Sharpening One's Axe

{Sharpening One's Axe}

User testing is very important to me. When I think about designing for a client the first place I go in my thought process is, "What is the Client's vision" and "Who is this Client"?

I think that using user testing during the design process makes for the most effective communication design. If you do not test during the process then you may very well end up with a finished book, sign, or logo that is just plain confusing to viewers.


A project that would greatly benefit from user testing is the development of a way-finding system to get people to the Art Building. Everyday someone comes in and asks "is there a second floor in this building" and everyday we have to tell them to go next door. A simple sign in front of the Art Annex would probably suffice but if user testing was implemented I think that we could come up with an effective and interesting system of signs. Even better yet the project could develop signs for the Art Building and Art Annex so that the two have more unified feel.