Research
Defines user needs.
Specifies functional requirements.
Clarifies design intent.
Interviews, competitive assessments, ethnographic observations — however we capture and analyze user thoughts, behaviors and needs, it makes our work more relevant. And effective.
Customer insights are fuel to the design process.
Want to understand users? Listen to them
Our unique design research methods help customers (and potential customers) express their feelings, thoughts and ideas about an experience, whether it’s a brand, product, system or environment. These insights help us uncover unmet needs and opportunities for innovation, and can validate whether or not a product concept is intuitive and easy to use.
Connecting insights to execution
We love to serve as a bridge from deep-dive research to the translation of those findings into conceptual implementation. This step is critically important — and often overlooked. We speak and understand the language of research and can put together a design plan that maximizes usefulness, usability and desirability.
Put diverse perspectives to work
Our process combines researchers, designers, engineers, trend experts, user-experience specialists and innovation strategists, all working closely with our clients. This mix of disciplines creates a broad professional lens that produces actionable information and strategies. Coupled with our deep knowledge of diverse markets, Design Central research helps empower decision makers (and entire corporations) to align around a common vision.
Of course, no two research programs are alike.
We’ll work with you to identify the most effective research necessary, from on-site customer interviews and observation (anywhere in the world), to trend analysis from our own data sources. We’re at our best when the research is immersive and hands-on; the more intimate the understanding, the more precise the design solution.
RESEARCH SERVICES INCLUDE
- Design research
- Qualitative research
- Ethnographic research
- Participatory research
- Research design
- Persona development
- Design validation
- Journey mapping
- Task analysis
- Scenario development