How HP Navigated the Global UX Challenge with Optimal
Technology giant with worldwide reach
Hewlett Packard, the technology giant with worldwide reach, partnered with Optimal to revolutionize their digital experience across multiple platforms and markets. By leveraging Optimal's sophisticated user testing capabilities, HP gained critical insights into how users from diverse cultural backgrounds interacted with both their customer-facing website and internal systems. The outcome? A dramatically improved global digital experience, streamlined internal operations, and a mobile app that truly delivers on user expectations.
The Challenge: Navigating a Complex Digital Ecosystem
Let's be honest, as a multinational technology corporation, HP faced unique hurdles in their digital strategy:
- Customer experiences varied dramatically across different regions, languages, and cultural contexts
- Internal staff struggled with complex back-office systems that hampered productivity
- Their iOS mobile app wasn't delivering the intuitive experience users expected from a tech leader
With millions of users engaging with HP's digital ecosystem daily, even modest improvements could generate significant value. They needed comprehensive data across multiple platforms to make informed decisions.
The Solution: Optimal's Global Research Arsenal
HP implemented Optimal's versatile research platform to gather insights at an unprecedented global scale. Here's how they deployed Optimal's toolkit:
Breaking Language Barriers: Tree Testing Across Continents
HP conducted extensive tree testing studies spanning multiple nationalities and languages, gathering insights from users worldwide. This wasn't just about translating content, it was about understanding how cultural differences impacted navigation preferences and information architecture across their global customer base.
Streamlining the Back Office: Tree Testing for Administrative Efficiency
The customer experience wasn't HP's only focus. They applied the same rigorous tree testing methodology to optimize their back-end office admin menus, recognizing that internal efficiency directly impacts external performance. This approach helped identify navigational pain points that were slowing down staff operations.
Mobile Excellence: First-Click Testing + Open Card Sort
Recognizing the growing importance of mobile, HP deployed first-click testing and open card sorting to reimagine their iOS app navigation. This combined approach revealed both where users expected functionality to be located and how they conceptually organized the app's features in their minds.
Results: A Digital Transformation on a Global Scale
HP's strategic investment in Optimal's research tools delivered impressive outcomes:
- Global Navigation Harmony: The multilingual tree testing revealed crucial differences in how users from various cultures approached site navigation, leading to regionally optimized interfaces while maintaining brand consistency.
- Operational Efficiency Unleashed: After restructuring admin menus based on tree testing insights, HP saw a reduction in time spent on common administrative tasks and a decrease in internal support tickets related to system navigation.
- Mobile App Engagement Soars: The combination of first-click testing and card sorting transformed the iOS app experience, driving an increase in app usage frequency and an improvement in user satisfaction scores.
Conclusion
HP's collaboration with Optimal demonstrates the power of comprehensive, globally-minded user research. By making UX testing a priority across customer-facing platforms, internal systems, and mobile applications, they've created a cohesive digital ecosystem that works effectively regardless of language, culture, or platform.
In the technology industry, where digital interactions are the primary touchpoint with customers, HP proved that understanding the nuances of how different users navigate digital spaces is essential to global success. With Optimal's sophisticated testing tools providing actionable insights, HP has positioned themselves as a leader not just in hardware and software, but in creating truly user-centered digital experiences worldwide.
Want to learn how you can get started gathering meaningful user insight for your digital products? Reach out to us today.
