UX Research & Design for EdTech Companies

Sarah Freitag

Director / UX Research

Biography

As Director of UX Research, Sarah draws on her deep understanding of EdTech users and her background in research, design and business strategy to enable our clients to make confident decisions that result in products that solve real needs and create demonstrable impacts on their business’ bottom lines. Sarah is responsible for fostering collaboration, team development and for bringing new strategic initiatives and methodologies that allow her teams to stay ahead of the curve of what EdTech users truly need to realize higher levels of learning and teaching success. In her free time, Sarah is an amateur baker, constantly experimenting with various recipes and techniques. She also enjoys exploring the various parks around Cincinnati, spending quality time with her husband and two daughters.

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UX designers making plans based on research

ARTICLE: Sarah Freitag

The formula for clear & effective UX research reports

EdTech companies like yours rely on UX research to make important decisions about your product. Each of your key stakeholders — including your product and executive leadership teams — must clearly understand your research findings and the recommendations that flow from them. So it’s critical that your research reports are clear and effective. Like the EdTech products you build, research reports are only effective to the extent that they serve their end users. Unfortunately, they are too frequently only formulated with a researcher’s mindset. That is, they are so focused on documenting the individual trees that they fail to also tell a compelling story about the forest.

UX researcher conducting digital focus group for EdTech product

ARTICLE: Sarah Freitag

How to use digital focus groups to quickly gain actionable insights

Your EdTech company may already be in the practice of utilizing focus groups. They can be a great way to bounce new concepts off your users and glean insights about their preferences and mental models. But what about digital focus groups? You may be cringing at the very thought of hosting these events at all, let alone digitally. You might be concerned that they are less personal or effective when hosted remotely. However, with the right approach and tools, digital focus groups can be an extremely engaging and cost-effective way to gain crucial feedback. Here’s what you need to know.

Photo of 5 users needed for user testing

ARTICLE: Sarah Freitag & Trevor Minton

How many users do you really need for meaningful usability test results?

You probably already know that you can conduct meaningful usability tests with as few as five users. This widely-adopted tenet of UX research and design has endured two decades because it’s both surprising and heartening. After all, it shows that UX research doesn’t have to be expensive and time-consuming. To the contrary, it can be quick, accessible, nimble, and cost-effective. That’s good news. And in general, the guideline holds true. However, it’s important to recognize that the “five users rule” is more rule of thumb than rule of law.

UX researcher reviewing inclusive testing practices

ARTICLE: Sarah Freitag

Want to create a truly inclusive EdTech product? Start with inclusive UX testing.

EdTech products must meet the needs of the students, teachers, and administrators they serve, regardless of ability. The goal of inclusivity doesn’t just make sense because it is the right thing to do. Or because it is in keeping with the goals of educators more broadly. It also makes sense because it leads to a better-quality product — for everyone. For all of these reasons, more and more EdTech companies are embracing inclusive design.

UX researchers and designers preparing for tests

ARTICLE: Sarah Freitag & Allie Lozinak

Are your UX design and research teams working in lockstep?

The best EdTech products, the ones that instructors, students, and administrators value most, are those that truly anticipate and meet their users’ needs. Developing a product with a superior user experience requires the right UX expertise, of course. But that’s not all. Your product’s usability also depends upon how well your product team coordinates and collaborates during the development process.

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Sarah Freitag

Director / UX Research

Biography

Articles and Resources from Sarah Freitag