CASE STUDY: iClicker
Rapid adoption of digital transformation leads to the world’s top student engagement system
CASE STUDY: Wolters Kluwer CoursePoint+
Research leads to design improvements that better align to how users think and work.
My working relationship with Openfield is one of the best I’ve had. I value and trust the partnership we’ve built together. We see them as another member of our team who has been instrumental in building great customer experiences with our products.
Selected clients and product teams that we collaborate with:
Insights from Openfield
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Tip the balance of power users: why new, casual, and non-users are essential to product testing
Your EdTech product has a unique and constant challenge: It must meet the ever-evolving needs of your users. And UX research that includes frequent user testing is critical to identifying those needs. Your research can’t provide meaningful insights without the participation of the right users. Just who the “right” users are depends on the goals of the testing cycle. Unfortunately, product testing sessions tend to lean heavily on the involvement of the same users over and over again: power users. Power users know your product well and use it to its full potential.
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5 Tips to Manage Design Debt
Design debt — the natural accumulation of design-related inconsistencies — has a way of compounding over time, just like interest on a loan. And, like all debts with compounding interest, it can pretty quickly get out of control. If you don’t take it seriously, design debt can add up to poor performance of your EdTech product and unnecessary friction in your user experience. Use the 5 tips in this free guide to help your team skillfully manage design debt — and protect your bottom line.
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Your EdTech product’s UX team should include former educators. Here’s why.
“The Great Reshuffle” has many workers, including educators, leaving their careers for something that better supports their goals and well-being. While at first glance, it may seem like bad news that educators are leaving classrooms, there’s a strong silver lining. Some of them are leveraging their teaching expertise in EdTech user experience roles. There’s no doubt that even the best UX teams can miss important insights about how their products fit into their users’ lives because they haven’t spent time teaching. However, when you choose to partner with a UX team that includes former educators, your product will be informed by valuable, real-world classroom experiences.
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To build a truly customizable EdTech product, look to continuing education.
The most successful EdTech products stay close to the evolving needs and preferences of users. The disruption in education caused by COVID-19 over the last couple of years — and therefore in EdTech — have made that aim challenging indeed. Of course, it’s not just education that’s been rattled; the job market has been, too. Many employers are having a hard time finding and keeping workers. Both students and workers are asking how they can learn and grow more efficiently and effectively, and yesterday’s solutions just won’t do. In short, people are more focused on their personal goals and less willing to spend time on unrelated tasks with low or no payoff.
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The Art of Talking to Users: A UX Testing Script Guide
When it comes to product development, user insights are invaluable. After all, it’s crucial you develop an EdTech product your users actually want and need. To glean that insight, you’ve got to understand how to effectively talk to users — without influencing their responses. Download our free guide to learn how to craft smart testing scripts that yield the most accurate, actionable user feedback.
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EdTech products must meet the needs of hybrid classrooms. UX can help.
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the traditional in-person classroom experience on its head. Students were suddenly remote, and instructors scrambled to continue teaching. While most students have returned to the classroom, the hybrid model — where some students are in person and others are remote — is likely here to stay. And that brings a series of unparalleled challenges and opportunities for EdTech products. This evolution of the traditional classroom offers great freedom and flexibility for both instructors and students. But it also presents new problems for teaching and learning. Effective UX design can help defray pain points and create products that are valuable for all users — whether they’re in-person or remote. For your EdTech product to have a lasting impact, it must accommodate the realities of the hybrid classroom.