Research techniques for non-researchersJohn WaterworthFoolproof@jwaterworthUCD 2012, November 2012

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Great designers

http://www.quadrille.co.uk/books/art-and-travel/book/1844007537/the-genius-of-design

Understand their usersDesign beautiful thingsKnow their materialsIterated with users

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Understanding users

Ideas

ProductInsight

New idea

Existing product

New insight

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Design research

Design Product

Vision Concept

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Design research

Testing Product

Discovery People

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Discovery

About peopleReal users

Not just experts or stakeholders

Listening and observingWhat they are trying to do

How they try to do it

Barriers and challenges

The outcome they achieve

The impact that has

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Research cycle

1. Decide what you want to learn2. Find people to talk to3. Prepare your experiment4. Get out of the building5. Collect evidence6. Debrief, share, draw conclusions

Drawn from Lean UX Workshop by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden of Proof Innovation Labs.

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Research cycle

1. Decide what you want to learn2. Find people to talk to3. Prepare your experiment4. Get out of the building5. Collect evidence6. Debrief, share, draw conclusions

Drawn from Lean UX Workshop by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden of Proof Innovation Labs.

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Planning

1. Decide what you want to learn2. Find people to talk to3. Prepare your experiment4. Get out of the building5. Collect evidence

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Execution

1. Decide what you want to learn2. Find people to talk to3. Prepare your experiment4. Get out of the building5. Collect evidence

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Planning

1. Decide what you want to learn2. Find people to talk to3. Prepare your experiment4. Get out of the building5. Collect evidence

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Decide what you want to learn

QuestionsWhat strategies do people use to remember their user names and passwords?

HypothesesUsers prefer to use Facebook or Twitter login than to create a separate user name and password for each service

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Find people to talk to

Representative usersCustomers, prospects, colleagues, partners

Recruit from lists you already have

Look where they congregate

Ask for their helpHelp you to produce a better product

A chance for them to have their say

Can get very political

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Prepare your experiment

TopicsDecompose the questions or hypotheses

Each has its own objective

Help with timing and priority

Provide a sense of flow

ApproachTalking

Observing

Activities

Homework

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Observing

Show meObserving actual use is always better than asking about it

Own product or comparator

Physical material can be useful too

Choosing tasksDecide the tasks in planning

Set tasks based on what they’ve told you

Always give clear scenarios

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Activities

Using your handsArrange words into groups or lists

Place concepts on conceptual targets

Complete a diary of recent events

Draw or annotate diagrams

Great toolsHelp people to remember and articulate

Give you lots to dig into

Avoid complex questions

Have a bit of fun

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Homework

Extra informationKeep a simple diary

Take photos

Bring examples

Great conversation startersGive you lots to ask questions about

Help people to remember

Get people engage quickly

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Discussion guide

Research aidAgenda for the session, not a script

Helps your mental rehearsal

Stakeholders can review

Provides a record

ContentsSection per topic, with objective and time

Fixed text you need to read out

Starter questions for each topic

Further questions as reminders

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Execution

1. Decide what you want to learn2. Find people to talk to3. Prepare your experiment4. Get out of the building5. Collect evidence

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Get out of the building

Go to them (if you can)In their home or office

Coffee shop, high street, festival

Keep it real (if you can’t)Sit on a sofa in front of a TV

Create a shop counter

Set expectationsIt’s an interview, not a meeting, appraisal

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Collect evidence

RecordingSoftware running on the device

Mr Tappy for mobile and tablet

Digital voice recorder, camera, screenshots

Note takingAim for a telegram style

Frustrated by X because Y

Failed to X because Y has no Z

It’s hard – listening, writing, thinking!

Get better with practice

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Giving good interview

Be clearAsk concise questions

Ask questions they can understand

If you need to, give background information then ask the question

Listen … really listenReceive, Appreciate, Summarise, Ask

Shows that you understand what they say

Shows that you value what they say

Helps you to dig deeper

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Giving good interview

Be flexibleDon’t plough on regardless if the interview isn’t working

Follow the participant’s lead in order, timing and approach

Be humanChat about the weather, traffic, etc.

Offer drinks and biscuits

Nod, smile, frown, laugh, commiserate

Be surprised, be concerned, be interested

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Getting them talking

Open, neutral questionsHow do you use … to …?

What do you think about …?

How do these compare …?

Stories and examplesHave you ever …?

Can you tell me about the last time that …?

What did you do when …?

How did you … when …?

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Keeping them talking

Digging inIn what way …?

Can you tell me more about …?

You said … why/how/when/what/who …?

EchoingConfusing?

Helpful?

Bananas?

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Bad questions

ClosedDo you buy groceries online?

How do you buy your groceries?

LeadingDo you buy your groceries from Tesco?

Where do you buy your groceries?

SpeculationWhat would you do if Ocado …?

Has … ever happened? What did you do?

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Emotion

Don’t ask directlyHow did you feel when …?

Do you enjoy …?

Pick up on emotional wordsYou said … was frustrating. In what way?

You said … was amazing. What made it amazing?

Shows that you appreciate the emotional content of what they say, but without leading them

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Take your time

Go at their paceUse your early questions to gauge their thinking and answering times

Don’t make them feel pressured

A little silence is OKDon’t rush to the next question

They may be just about to say something absolutely amazing

The more you talk the less they talk

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Practice

ObjectiveEach of you conduct a 10 minute interview

Steps1. Choose a subject

2. Sketch out a discussion guide

3. Get into groups of three

4. Interview each other

5. Discuss and critique as you go

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Problems

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Bias

Beware of your own assumptions and prejudices, and those of the stakeholders

The wrong topics, tasks or activities will narrow the possible findings and bias the results

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Honesty

They don’t always tell the truthDon't want to appear stupid or negative

Don’t want to cause trouble

May be a subtext you don't know about

Create a safe environmentYou’re there to learn from them

It's not a test or appraisal

Their honest input is what you need to improve the product

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Approach

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Observation

Watch them in contextEncourage them to work as normal

Ask them to explain what they are doing

Prompt for clarification

Take photographs and make notes

Less controlHarder to direct them to areas of interest

High priority work may take them of topic, but carry on observing

Lack of privacy may inhibit response

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Remote

May be your only choiceParticipants are spread around the world

Part of corporate culture

Refine the discussion guide in face-to-face interviews, then adapt and go remote

Harder to manageTakes longer to build up a rapport

Constrains your research approach

Less control over interview environment

Technology problems can ruin sessions

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Groups

Useful optionCollaborative tasks and multiplayer games

Younger children

Compare and contrast experiences

Much harder to leadManage dominant individuals

Hard for them to ‘show me’

Use activities to get response from individuals, then compare and discuss differences and commonalities

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Paperwork

SourceSteve Krug

Rocket Surgery Made Easy

www.sensible.com

FormsConsent form

Introduction script

Receipt of incentive

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Recap

Don'tTalk only to experts and stakeholders

Interrogate people

Ask for requirements and features

Work through a fixed script

Make people feel more nervous

Constrain them to specific answers

Try to wing it

Try to remember what people said

Try to remember what you saw

DoTalk to a range of users

Listen and watch

Ask for stories

Steer the conversation

Help people to relax and enjoy it

Encourage people to talk openly

Create a flexible discussion guide

Take good notes

Collect photos, screenshots and physical materials