End-To-End Research
Metric Lab - We help companies create product experiences and brand loyalty through consumer insight

We support product design from inception to market and beyond. We employ a variety of research approaches ranging from market research like ethnography and contextual inquiries to product testing like usability and competitive benchmarking. We even perform human factors and ergonomic evaluations. Metric Lab has the research capabilities to meet your every need.

Latest News

  • Taming the Elephant in the Room: Brand Perception and Bias

    Feb 8

    I’ve been a bit of a pizza snob ever since my first job making pizza at the age of 15. I’ve always had a pretty low opinion of Domino’s Pizza®, so I was very impressed when I saw Domino’s recent efforts to reinvent both their pizza and their brand identity by tackling their problems head on. Read More »

  • Research Is Communication

    Jan 4

    When people ask us what we do for a living, it can be difficult to explain if they aren’t familiar with the user-centered design process. As user researchers, we’ve come to realize the average consumer doesn’t expect companies to involve their users in developing their products and services. Read More »

  • Research Logistics: A Crash Course for Designers and Stakeholders

    Dec 24

    With more companies today putting a stronger emphasis on gaining a deeper understanding of their customer, it’s not unusual for us to be called in for a project to find that our clients don’t have a lot of experience with research and don’t know what to expect. Read More »

  • What designers and researchers can learn from hostage negotiators

    Dec 1

    It’s 2 a.m., and a call comes across the radio that a young man with a gun has barricaded himself and his mother in his home. No shots have been fired, and little communication has been established between the man and police officers outside. Read More »

  • Contextual Interviews and Ethnography: Two Different Types of Home Visits

    Sep 11

    It’s important to make a distinction between these two different research methodologies and the kind of data you get from each. Both involve visiting a participant in their homes or other environments but they are distinctly different. Read More »

  • Designing with Community in Mind

    Sep 10

    IMG_0446A few days ago Foster City (located in Silicon Valley) opened its new synthetic soccer field after six months of hard work. It’s one of the most beautiful soccer fields I have ever seen. Read More »

  • Safeway’s New Brand “The Market”

    Sep 8

    safeway1Safeway is tackling the urban grocery market with their new brand “The Market.” With fresh produce, a broad wine selection, a butcher shop and all the other accoutrements one would expect from a suburban supermarket, packaged in a compact style reminiscent of an urban corner market. Read More »

  • Designing for Prevention

    Aug 21

    photo-748130I was in San Francisco yesterday and I noticed some spike railing on a street level window sill. Read More »

  • The Time and Place for Focus Groups

    Aug 17

    focus-groups-ACFocus groups have traditionally been given a bit of a bad rap, and deservedly so. Starting off as a form of market research, focus groups have been used extensively to reach inappropriate conclusions regarding market segments by attempting to identify needs, preferences, and guide strategy. Read More »