July 22, 2024
2 min

Exciting updates to Optimal’s pricing plans

Big things are happening in 2024! 🎉

We’re undergoing a huge transformation in 2024 to deliver more value for our customers with exciting new products like prototype testing, features like video recording, upgrading our survey tool, introducing AI, and improving how we support large organizations and multiple teams managing their accounts. These new products and features mean we need to update our pricing plans to continue innovating and providing top-tier UX research tools for our customers now and in the future.

Say hello to our new pricing plans  👋🏽

Starting July 22, 2024, we’ll be introducing new plans—Individual and Individual+—and updating our Team and Enterprise plans. We’ve reduced the price to join Optimal from $249 a month on the Pro plan to $129 on the new Individual plan. This reduction will help make our tools more accessible for people to do research and includes two months free on the individual annual plan, too.

We’ll be discontinuing some of our current plans, including Starter, Pro, and Pay per Study, and letting customers know about the changes that will affect their account via email and in information on the plans page in the app.

Prototype testing is just around the corner 🛣️ 🥳

The newest edition to the Optimal platform  is  days away, and will be available to use on the Individual+, Team and Enterprise plans from early August.  Prototype testing will allow you to quickly test designs with users throughout the design process, to help inform decisions so you can build on with confidence.  You’ll be able to build your own prototype from scratch using images or screenshots or import a prototype directly from Figma. Keep an eye out in app for this new exciting addition.

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Sarah
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The Power of Prototype Testing Live Training

If you missed our recent live training on Prototype Testing, don’t worry—we’ve got everything you need right here! You can catch up at your convenience, so grab a cup of tea, put your feet up, and enjoy the show.

In the session, we explored the powerful new features of our Prototype Testing tool, offering a step-by-step guide to setting up, running, and analyzing your tests like a seasoned pro. This tool is a game-changer for your design workflow, helping you identify usability issues and gather real user feedback before committing significant resources to development.


Here’s a quick recap of the highlights:

1. Creating a prototype test from scratch using images

We walked through how to create a prototype test from scratch using static images. This method is perfect for early-stage design concepts, where you want to quickly test user flows without a fully interactive prototype.

2. Preparing your Figma prototype for testing

Figma users, we’ve got you covered! We discussed how to prepare your Figma prototype for the smoothest possible testing experience. From setting up interactions to ensuring proper navigation, these tips ensure participants have an intuitive experience during the test. For more detailed instructions, check out our help article 

3. Seamless Figma prototype imports

One of the standout features of the tool is its seamless integration with Figma. We showed how easy it is to import your designs directly from Figma into Optimal, streamlining the setup process. You can bring your working files straight in, and resync when you need to with one click of a button.

4. Understanding usability metrics and analyzing results

We explored how to analyze the usability metrics, and walked through what the results can indicate on click maps and paths. These visual tools allow you to see exactly how participants navigate your design, making it easier to spot pain points, dead ends, or areas of friction. By understanding user behavior, you can rapidly iterate and refine your prototypes for optimal user experience.

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1 min read

Product Roadmap Update

At Optimal Workshop, we're dedicated to building the best user research platform to empower you with the tools to better understand your customers and create intuitive digital experiences. We're thrilled to announce some game-changing updates and new products that are on the horizon to help elevate the way you gather insights and keep customers at the heart of everything you do. 

What’s new…

Integration with Figma 🚀

Last month, we joined forces with design powerhouse Figma to launch our integration. You can import images from Figma into Chalkmark (our click-testing tool) in just a few clicks, streamlining your workflows and getting insights to make decisions based on data not hunches and opinions.  

What’s coming next…

Session Replays 🧑‍💻

With session replay you can focus on other tasks while Optimal Workshop automatically captures card sort sessions for you to watch in your own time.  Gain valuable insights into how participants engage and interpret a card sort without the hassle of running moderated sessions. The first iteration of session replays captures the study interactions, and will not include audio or face recording, but this is something we are exploring for future iterations. Session replays will be available in tree testing and click-testing later in 2024.  

Reframer Transcripts 🔍

Say goodbye to juggling note-taking and hello to more efficient ways of working with Transcripts! We're continuing to add more capability to Reframer, our qualitative research tool, to now include the importing of interview transcripts. Save time, reduce human errors and oversights by importing transcripts, tagging and analyzing observations all within Reframer. We’re committed to build on transcripts with video and audio transcription capability in the future,  we’ll keep you in the loop and when to expect those releases. 

Prototype testing 🧪

The team is fizzing to be working on a new Prototype testing product designed to expand your research methods and help test prototypes easily from the Optimal Workshop platform. Testing prototypes early and often is an important step in the design process, saving you time and money before you invest too heavily in the build. We are working with customers and on delivering the first iteration of this exciting new product. Stay tuned for Prototypes coming in the second quarter of 2024.   

Workspaces 🎉

Making Optimal Workshop easier for large organizations to manage teams and collaborate more effectively on projects is a big focus for 2024. Workspaces are the first step towards empowering organizations to better manage multiple teams with projects. Projects will allow greater flexibility on who can see what, encouraging working in the open and collaboration alongside the ability to make projects private. The privacy feature is available on Enterprise plans.

Questions upgrade❓

Our survey product Questions is in for a glow up in 2024 💅. The team are enjoying working with customers, collecting and reviewing feedback on how to improve Questions and will be sharing more on this in the coming months. 

Help us build a better Optimal Workshop

We are looking for new customers to join our research panel to help influence product development. From time to time, you’ll be invited to join us for interviews or surveys, and you’ll be rewarded for your time with a thank-you gift.  If you’d like to join the team, email product@optimalworkshop.com

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Measuring the impact of UXR: beyond CSAT and NPS

In the rapidly evolving world of user experience research (UXR), demonstrating value and impact has become more crucial than ever. While traditional metrics like Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) have long been the go-to measures for UX professionals, they often fall short in capturing the full scope and depth of UXR's impact. As organizations increasingly recognize the strategic importance of user-centered design, it's time to explore more comprehensive and nuanced approaches to measuring UXR's contribution.

Limitations of traditional metrics

CSAT and NPS, while valuable, have significant limitations when it comes to measuring UXR impact. These metrics provide a snapshot of user sentiment but fail to capture the direct influence of research insights on product decisions, business outcomes, or long-term user behavior. Moreover, they can be influenced by factors outside of UXR's control, such as marketing campaigns or competitor actions, making it challenging to isolate the specific impact of research efforts.

Another limitation is the lack of context these metrics provide. They don't offer insights into why users feel a certain way or how specific research-driven improvements contributed to their satisfaction. This absence of depth can lead to misinterpretation of data and missed opportunities for meaningful improvements.

Alternative measurement approaches

To overcome these limitations, UX researchers are exploring alternative approaches to measuring impact. One promising method is the use of proxy measures that more directly tie to research activities. For example, tracking the number of research-driven product improvements implemented or measuring the reduction in customer support tickets related to usability issues can provide more tangible evidence of UXR's impact.

Another approach gaining traction is the integration of qualitative data into impact measurement. By combining quantitative metrics with rich, contextual insights from user interviews and observational studies, researchers can paint a more comprehensive picture of how their work influences user behavior and product success.

Linking UXR to business outcomes

Perhaps the most powerful way to demonstrate UXR's value is by directly connecting research insights to key business outcomes. This requires a deep understanding of organizational goals and close collaboration with stakeholders across functions. For instance, if a key business objective is to increase user retention, UX researchers can focus on identifying drivers of user loyalty and track how research-driven improvements impact retention rates over time.

Risk reduction is another critical area where UXR can demonstrate significant value. By validating product concepts and designs before launch, researchers can help organizations avoid costly mistakes and reputational damage. Tracking the number of potential issues identified and resolved through research can provide a tangible measure of this impact.

Case studies of successful impact measurement

While standardized metrics for UXR impact remain elusive, some organizations have successfully implemented innovative measurement approaches. For example, one technology company developed a "research influence score" that tracks how often research insights are cited in product decision-making processes and the subsequent impact on key performance indicators.

Another case study involves a financial services firm that implemented a "research ROI calculator." This tool estimates the potential cost savings and revenue increases associated with research-driven improvements, providing a clear financial justification for UXR investments.

These case studies highlight the importance of tailoring measurement approaches to the specific context and goals of each organization. By thinking creatively and collaborating closely with stakeholders, UX researchers can develop meaningful ways to quantify their impact and demonstrate the strategic value of their work.

As the field of UXR continues to evolve, so too must our approaches to measuring its impact. By moving beyond traditional metrics and embracing more holistic and business-aligned measurement strategies, we can ensure that the true value of user research is recognized and leveraged to drive organizational success. The future of UXR lies not just in conducting great research, but in effectively communicating its impact and cementing its role as a critical strategic function within modern organizations.

Maximize UXR ROI with Optimal 

While innovative measurement approaches are crucial, having the right tools to conduct and analyze research efficiently is equally important for maximizing UXR's return on investment. This is where the Optimal Workshop platform comes in, offering a comprehensive solution to streamline your UXR efforts and amplify their impact.

The Optimal Platform provides a suite of user-friendly tools designed to support every stage of the research process, from participant recruitment to data analysis and insight sharing. By centralizing your research activities on a single platform, you can significantly reduce the time and resources spent on administrative tasks, allowing your team to focus on generating valuable insights.

Key benefits of using Optimal for improving UXR ROI include:

  • Faster research cycles: With automated participant management and data collection tools, you can complete studies more quickly, enabling faster iteration and decision-making.

  • Enhanced collaboration: The platform's sharing features make it easy to involve stakeholders throughout the research process, increasing buy-in and ensuring insights are actioned promptly.

  • Robust analytics: Advanced data visualization and analysis tools help you uncover deeper insights and communicate them more effectively to decision-makers.

  • Scalable research: The platform's user-friendly interface enables non-researchers to conduct basic studies, democratizing research across your organization and increasing its overall impact.

  • Comprehensive reporting: Generate professional, insightful reports that clearly demonstrate the value of your research to stakeholders at all levels.

By leveraging the Optimal Workshop, you're not just improving your research processes – you're positioning UXR as a strategic driver of business success. Our platform's capabilities align perfectly with the advanced measurement approaches discussed earlier, enabling you to track research influence, calculate ROI, and demonstrate tangible impact on key business outcomes.

Ready to transform how you measure and communicate the impact of your UX research? Sign up for a free trial of the Optimal platform today and experience firsthand how it can drive your UXR efforts to new heights of efficiency and effectiveness. 

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