user experience superpowers: overcoming research obstacles
DESCRIPTION
What if we could overcome the obstacles we meet in user research with superpowers or gadgets? We wanted to spark a conversation about the challenges faced during user research and ways to overcome them. Superpowers and gadgets were used as a way to frame and communicate both the problems and solutions in an intuitively accessible and fun way. Ming Lee and Jan Dittrich ran this workshop at UXcamp Europe 2014. They introduced the concept by showing examples of situations in which they would like to have superpowers or gadgets to overcome an obstacle, as well as what was actually done in real life. The participants then formed small groups to share their experiences and to choose their superpowers and gadgets. Finally, the groups presented their experiences and ideas by drawing and discussing.TRANSCRIPT
User Experience superpowers
Overcoming Research Obstacles
A workshop to share and overcome research obstacles held at UXcamp Europe 2014
Ming LeeUser Researcher and UX Designerwww.amisox.comwww.linkedin.com/in/minglee
Jan DittrichUser Researcher
www.linkedin.com/in/jandittrich
What if we could overcome the obstacles we meet during user research with superpowers or
gadgets?
Workshop objective
To exchange research experience and challenges.
To make the workshop fun, we imagined having superpowers to help us brainstorm and to think out of the box.
Workshop method
In groups of 4 to 5: – Share a user research obstacle– Collaboratively design a gadget or superpower to overcome it– Think of a way to overcome the problem without the superpower
At the end all groups presented their experience, superpowers and gadgets as well as their real world solutions.
Participant does not show up for the usability test / research session
Desired super car: Limousine to collect the participant, to make them feel special and needed.
Real world solution: Telephone participants before the session. Explain that they have been especially chosen for the research and how their participation will contribute to the project.
Participant dominates the group conversation
Desired super gadget: Remote control to adjust volume or mute participants. Select to listen to individual participants.
Real world solution: The researcher can moderate the discussion so that all participants can contribute.
Client is present and influences participants
Desired super car: Popemobile – a sound proof car to prevent the client influencing the session.
Real world solution: Engage the client in conversation in a separate place. Run the sessions in parallel.
Users may feel uncomfortable and be shy
Desired super gadget: Have a Star Trek-like holodeck to create the ideal room that helps the participant feel comfortable.
Real world solution: Create a comfortable informal environment. Start the interview or test with some easy questions or tasks.
Extra information available during an interview
Desired superpower: I shut down my brain when the user talks about something that I do not think is relevant. But the information might be useful for others, I’d like to have a database so that others can reuse what I could not use.
Real world solution: Craft good questions and practice interviewing. If participants give their consent, you could create the database even without superpowers!
Not knowing the research method or how to apply it
Desired super gadget: A magic hat is fed the requirements and returns the method and number of participants needed.
Real world solution: Ask experienced researchers for advice. For quantitative research you can use power calculations – statistic powers, not superpowers. For qualitative, start small, iterate and stop when you are no longer making discoveries.
Having the right participants and enough of them
Desired super gadget: Inflatable “instant” users -- just add air.
Real world solution: Quality recruiting requires that you invest either time or money. If you are working for a company, contact their marketing department – they may have lists of customers.
Credits
Thanks to our workshop participants and to the UXcamp Europe 2014 organisers!
Cover image: vectorolie / FreeDigitalPhotos.netThis presentation, Overcoming User Research Obstacles, by Ming Lee and Jan Dittrich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Exception: cover image has a separate license
A workshop to share and overcome research obstacles held at UXcamp Europe 2014
Ming LeeUser Researcher and UX Designerwww.amisox.comwww.linkedin.com/in/minglee
Jan DittrichUser Researcher
www.linkedin.com/in/jandittrich