User Research - the good, the ok, and the 'Meh', or How to Stop Wasting your Users' Time
User Research - the good, the ok, and the 'Meh', or How to Stop Wasting your Users' Time
by Nicholas Tuck
1. You have a finite # of customers/users
1.1. make the most of their time
1.2. polite / considerate
1.3. honest feedback doesn't come from an annoyed user
1.4. silent phone / turn watch off
1.5. be on time
1.6. when a question is asked that you can't answer, write it down and answer later
2. Presenter
2.1. Jeanne Petty
2.2. Union Pacific
3. Why do it
3.1. Reduce risk
3.1.1. uncover unmet needs
3.1.2. earlier in the process
4. Have a Purpose
4.1. don't do user research for the sake of user research
4.2. have a good elevator pitch for the user to explain why their time is valued and how we will make use of the results
5. Be a chameleon
5.1. match the tone of the user
5.1.1. empathetic interviewing
5.2. if overly formal will alienate them, make it more laid back
5.3. realize how your presence changes their behavior
5.3.1. find ways to get them to feel comfortable
5.4. Often, participants want to just chat
5.4.1. let them get it out, but refocus them back
6. Ask Dumb Questions
6.1. Don't be embarrassed
6.2. If you seem like you know so much, participants will skip over really useful and valid information because they assume you know it
6.3. But not too dumb
6.3.1. learn some lingo, acronyms
6.3.2. to the point where you aren't frustrating
7. Don't Defend the System
7.1. Software Stockholm syndrome
7.2. Goal is to learn.
7.3. Let them struggle and see what happens
7.4. At the end maybe show tips
7.4.1. maybe later email them tips, which takes away from this authoritative solution's relationship, it's just "I found this"
8. Don't Punish User's
8.1. User anonymity
8.1.1. take names out of it so they don't get in trouble
8.1.2. also encourages honest interactions
8.2. User's are not designers - but listen to them anyways
8.2.1. If designing is happening
8.2.1.1. ask "why"
8.2.1.2. understand the why behind all of these suggestions
9. Cultural Relativism
9.1. Viewing or judging societies by it's own rules, not by your rules
10. Research Techniques
10.1. Contextual Inquiry
10.1.1. "What what users do, not what they say"
10.1.1.1. Jakob Neilsen
10.1.2. "The complexity of work is overwhelming, so people oversimplify"
10.1.2.1. Beyer and Holtzblatt
10.1.3. In CONTEXT
10.1.3.1. not in a conference room, or with a group of people
10.1.3.2. explain again why in context, and ask to be able to observe them really working
10.1.4. 2 People
10.1.4.1. 1 to take notes
10.1.4.1.1. really silent, don't cause back and forth
10.1.4.2. 1 running with things
10.1.5. Probing Questions
10.1.5.1. But don't completely distract
10.1.6. Gets the most out of the time you spend with users
10.1.7. Involves a lot of analysis
10.1.7.1. Every 1 hour spent with a user
10.1.7.1.1. expect to spend about 2-3 hours on analysis
10.1.8. Artifacts
10.1.8.1. Things that people create, modify, or use in order to help get their work done
10.1.8.2. Examples:
10.1.8.2.1. a post-it with TLA's used
10.1.8.2.2. Printout of a form with notes added
10.1.8.2.3. find out: why is this artifact important? What's it used for?
10.1.9. Analysis
10.1.9.1. Affinity Diagrams
10.1.9.1.1. Re-write notes onto post-its
10.1.9.1.2. Categorize
10.1.9.1.3. Feature Parking Lot
10.1.9.2. Flow Model
10.1.9.2.1. What systems and people does this user depend on, assist, and work wtih
10.1.9.2.2. Where does collaboration adn coordination happen?
10.1.9.2.3. What responsibilities do they have?
10.1.9.2.4. Locations where things happen, artifacts and systems
10.1.9.2.5. Direction of information movement
10.1.9.3. Sequence Model
10.1.9.3.1. Triggers
10.1.9.3.2. Intents
10.1.9.3.3. Hesitations and Errors
10.1.9.3.4. Sequence of Steps
10.1.9.3.5. Tips
10.2. User Interviews
10.2.1. Retrospectively
10.2.2. Best done in person
10.2.2.1. body language, facial expressions
10.2.3. Use open ended questions
10.2.4. Avoid leading questions
10.2.5. Don't Ask
10.2.5.1. Would you use X
10.2.5.1.1. instead
10.2.5.2. they will always say yes
10.3. Surveys
10.3.1. Great for reaching a lot of users
10.3.2. cheap and easy
10.3.3. best used in conjunction with other approaches
10.3.4. leads to unreliable data if not designed by an expert
10.4. Focus Groups
10.4.1. Just, no
10.4.2. often misused
10.4.3. not a replacement for usability testing
10.4.4. encourages groupthink