‘Games Research 101’ began with communicating the crucial role games research plays in the development process. While many of the audience members had run playtests in the past, we demonstrated how games research goes well beyond playtests and how a range of methods can help studios avoid disaster and create amazing games.

After a crash course on the fundamentals of putting together a research plan, attendees, ranging from developers, educators, and students, broke up into groups and tackled a research brief. Ranging from trying to decide which ideas to invest in to identifying the source and behaviour of toxic communities, our facilitators enabled attendees to think critically about what kinds of questions they should ask, what methods to use, and who they’d recruit as participants.

At the end, groups presented their research plans to the audience followed by a Q&A. During the following networking hour, someone brought their game to be playtested! It’s called YOYO PUNK and it’s a multiplayer fast-paced platformer where you take players down with your trusty yoyo! Be sure to wishlist their game on Steam.

Stay tuned for future collaborations with GDL, or find out more about our Playtesting and Games Research services.

Event Details:

Theme: Shaping Tomorrow’s Experiences: UX in the Era of Evolving Customers
Date: 24th October 2024
Venue: Dubai Knowledge Park, UAE

This full-day conference is designed for:

• Experienced UX Practitioners
• Product Managers
• Designers
• Researchers
• Digital Leaders and CxOs
• Marketing Executives

This in-person event will feature global UX experts, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities. Exciting details about speakers, schedules, and more will be announced soon.

The UX Masterclass is a prestigious event held by the UXalliance, the global network of leading UX companies working together to establish and promote standards of excellence in UX internationally. With 32 partner companies all over the world, the UXalliance was co-founded by Sutherland Labs in 2005.

Don’t miss out on our early bird offer—purchase your tickets for just $175 if you book before 30th August 2024!

We look forward to welcoming you to Dubai for a day of learning and inspiration. Stay tuned for more updates!

I bet they spent a summer in the woods teaching middle schoolers how to play the perfect game of kickball or at the local rec center making countless perler bead masterpieces with a gaggle of 6-year-olds. Who knows, they may have even gone abroad and worked at a camp in Japan, or led impactful camps for kids whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer (all true stories from friends of mine, by the way).

Think about all the skills you could gain from working in environments like these. Your main task is to create a fun and engaging experience while also getting large groups of children to focus, follow directions, and be safe – and oh yeah it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside. No easy feat, but you end up learning a lot with an audience that is very open to providing brutally honest feedback in the moment. Nothing humbles you like a snarky 5-year-old!

This leads me to the topic at hand – running workshops.

So what exactly did I learn while working with 30+ four and five-year-olds for five summers in a row that can be applied to leading workshops with adults?

I will answer that question in a series of blog posts. Here’s the first which focuses on timing!

People thrive on routine, so share a workshop agenda early

Many people say that the key to success is a dependable routine. Routines provide structure and predictability that can empower people to do their best.

Think back to when you were a kid and how predictable your day was: wakeup, get ready, commute, class, recess, class, lunch, class, commute, homework, dinner, sleep. Or think back to 2020 when COVID first hit and your normal routine was disrupted – did you feel the repercussions? I definitely did!

Early on at camp, I learned that deviating from our set daily routine was difficult for all kids, but it was especially challenging for kids with neurodivergence who often struggle with transitions. The predictability we designed in our schedule was essential to facilitating smooth transitions from activity to activity, limiting meltdowns, and ensuring everyone had fun.

Providing agendas in advance sets expectations and helps people feel better prepared.

So how do we create this predictability in a workshop setting for adults? Agendas!

Providing agendas in advance sets expectations and helps people feel better prepared. Have you ever been to a meeting with no communicated plan? It’s a lot like a day at camp with no plan: a nightmare and usually nothing of substance gets done.

The best time to communicate expectations is when you schedule the session, whether it’s in the calendar invite or an email introducing the workshop. Providing attendees with sufficient time to review the agenda empowers them to come to the workshop ready to participate and all on the same page. It also provides sufficient time for attendees to request accommodations or otherwise flag concerns or questions they might have, and it provides you, the facilitator, the necessary time to adjust plans if necessary.

Start the day with icebreakers to set the tone for the workshop

Camp always started with Circle Time. Why? Because at 8 AM, the 4-year-olds are either still half-asleep or running around the room in circles. You’ve got to wake some of them up and bring the others back down to earth. The songs and dance of circle time were a great way to ground the day, get everyone on the same page, and bring some energy into the group.

Similarly with a group of workshop attendees, bring the group together with an icebreaker.

Just like the camper who’s 2 cool 4 skool and refuses to dance, some might roll their eyes when they hear “icebreaker” – that’s fair! But remind participants of the value that an activity like this can bring:

• Participants who might not know each other get to see the personalities of the people in the group and get comfortable talking with each other, before it feels like its higher stakes.
• It helps the facilitator get a sense of the group they’re working with, which will in turn help them be better facilitators.
• It’s an opportunity to quickly get attendees familiar with virtual tools that will be used during the workshop, e.g. Miro, Mentimeter, Kahoot, etc.

Here’s a few icebreakers to try that are both fun and low stakes:

• Design your ideal sandwich, then explain your choice to the group.
• Share your favorite Slack emoji and explain why it’s your favorite.
• Run a quiz about the topic of the workshop on Kahoot.

When energy seems low, use breaks and energizers to get back on track

Energy levels naturally go up and down throughout the day, but think about how quickly they deplete when you are asked to really focus. We can’t expect anyone, whether they’re 5-years-old or 50-years-old, to keep going all day without thoughtful breaks and opportunities to release their stress. This is an even bigger deal when workshops are remote because everyone needs a break from staring at their screen. Zoom fatigue is real.

Consider if the workshop can be broken up across multiple days rather than squished into one. You can still cover the same amount of info, and your attendees’ energy levels will naturally be replenished the next morning. This might even be an easier sell than full day workshops, because attendees are not fully out of commission and can still have time for other work or meetings.

If multiple days isn’t an option, consider spacing fun and functional breaks throughout the day. After naptime at camp, you’d see glazed eyes and yawns everywhere, so to wake everyone up again, we ran a high-energy game. Similarly, workshop attendees might mentally checkout during a long day, so think about how to reel them back in.

Physical movement is a wonderful way to recenter and wake up at the same time.

A 10-minute bio break followed by a 15-minute activity is an easy way to relieve tired eyes, full bladders, and wandering minds. If you can get people up and out of their seats, that’s even better. Physical movement is a wonderful way to recenter and wake up at the same time.

Here’s a few workshop energizers that are both fun and functional:

• Guided stretching session
• Group trip to the kitchen/cafeteria/water cooler/wherever the snacks are
• Build a low-fidelity prototype with anything you have nearby
• Act out the interactions and steps users need to take to use the product in question

So when planning your next workshop, remember that people thrive on routine, so it’s key to share a workshop agenda early. Starting the workshop with icebreakers sets the tone for the rest of the event. And finally, anticipating that energy will go low, plan breaks and energizers to get back on track.

Want to see these tips in action? Hire us to run a workshop for your team! Whether it’s as a follow-up to a research project to help socialize learnings or as a stand alone event, workshops are a great tool to bring teams together to facilitate creativity and action.

In the next post, I’ll discuss what we can learn about workshop facilitation from summer camp. Stay tuned!

We’ve been collaborating with the amazing folks at Game Dev Local (GDL) on Indie Game Quest, a fantastic series of events crafted for game developers eager to sharpen their games user research skills. It only made sense to bring Laura’s expertise to the GDL Podcast. The mission? To peel back the curtain and give you an insider’s look at how games are made, focusing on user research and player experience.

The first episode drops today, July 15th! Laura kicks things off with a fascinating chat with Dr. Mark Brady, our Senior Research Director at Sutherland Labs. They dive deep into the world of games user research, exploring its benefits and what it takes to plan effective research. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this insightful conversation.

To stay in the loop, follow us or subscribe to the GDL Podcast on Spotify, or your favorite platform. And if you’re curious about our playtesting and games user research services, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you level up your game development journey.

So, grab your headphones, get comfy, and join us as we explore the fascinating world of game development. See you on the airwaves!

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this series is your golden ticket to mastering the essential skills needed for effective player research. Conducting research at the right time with the perfect methodology can truly be a game changer. And we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Join us for an evening (or two) of:

• Learning: Absorb knowledge from your peers and industry experts.
• Collaborating: Work on exciting projects together.
• Feedback: Get real-time insights in an IRL setting that you won’t get anywhere else.

Mark your calendars for July 22nd and August 28th, and head over to Sutherland Labs in London.

Secure your spot now and don’t miss out on these invaluable development learning opportunities!

Grab your tickets, and let’s level up together!

Our client, Iris ®  Identity & Cyber Protection (powered by Generali Insurance), wanted to increase awareness among prospective clients and partners. We used B2B video to boost engagement and increase sales conversations.

Iris Identity & Cyber Protection offers comprehensive solutions which protect millions of consumers worldwide against identity theft and cybercrime. They needed a way to showcase their product’s features and benefits while educating potential customers about the importance of identity and cyber protection.

Our Solution

To better engage and educate our clients audience, we created a B2B ‘Explainer’ video as part of Iris’s ongoing campaign. Here’s what we did:

Full-Service Production: We produced the video from script to screen, offering a complete service from beginning to end. This included developing the script, creative direction, and using both 2D and 3D animations to clearly convey the product’s value.

Spreading the Word: The video was strategically placed online, including on YouTube, and personalized for direct mail.

The Results

Boosted Engagement: The explainer video successfully highlighted the value of Iris’s services to potential clients.

Industry Recognition: Our video won a Silver Telly Award in the B2B category, demonstrating its quality and effectiveness.

Wider Reach: By being available online and on YouTube, the video reached a broad audience, becoming a key tool in Iris’s marketing strategy.

This case study shows how a well-made explainer video can make a big difference in client engagement, effectively communicate product value, and even win industry awards.

We partnered with Corporation Pop to help them develop Xploro®, a pioneering patient app that combines AR, AI and gameplay to make patients feel empowered and engaged, and improve clinical outcomes.

All images: Sutherland Labs

The Challenge

After his daughter Issy was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2011, Dom Raban (Chair of Corporation Pop) found there was a significant lack of information for parents and children faced with long-term cancer treatment.

What information there was, was directed at us as parents, which left my daughter feeling isolated and ignored. She was resistant to treatments because their purpose wasn’t explained to her beforehand and she was scared of going to hospital as she didn’t know what to expect.

Issy was not alone in this experience. Research shows that patients who are not well informed about medical procedures and treatment experience increased levels of stress and anxiety, which can lead to delayed procedures or lost hospital resources and often results in poorer medical outcomes.

While clinicians often advise that children attend play therapy prior to treatment, resources in hospitals are spread thinly and play therapists themselves are asking for solutions fit for a naturally digital audience. Building on this, Corporation Pop decided to develop a solution which would improve child patient experiences by giving them access to a wide range of information in a fun and engaging way.

The Approach

To ensure that the digital solution would meet the needs of its users, Sutherland Labs worked closely with Corporation Pop developers across three rounds of research. Ethnographic research took place in hospitals involving children with serious conditions, families, clinicians and support staff to understand needs and responses to initial design concepts for what became the Xploro® app. In subsequent rounds we reviewed the iterated concepts with similar user groups.

Over the course of development our insights were used to guide the application of AR in a way that was compelling and useful, as well as optimising features such as chatbot advisors to suit the particular linguistic, cognitive and contextual needs of this audience.

The Results

The launch and continued success of Xploro® – a health information platform that uses AR, gameplay and AI to deliver health information to young patients, in a way which makes them feel empowered, engaged and informed, whilst having fun at the same time.

As well as winning several awards, the app has been proven to:

• Reduce patient anxiety
• Improve patient health literacy
• Lead to better engagement with health services
• Improve clinical outcomes
• Reduce need for sedation
• Reduce in repeat procedures
• Improve overall patient experience

And, while the app was initially designed for children with cancer, the team behind Xploro® are building a health information platform for any age of condition. For further details visit the Xploro® website.

Xploro, is one of many services we have worked on in the Health and Wellness industries – learn more by contacting us below: 

Our client wanted their digital customer support to work better for customers.

They began by looking at the current experience in a holistic way, involving both their customers and their own support agents.

Customer Journey Maps and Personas identify pain points and reveal opportunities for innovation

The Challenge

Our client, a major technology brand, needed to make improvements to the support experience for their digital work tools. While analytics had identified pain points in distinct areas of the experience they lacked a full picture of how customers were using their digital support channels, or the role that customer service agents played in that process.

To build an effective strategy for the future they needed to understand real customer behaviors around support.

The Approach

Over a series of engagements we helped our client gain a better knowledge of the end-to-end support experience of customers, as well as gather intelligence from their own customer support agents.

Workplace Shadowing with Agents and Home Visits with Customers

We spent time with both customers and agents in their own environments, observing each as they dealt with support issues in real time. Immersive research methods helped us to reveal both the issues users could vocalize, plus unspoken needs and desires. Furthermore we explored problem solving strategies and the language or terminology used by customers and agents to feed into the design of a future support experience.

Customer Journey Mapping and Personas

Our team translated research insights into Customer Journey Maps, providing a holistic view of support journeys for key customer types. These maps, alongside rich behavior based personas helped to identify further pain points and opportunity areas – such as the desire among users for greater self-serve.

Prototyping the Future Support Experience

To inform future design direction, our UX designers produced wireframes to be used as tools to illustrate, test and refine design recommendations as they might appear in future support journeys.

The Results

Our engagements have provided the client deep insight into what makes an ideal support experience from both customers and their own agents. This has been instrumental in shaping their future digital experience.

70+ design recommendations were implemented to improve the overall support experience, including navigation, page design, terminology, content.

40% reduction in support volume since improvements to navigation, self-serve channels and UI design.

Our client wanted to rethink their entire approach to hiring graduates.

The global healthcare and pharmaceutical brand was investing in graduate programmes in EMEA, but a low proportion of these graduates converted into full time positions.

The Challenge

Leaders were questioning the effectiveness of graduate hiring in EMEA, and wanted to see a more strategic approach that would better serve the needs of the business. The hiring and retention of new capabilities is critical to the long term health of the organization and for building a talent pipeline for the future.

We devised an approach to help our client understand pain points in the current graduate experience, identify opportunities for innovation, and to build a strategic roadmap for the future.

The Challenge

To develop a strategy to meet these aims and increase the likelihood of employee adoption, we needed to ground ourselves in the needs of their employees. Our goal was to understand employees day to day challenges and pain points, their preferred tools and workarounds, and to do this at scale to account for employees in multiple locations across the world.

The Approach

To capture insights from a large number of employees we began with a survey, which helped us to refine the focus for subsequent rounds of immersive fieldwork. Over the next 2 months, our team travelled to six countries to interview and shadow a range of employees in their own work environments to understand their workflows, day-to-day working practices, tools, and obstacles. We also used remote interviews to reach employees in another six countries, and to ensure we covered a representative range of roles and responsibilities.

I used to think innovation was in motion here, but I just don’t see it happening as quickly as it should be. Or it’s change for no apparent reason.

The Output

The insights from all rounds of research gave our client a rich picture of how employees really work, including the organisational culture, tools and processes, and current challenges. This fed into their overall digital workplace strategy, with more specific outputs including:

• Behavior-based personas as a tool for creating empathy for employees amongst stakeholders making strategic decisions.
• Digital channel strategy recommendations including collaboration tools and internal communications, broken down into quick wins and long term goals.
• Employee experience best practices which were rolled out as use cases across the business.