Centaur engaged Channel Dynamics to help them develop an independent and rapid method of testing and developing new digital products before investing on costly developments.

Centaur Media, intended to embed user-centred design into their digital product development process. As a company that has many Business related magazines and services, they wanted to ensure these were focused around their customers’ needs.

Centaur wanted to develop and test a new product idea with consumers in an interactive way before investing in a full build project. Initiating a new user-centred design approach to product development would mean that they could develop products rapidly and with confidence.

The main objectives were to:

• Develop an initial proof of concept interactive wireframe to demonstrate the proposition to users.
• Test the idea with users in a controlled testing environment for feedback to identify the validity of the idea.
• Present a final tested and modified product that can be used to brief in the development team for final build if the idea has been positively received.

We started the process by running ideation and information gathering workshops before developing sketches of the proposed interface designs and ideas. These were then developed in to interactive prototypes that were validated with the senior Centaur team and new iterations of the designs developed.

These interactive prototypes were then tested and validated with users. The research was analysed and further changes made before the final proposition was ready to present for further project funding and site build.

Centaur is able to validate their product ideas and adopt a new process of working in a de-risked way without immediately going in to a full scale development. They have adopted a similar approach throughout their digital department and continue to work with Channel Dynamics for developing and testing new concepts in a customer centred way.