Participate in A Research Study

Depending on the industry, human factors can also be referred to as user experience (UX) research, usability research, user experience design and research, ergonomics, or Human Computer Interaction. All these labels are used to describe research about how people interact with products and how products can be designed to make them safer, easier to use, and less frustrating. At IAA, our focus is on optimizing design to enhance usability, safety, and performance by considering human capabilities and limitations. Essentially, it’s about making products work better for people.

Each study is different in terms of what you are asked to do. But for the most part, you will be interacting with a product, answering questions about the product and its instructions, and oftentimes, giving us your feedback about how the product or instructions can be improved. All your interactions with the product will be through simulated-use.

“Simulated-use” means you will be using or testing a product in a way that mimics how it would be used in real life. For example, in one of our studies, you may use an injector pen to inject into an injection pad worn over your clothing, or placed on one of our manikins. You will never be asked to inject yourself or anyone else during our studies, or take any medication.

Our study will also try to simulate the environment where you might normally use this product. For example, if a product is intended to be used at home, our lab will be set up with furniture (like a table, chairs, and sometimes a functional sink) to resemble a home office, dining room, or kitchen. We do this to get as close as possible to the real-life experience of using this product on your own for the first time, to see how well the product works and what problems you might encounter.

No. All our studies are non-invasive. You will never be asked to take or administer any medication. We do not do anything clinical. Usability studies and clinical trials are both types of research studies, but they serve different purposes.

Purpose:

• Usability Study: The primary goal of a usability study is to evaluate the usability
  and user experience of a product, such as a website, software application, or device. It focuses on understanding how users interact with the product, identifying usability issues, and gathering feedback for improvement.
• Clinical Trial: Clinical trials are research studies conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of medical treatments, interventions, or procedures. They are typically used in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries to assess the effectiveness of new drugs, therapies, or medical devices.

Participants’ Role:

• Usability Study: Participants in usability studies are often representative users of the product being evaluated. They may come from the target audience or user base and are asked to perform specific tasks while interacting with the product.
• Clinical Trial: Participants in clinical trials are usually patients or individuals with specific medical conditions relevant to the study. They are enrolled to assess the effects of the medical intervention being tested.

For most studies, our participants get paid immediately after participation, in cash. Compensation depends on the time commitment that is required, which varies for each study. Typical incentives range from $150 to $300, but sometimes more.

If you are interested in participating in our research studies, you will need to complete a 10 minute phone screening with one of our recruiters. During the screening we will ask you medical related and demographic questions to determine if you qualify to participate. The qualification criteria varies for each study. If you are selected to participate in a study, we will contact you after the initial phone screening to schedule the study session.

The personal information we get from you stays with us so that we can contact you for future studies we feel may be a good fit for you. We do not sell your personal information to anyone. Your demographic information may be shared with our client or government agencies (i.e. Food and Drug Administration), if requested. However, your demographic information will be anonymized by removing any personally identifiable information.

Taking part in our studies gives you an opportunity to experience new products before they are out on the market. It also gives you an opportunity to provide design suggestions for improving the product, packaging, and/or instructions of a product that you may one day use once it’s on the market. Your insights are invaluable to us! By participating in a usability study, you may have a direct impact on making a product more user-friendly for everyone.

We work on a variety of products. Some examples are insulin pens, epinephrine injectors, heart pumps, thermometers, hair removal lasers, at-home fertility products, printers, keyboards, phone apps, scanners, and more. Many of our studies involve medical devices, however, we work on all types of products.

Sometimes! Most of our studies are done in person at our main office in Saratoga, California (San Francisco Bay Area). However, depending on the study, sometimes we conduct sessions online via Zoom, or our team will do in-person home visitations. If there is a need to travel, we will travel throughout the United States. Recently, we have traveled to participants in Washington, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.