collaborative user research experience report ux cam 2014 r_nathaniel

Collaborative User ResearchREVATHI NATHANIEL, @REVNATHANIEL

USABILITY ENGINEER, RED GATE SOFTWARE LTD.

A confession…

@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM

The lone researcher who observes interesting things and reports them back to the world…


@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/

@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM Sir Ken Robinson's “Changing Education Paradigms" RSA animated talk

Collaboration is an act of shared creation and/or share discovery (Schrage89, p.4)

@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart, Issue 381

Collaboration is active-it requires active participation with an intent to add value- James A. Highsmith III

Communication is passive- it transfers information, with an intent to inform-James A. Highsmith III

Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart

The entire process of user research can be collaborative


Collaboration during the phases of research


Plan

ExecuteAnalyse


Research Phases• Understand Project requirements• Plan scope of research &• research activities• Create research material

• Carry out planned activities• Capture data• Re-evaluate research plan

• Categorize data• Analyse data• Document analysis process• Share findings

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse

Task Collaboration friendly?

Yes Sometimes/depends

No

Understand Project requirements

Project kick-off meetings

Plan scope of research &research activities Meetings,

Documents on Google Drive

Create research material e.g.: Surveys, interview questionnaires, screeners, etc.

Emails to the teamDocuments on Google DrivePost work on walls,Collaboration games


Survey


What worked• Quality of research

• Rigorous process

• Widen scope of research

• Reduce bias

• Sense of ownership


What didn’t work• Survey Length

• Too wide scope

• Lengthy analysis

Recommendations

• Have a clear and documented research plan

• Don’t be afraid to put your foot down as the researcher

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse


Research Phases

• Carry out planned activities• Capture data• Re-evaluate research plan


Data Techniques

PreferencePreferences, opinions, desires

SurveysFocus groupsPreference interviewsCard sorting

AbilityWhat is understood or accomplished with a tool

Prototypes Usability testingLog AnalysisCustomer feedbackCard sorting

ConceptualHow things get done

InterviewsContextual inquirySurveys

Classes of research

Slide taken from Indi Young’ s Introduction to Task Based Models

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse




Carry out planned activities

Site visits, Formative usability testsPersona creation, Heuristic evaluations

Capture observations/data

Google docsCapturing data on post its

Re-evaluate research plan

Discuss with project team Collaboration games

Remote Usability Testing


What worked Reduce bias in note taking

Variety of observations

Discuss observations together

Discuss facilitation technique

Participation in the study

Testimonials‘They provide a point of reference for discussions…’- James G, Tester

‘We can pick up the language they use to describe things and incorporate it into the product’- Chris M, Developer

‘Listening to customers’ experiences…has exposed me to the technologies that I should familiarise myself …Without UX providing such opportunities to get involved with the initial research this may not have happened until much later in the process’- Chris M, Developer


What didn’t work• Busy calendars- team members unable to attend

• Team sometimes loses faith in the project

• Over enthusiastic and vocal observers

• Post study banter

Recommendations

• Email notes from the session to the team

• Share video/audio recordings

• Give instructions before the session

• Own the role of a facilitator

Personas


What worked• Sharing what we learn as a team

• Getting buy in

• Shared understanding

• More communication less document heavy


What didn’t work• Space

• Falling post-it notes

Recommendations

• Analyse and capture/document data as soon as you can

• Use super sticky post its

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse




No

Categorise & Analyse data

Post up data

Document analysis process

Share findings

Presenting findings with a colleague

There are times when you just need to work alone!


What didn’t work

• Analysing data together with another person


What worked• Work with a colleague but separately

• Discuss your own interpretations of the data

• Don’t be afraid to ask why


Issues with Collaboration


• Dominant team members

• Organization and time management skills

• Facilitation skills/people management

• Familiarity with collaboration techniques

• Enthusiasm

• Company culture

• Immediacy


Summary• The entire user research process can be very collaborative

• Collaboration is active

• Some research phases are more collaboration friendly than others

• Some techniques are more collaboration friendly than others

• There are a couple of pitfalls with collaboration


My top tips #1 Change your mind set and try collaboration

#2 Continually look for opportunities to collaborate

#3 Learn when not to collaborate


Revathi NathanielUsability EngineerRed Gate Software Ltd

Twitter: @revnathanielEmail: [email protected]

References Adaptive software development: a collaborative approach to managing complex systems-

James A Highsmith III

Gov. Uk- User research blog

‘Have you had your recommended dose of research?’- Dipa Shah

https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/

Introduction to Task Based Models- Indi Young

http://www.slideshare.net/indi/a-brief-very-brief-introduction-to-task-based-models




collaborative user research experience report ux cam 2014 r_nathaniel

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