Portfolio

Range of services at the Hochschule der Medien (University of Applied Sciences)
The following is an overview of the services that the Hochschule der Medien can offer. This overview is purely informative – the offer includes only the services listed in it.

Formative Usability Test
Within the framework of user-centered design, usability evaluation is an important element in the internationally standardized product development cycle (ISO 13407: Human-centered design process). In a formative usability test, problems encountered by users when using the product are identified. Based on this, starting points for the optimization of the design can be derived. Qualitative methods such as “thinking aloud”, questioning and behavioral observation are used.

Eye Tracking
In this procedure, the eye movements of the users are recorded and analyzed. The eye movement analysis is useful when the perception of certain elements on the screen is to be examined. Typical application scenarios are questions regarding the distribution of attention on the homepage of a website or about the effect of advertising. During evaluation, so-called "heat maps" can be generated, which graphically represent the often and rarely viewed areas of a page across all test subjects. The order of the elements viewed, for example, can also be examined. As of July 2019, the Hochschule der Medien also offers Eye Tracking in Virtual Reality.

Expert Evaluation
Here, the fulfilment of fundamental usability requirements (e.g. ISO standard, accessibility) is examined by experts. Conceptual and formal weak points are identified e.g. by heuristic procedures. Several experts prepare independent expert opinions, discuss their findings, summarize them and suggest possible measures.

Focus Groups
With this method, user requirements can be collected very efficiently in group discussions. This is an interesting approach to the question of innovative solutions.

Card Sorting
User-centered construction of information structures can be realized with this method with the participation of end users.

Participative Design
Users can be directly involved in the design of user interfaces. Within the framework of cooperative design sessions, users design user interfaces with simple means (e.g. on paper). For the professional designers, the focus is not on the designs, but on the reasons given by the users for their design decisions. From this, design requirements can be derived from the user's point of view.

Concept Development and Consulting
The Hochschule der Medien can also offer direct design support as a service. Information architecture, navigation and interaction concepts can be developed.

Interface Design and Interaction Design
The final design of the processes and user interfaces for different end devices from smartphones to tablet computers, from desktop or terminal systems to multitouch table-top systems or even natural user interfaces can be created at our institute on the basis of many years of experience in the practical and scientific environment.