In part one of this series, we examined some of the more problematic personality traits user researchers are likely to encounter in their work. Now that we’ve seen how individual personalities can put a damper on your day; let’s explore some ways to overcome the problems inherent to each.

In this series — covering the absolute basics of user personality types — we’ll begin by introducing some of the more problematic personalities. In part two, we’ll look at a number of strategies to help turn the tables in our favor.

With an abundance of remote testing tools available, it’s not always easy to choose the right one(s). Here, author and web designer Matt Milosavljevic provides an overview of the types of tools available, common use cases, and potential pitfalls to look out for.

Research informs the process so that we explore more worthwhile, appropriate design solutions. In this article we’ll provide a jumping–off point, so that you can add research into your own projects.

Have you ever sat in a user testing session, watching a user really struggle with the task at hand only to have them tell you at the end everything was easy and straight forward? How do you encourage these participants to be negative? I’ve discovered a few techniques that might be able to help.

Remember, just because nobody complains, it doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect. The same goes for web design; usability testing is often overlooked by clients and designers alike, but the value that can be gained from it is immense.

Today, eye-tracking is used heavily by marketing groups to craft effective designs in advertising, and by usability researchers to define the optimum user experience. This technology is anything but new though. In fact, eye-tracking goes all the way back to the 1800′s.

Mashable made a fresh start of the new year by launching a redesign. The intention of which was to put more focus on the stories, remove clutter, and to divide the content into sections. Most readers responded positively. But our team wanted to answer a more targeted question: What are the most attention-grabbing changes in Mashable’s new design? In this article we analyze user feedback and exhibit our results.

When you think of transparency, it’s typical to think of how a company communicates with it’s users. What may come as a surprise is the impact the actual users can have on transparency, and how the consumer can be the actual tipping point for your next sale.

Dealing with user errors is a hidden source of friction. UX consultant John Hyde discusses best practice including a financial website that boosted conversions by 17% with these guidelines.