers cannot legally market their products without clearance or approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unfortunately, navigating this regulatory jungle can be a bit of a nightmare for those same manufacturers. Quite a bit goes into a successful FDA submission. An important, but often overlooked, aspect of a triumphant submission is…
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Getting Started with Biometrics: Galvanic Skin Response

What is Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)? The human body is comprised of various systems that respond to stimuli. Just like the body’s “fight or flight” response may cause our heart rate to increase when we hear a frightening noise, our skin has electrical properties that change based on our arousal levels. These electrical properties are…
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1-on-1 Interview: Meet Theo Mandel, UX Consultant

We are pleased to welcome Theo Mandel to this month’s Human Factors and User Experience interview. Theo, an independent UX & User Research Consultant, author and educator, shares with Russ how he discovered User Experience (UX), how it’s changed over the past couple of decades, and how UX can (and should) be applied to multiple…
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What is Human Factors?

It seems that each day more companies are wising up to the fact that designing for the end-user is an integral part of what drives a product, service, or system to be successful. Due in part to its rise in popularity and merit, User Experience (UX) has become a huge buzzword in many tech and…
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1-on-1 Interview: Insights from a UX practitioner

We are pleased to welcome Shannon Halgren to this month’s Human Factors and User Experience interview. Shannon is the founder and Chief UX Officer for Sage Research & Design, head-quartered in Boulder, Colorado. Based on her extensive experience in the area of product user experience, and in particular her passion for and expertise in UX research,…
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medical device alarms

How can we make alarms user friendly?

In the human-automation interaction, few tools are more important than the alarm.  When they are used effectively, they get the user’s attention when it’s needed. Alarms help support optimal performance and the fact that we don’t have to monitor the system constantly helps garner safety and efficiency.  In the healthcare arena, alarms are used quite…
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VR Feature Image

Why isn’t voice recognition more common?

A couple years ago, only a handful of devices used voice recognition technology. But now? Our phones, cars, navigation systems, and even home appliances seem eager to take verbal direction.  Everywhere we turn, we encounter a system that has voice control capabilities; and for good reason: efficiency and safety can drastically improve when we interface…
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jon speer interview

1-on-1 Interview: Untangling  Medical Device Compliance

The medical device industry certainly goes through a lot of change while having a significant focus on regulatory issues. One person who is very familiar with all of this is Jon Speer, founder and VP of QA at Greenlight Guru. Russ caught up with Jon recently to ask a few questions about Greenlight Guru and obtain…
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1-on-1: Interview with Product Design Leader and UX Executive – Pree Kolari

This month Russ spoke with Pree Kolari, a UX Executive at eBay about the strategies and challenges in the UX industry.  Russ: Coming from a large company like eBay, what advice would you give to start-ups or mid-sized companies that are developing their UX strategy?  Pree: I’ll use the analogy of eating a giant cake, vs. a…
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1-on-1: Interview with a Human Factors Expert – Sarah Blair

Each month, we interview a human factors expert to get their take on the Human Factors and User Experience industry. In this month’s installment, Russ talked with Sarah Blair, Lead Usability Engineer at Minnetronix… Russ: How did you get your start as a Usability Engineer?  Sarah: I joined Minnetronix right out of graduate school in the Project…
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1-on-1: Interview with a Human Factors Expert – Gerard Torenvliet

Each month, we interview a human factors expert to get their take on the Human Factors and User Experience industry. In this month’s installment, Russ sat down with Gerard Torenvliet, Sr Manager of Human Factors and User Experience at Medtronic. Russ: How did you get your start in Human Factors? Gerard: When I was in high…
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1-on-1: Interview with a Human Factors Expert – Dr. Emily Hildebrand

Each month, we interview a human factors expert to get their take on the Human Factors and User Experience industry. In this month’s installment, Russ sat down with the most recent human factors expert to join our team, Emily Hildebrand… Russ: Tell us a little bit about your background in Human Factors? Emily: Over the…
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human factors newsletter

September Newsletter

September 2017 – Just announced! We’re hosting a 3-part human factors webinar series with AAMI starting in November. Topics will include: recruiting best practices, medical device design for an aging population and writing usable research results. Look for more updates soon! – Dr. Russ Branaghan spoke last week about conducting cognitive walk-throughs at the Medical Device Human Factors…
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1-on-1: Interview with a Human Factors Expert – Randy Sieffert

Each month, we interview a human factors expert to get their take on the Human Factors and User Experience industry. In this month’s installment, Russ sat down with Randy Sieffert. Randy is the Director of UX Research at ServiceNow and former Head of Global UX Design at HP. Russ: Let’s jump right in…in your career…
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The Most Powerful User Experience On The Internet

Google is one of the most prominent companies in the world, especially on the Internet; everyone knows what it is and nearly everyone uses its services in some fashion.  A fascinating story involving a misspelling of the word “googol” and the quintessential startup-in-a-Silicon-Valley-garage narrative, Google’s rise to the top is due to good ole’ fashioned…
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ux psychology

Historical Antecedents of UX: The Psychology Department

As a movement associated with innovation and success, user experience is becoming increasingly popular in worldwide business.  But, while UX and human factors leave many people excited about the future, it’s easy to forget about the past.  We don’t often think about the steps that were taken to reach where we are now as a…
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human-centered design roi

The Basics of ROI in Human-Centered Design

Return on Investment in Human-Centered Design In business, everything, and I mean everything, comes down to money.  As much as it pains us to admit it, the essential business question boils down to ‘Will investing in human centered design (HCD) pay off, or not?’  Well, it’s time to wise up; HCD can make (or save)…
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August Newsletter

What’s New Our Chief Scientist, Dr. Russ Branaghan, penned an article for MD+DI’s Device Talk. Read it here. Last week, both Russ and our VP of Research, Bryant Foster were selected to speak at BioMedDevice San Jose (Dec 6-7).  Russ’s topic: “5 Key Principles for Designing the Ideal Medical Device for In-Home Use.” Bryant’s topic: “Accelerating…
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Pro Tips Blog Post Image

Six Pro Tips: For Graduate School Success

  Professional Tips for (Graduate School) Success The goal of this book is to provide you with all the tips, tricks, advice, wisdom, strategies, suggestions, recommendations, counsel, and information – did I miss any? – that will help you overcome the barriers you will experience as you pursue your Master’s or PhD in the Human…
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Client Spotlight: Vantage Mobility International (VMI)

A brief history of VMI Since 1987, Vantage Mobility International (VMI) has become one of the leading producers of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) in North America. Their goal is to build leading-edge mobility products that meet the needs of their customers, while also providing customer services that demonstrate their genuine care for the wheelchair user…
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1-on-1: Interview with a Human Factors Expert – Chris Rockwell

Each month, we’ll interview a human factors expert to get their take on the Human Factors and User Experience industry. In this month’s installment, we sat down with Chris Rockwell, President of Lextant, a leading user experience firm based in Columbus, OH (and a good partner of Research Collective). Russ: Let’s jump right in…how would you…
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blog post

An overview of “Better Together: The vital role of patients and end users in developing safe and effective medical devices”

Every few months, Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology releases a new journal publication on recent events, changes, and perspectives happening within the Medical Human Factors community. The July/August 2017 issue features a compelling piece regarding the important role that end user and patient input has within the design process for medical devices. (Special thanks to Pat Patterson…
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Design Strategies: The Swiss Army Knife

The Swiss army knife design strategy With its red handles, white cross, and assortment of tiny tools, the Swiss Army knife has become a cultural icon by its own merit. It allows one to condense their kitchen junk drawer into a single, pocket-sized item, and take on the world’s toughest challenges: you know, like, loose…
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Understanding Fitts’s Law

Fitts’s Law Have you ever wondered why the exit window buttons are often in the corner of the screen?  Why is the brake pedal larger than the accelerator? Why keyboard keys on the outer edges are significantly larger than the letters in the middle?   Fitts’s Law is relevant to us in a number of…
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July Newsletter

  WHAT’S NEW: Our very own Dr. Russell Branaghan and Bryant Foster spoke at UXPA International Conference in Toronto earlier this month. Topic: Medical Devices in the Home Dr. Branaghan was selected to speak at MD&M Minneapolis (Nov 8-9). Up next…In September, catch Dr. Branaghan speaking at the Medical Device Human Factors and Usability Conference…
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System Usability Scale_main image

The Pros and Cons of the System Usability Scale (SUS)

In 1986, a man named John Brooke developed a short questionnaire intended to measure the perceived usability of various computer systems.  Simply a “quick and dirty” scale for usability testing, Brooke made the questionnaire freely available to various colleagues and “anybody else who might find it useful” (Brooke, 2013).  Little did he know when he…
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Build It!

UX Tablet Prototyping Box Many automotive and med-tech manufacturers today design devices that require users to interact with touchscreens. Often, these touchscreens range from just a few inches wide to potentially several feet wide. As a result, there is a significant need for the UX community to have a stable, workable platform to “house” prototyping…
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data types

Data Types: How do they work?

Data Types: Introduction Back in 1946, a gentleman Psychologist, by the name of Stanley Smith Stevens, determined that there were four distinct data types: ratio, interval, ordinal, and categorical/nominal. These data types are a way to categorize different variables that one might run into, and also give one direction as to how one should analyze…
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1-on-1: Interview with a Human Factors Expert

With Dr. Russell Branaghan Each month, we’ll interview a human factors expert to get their take on the Human Factors and User Experience industry. In this month’s installment, we sat down with the founder and President of Research Collective, Dr. Russell Branaghan. Question: What is the most common human factors mistake you encounter? Answer: I think…
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Human Factors in History: Designing the STOP sign

Human Factors in History What’s yellow, bedazzled in glass beads, and made out of plywood? If you said a life-size cutout of Glen Campbell wearing a yellow suit, you would only be half right. Believe it or not, I’m talking about the STOP sign. Interestingly however, the red, reflective, octogonal shaped traffic sign we see…
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Design Principles: Forgiveness

————————————————————————— Hi Dave, Please see the attached for October’s invoice.  Thanks! Anders ————————————————————————— Whoops, sorry.  Forgot to attach.  Here you go! Anders Attachment: Oct_2015 Invoice ————————————————————————– I’m guessing something like this has happened to you at some point over the years, right? We use email for everything and we have become accustomed to clicking “send”…
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Research Design: Between Subjects vs Within Subjects

Research Design: Understanding the basics of within-subjects and between-subjects designs is crucial for any decision-maker who is conducting research.  Participant design is a core concept, yet even experienced researchers sometimes find difficulty in defining them off the cuff.  I admit it.  A quick meaning confirmation with our good friend, Google, can be found in the…
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10 Pro Tips for Collecting High Quality Interview Data

Collecting High Quality Interview Data User Experience Researchers, ideally, run a ton of studies.  Whether it’s qualitative or quantitative, formative or summative, many things can harm the quality of the data you collect. The following is a list of 10 tips to help you prevent that from happening: 1. Run a pilot No matter how…
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