We used a varied, qualitative research-based design process to accomplish the project objective and goals. The financial privacy notice prototype evolved in content and design based on an iterative process of consumer research, rigorous data collection, thorough analysis, and the expertise of the information designers and legal experts. Qualitative research uses small numbers of participants to explore in a realistic manner how and why consumers understand and make sense of a document. For the Form Development Project, we used four qualitative methods2 —focus groups, preference testing, pretest, and diagnostic usability testing—to iteratively develop and refine the prototype according to the goals.
