Choosing the right vendor

Here are some questions that you may want to ask to make sure that you find the right user experience (UX) vendor for your project.

Can the UX vendor provide high-level experts?

The UX field is complicated. And if you have a mission critical design problem that has complex requirements, you need mature practitioners on the job, with decades of experience. Those experts will ensure that the overall design is solved strategically, with the right structure, and high quality detailed design. They can bring to bear creative solutions that will save you design time and avoid expensive rework. Be sure that the experts will work on your project and not just be there for the sales process.

A checklist of UX services - strategy, innovation, usability testing, expert review, experiments, ecosystem research, structural design, detailed design, metrics-based usability evaluations.

Can the vendor provide the full range of UX services?

You might need assistance with a simple project now, but as you continue your program, you may need more advanced assistance. Avoid switching UX vendors midstream. A UX vendor should be able to provide or conduct:

  • A high level cross-channel UX strategy
  • Innovation projects
  • Usability testing
  • Expert reviews
  • Experiments
  • Ecosystem research (sometimes called contextual inquiry)
  • Structural design
  • Detailed design
  • Continuous metrics-based usability improvements

You may also need expertise in persuasion engineering and cross cultural design.

How large is the vendor?

A consultancy is unlikely to reliably provide more than about 10% of their staff to one project, on an as-needed basis. So, if you anticipate needing six people on short notice, you should find a consultancy with at least 60 UX staff members. Avoid using a consultant that relies heavily on part time contractors. These practitioners are less likely to be fully committed or completely familiar with the vendor’s practices and tools.

Does the vendor have good project management and quality assurance practices?

A serious UX project cannot rely on the expertise of a few craftspeople. There needs to be oversight and control of the program. There should be a project management office to ensure that the work stays on track. There should be quality assurance to ensure solid and consistent design. And the organization should be committed to take steps to manage the issues that invariably come up.

Does the vendor follow a detailed methodology?

You will want to find a UX firm that can provide a detailed methodology and associated templates. You don’t want a vendor that works in an ad hoc manner, or needs to develop their process and templates from scratch. These approaches take time, budget, and staff away from your project. It is important that the firm follows their own methods regularly.

The HFI Design Methodology displayed on a tab screen.

Does the firm have design standards and templates?

Find a firm that has a baseline standard for browser, workstation, or mobile interfaces as appropriate. At least 85% of the interface designs they do on your project should be based on pre-engineered templates. Without standards the firm will take far longer to design, the ad hoc designs will be of lower quality, and the designs will be inconsistent.

Does the firm have experience in your domain and understand the ecosystem of your target users?

Most people over estimate this factor. But it IS useful if the vendor is familiar with your domain. They should know the focus of UX work in your domain (e.g., UX for medical systems must meet government standards, save lives, and be able to show due diligence if any legal questions arise. Or, in e-commerce, UX should focus on conversion, size of basket, and customer retention).

World map showing that HFI has consulted in over 100 cities across the world.

Can they manage a global footprint?

If your team is working in one location, focusing on a design that will only be used in that location, there are no global issues. But if your team is working across multiple locations, you may need a vendor that knows how to work with a distributed team.

Is the vendor easy to do business with?

It is important to have a vendor that is easy to do business with. Do they have staff specifically working on account management, legal, and accounting issues? It is awkward to try to explain business requirements and contracting practices to technical specialists who don't really understand the importance of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), master sales agreements (MSAs), reporting and other business requirements.

 

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