Last week, I shared the Chase videophone pilot story — a project that reminded me how often the root of a user experience issue isn’t the interface itself.
In that pilot, half of our participants couldn’t log in. At first glance, it looked like a technical failure — but a deeper investigation revealed the real barrier: a network configuration issue. A single switch had not been enabled to support the software in certain offices.
This experience reinforced a core lesson I carry into every project: when a user encounters a problem, the issue may lie in the surrounding systems, processes, or environment — not the design.
Understanding context is just as critical as understanding the interface. By looking beyond the pixels, we can uncover the true friction points and deliver meaningful solutions.
If you missed the original story, you can read it here.
Open to contract UX research opportunities.
Email: theresaw@columbus.rr.com
LinkedIn: theresa-wilkinson