TigerSense started because Ashton, our founder, wanted to solve a problem. Working as a user interface designer at the time, he often ended up in conflicts of opinion with colleagues. The dialogue usually went something like this:
Ashton: “I think this button should go right here below the shopping basket.”
Colleague: “Well it could do, but wouldn’t it be better up here?”
The problem was that neither person had any hard data to support their argument, so a potentially never-ending case began. In the end, the high court judge (aka boss) would come along and overrule someone. But nobody really knew which option was right for the users and, ultimately, the success of the product at that stage.
There had to be a better way! Sure enough, one day Ashton stumbled on the fields of usability and user-centred design. Here, the emphasis is on making design decisions based on empirical user data – rather than relying on common sense.
He went off and read a heap of books, did an MSc in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), then set up TigerSense. To continually remind himself of the core problem TigerSense helps people solve, the motto became: “Don’t rely on common sense”.
Ashton King, Founder
Ashton has over 5 years’ experience working in commercial web development and usability. In that time, he’s been let loose on a number of high-volume websites such as Adams Kids and Mountain Warehouse. His achievements include improving Adams’ conversion rate by 71% with a user-centred redesign of their checkout process.
Ashton holds a BSc in Computer Science and an MSc with Distinction in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
After school activities
When we’re not out there making things easy to use and learning new stuff, we’re out trying to make the most of life. Surviving the jungles of Southeast Asia, raising the stakes in Vegas, and kicking back with a cold one down under are some of the things we’ve been up to. Most of the time you’ll find us listening to music, trying to beat the latest video game or catching our breath after a run. Oh, and reading more than a healthy dosage of tech news!