People are not all the same, they have lives, dreams and memories, so to design better online experiences that sell, companies need to better understand context and real life, and where online fits in. In our work we have often found that the context intervenes in the places you will least expect it.

For example, decisions on whether or not to purchase a financial product often will involve both members of a couple. Typically, one will research, and both will decide. This requires, therefore, that the researcher will need to 'explain' why one product is preferred over another, and this will almost certainly take place away from the screen. So, everything being equal, the product that 'wins' will most likely be the one with the most easily read and explained print out! But do your designers care about the print layout? Probably not!

When you start looking at context, a multitude of things emerge

When you start looking at context, a multitude of things emerge - mothers stuck at home with small children need to be able to stop and restart what they are doing. Have retailers ever wondered by internet traffic drops off at 15.00? Pick up time! People have lives, everyone is different. Why does the web assume we are all robots?