19
Moderated usability tests conducted
UX Research & Usability Testing
Confidential client — emergency services sector
19 interviews, extensive usability testing, and a 75-page research report to investigate and improve a large-scale alarm company's website.
855
Interview minutes logged
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Recommended actions
Fair warning:
This case study is a little on the longer side. But given that one of our key findings was that the website had too much text — we promise the irony isn't lost on us.
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Insights & reflections
About the Client
The client is one of Sweden's most trusted organisations, operating at the intersection of public safety and commercial security services. Their website serves several distinct audiences — the general public, potential customers, job seekers, and journalists — each with very different needs.
Method
The research combined three complementary approaches. We conducted 19 moderated usability tests with real users across four target groups, each completing scenario-based tasks. Sessions were held both remotely and in person, and recorded in full. Participants were recruited through an independent agency to ensure an objective and representative sample.
In parallel, an independent expert review assessed tone of voice, design, imagery, UX, UI, and accessibility. Quantitative behavioural data — including heatmaps, time on page, bounce rates, and exit statistics — was collected as a third layer of insight.
The Brief
Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the client's website to identify usability issues, unmet user needs, and opportunities for improvement across all four target audiences.
What We Found
Finding your way around was harder than it should be
Navigation was a recurring friction point across all four target groups. Several users struggled to orient themselves in the menu, and in one striking case, a user on mobile was afraid to click on the emergency number in the menu — worried they might accidentally place a call. The clickability of certain elements simply wasn't communicated clearly enough.
Contact routes were unclear for everyone
Not a single test participant found it straightforward to reach the right person. The contact page was primarily designed for existing customers, leaving potential new customers without a clear entry point. Several users described filling in the contact form as sending something into a black hole — with no sense of who would respond or when.
The commercial offering was largely invisible
In three out of four target groups, users were genuinely surprised to discover the breadth of the client's services. The reaction was consistently positive — but it also signalled that the website wasn't communicating what the organisation actually offers to those who didn't already know.
A specific friction point: the job application process
Three out of five job-seeking test participants reacted strongly to a mandatory video greeting required as part of the application. Without any explanation of why it was needed, it raised concerns about privacy and whether appearance would factor into hiring decisions — and became a decisive reason for not completing the application.
The text felt overwhelming
The majority of test participants only read the headings, skipping the body text entirely. On mobile, long paragraphs felt especially daunting. The information was there — but it wasn't reaching people.
No feedback, no next steps
After any interaction — submitting a job application, completing a contact form, searching for information — users were left without any indication of what would happen next. This created uncertainty and, in some cases, caused users to abandon the process entirely.
The Culture Page was almost impossible to find
A dedicated section showcasing the organisation as an employer — containing genuinely valuable content — was buried several clicks deep, had a broken menu, and trapped users in a navigation loop with no clear way out. One user stumbled upon it entirely by accident and described it as feeling like a completely separate website.
Bonus insight: Gen Z reads differently
One unexpected finding came from observing our younger test participants. Conventional UX wisdom tells us that users scan a webpage in a Z-pattern — but that's not what we saw. Gen Z users were reading column by column, left to right, top to bottom. Our hypothesis? It's a side effect of growing up mobile-first. When your default screen is a phone, you scroll vertically — and that habit seems to carry over to desktop. It's a small but significant reminder that design assumptions don't age as well as we'd like to think.
The Result
A 75-page report with prioritised action lists across all four areas, covering visual, structural, and content-based recommendations — and a proposed roadmap for the client's continued web development. The overarching recommendation was a rethink of the site's information architecture and navigation, using the research as the foundation.