Keeping your customers realJon-Eric Steinbomer, Director of Research

Lean Startup Circle - 2013

| © Progress UX LLC2

| © Progress UX LLC

UX Research is not Market Research

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User Experience Research

•What people do

•How people use

•Smaller sample sizes

Market Research

•What people say

•What people will buy

•Larger sample sizes

| © Progress UX LLC4

About Progress

Austin, TexasHome Office and Usability Lab

Bellevue, WashingtonSatellite Office

| © Progress UX LLC

Core UX Research Methods

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Usability Testing

Remote and Lab-Based

Prototype Testing

App (mobile) Research

Eye Tracking

Natural Interface (NUI) Research

Expert Review

Out of Box Testing

User Research

Card Sorting

Tree Testing

Personas

Surveys

Contextual Interview/On-Site Visits

Diary Studies

Listening Lab

Personas

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The over-achiever The follower The Idealist

© Nick Agin

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What are Personas?

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“Personas are not real people. They represent real people throughout the design process. They are hypothetical archetypes of actual users.”

Alan Cooper

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Why Personas?

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• The “average” user does not exist.

• We are not our users.

• Build consensus.

• Foster empathy.

• Support ideation.

• Research study recruiting.

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Endless flavors!

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Characteristics of Ineffective Personas

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• Contain too much “fluff” information.

• Are based on dubious or unknown sources.

• Aspirational - who you wish your customers were.

• Static.

• Are not used.

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Characteristics of effective personas

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• Are based on direct user research.

• Convey only relevant information, i.e. - what people want, what they are, what they do - their story!

• Are iteratively refined and validated.

• Are often referenced in discussions and ideation.

“Roger”“Early Adopter”

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Final thoughts on personas

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“Personas are not real people. They represent real people throughout the design process. They are hypothetical archetypes of actual users.

Although they are imaginary, they are defined with significant rigor and precision.”

Alan Cooper

Remote UX Research

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Remote UX Research - Expanded Reach

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Researchers

ParticipantObservers

Participant

Participant Participant

Participant

Participant

Participant

Participant

Participant

Observers

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Remote benefit - ethnographyParticipants are more comfortable as they speak to us using their own OS, browser, resolution, etc.

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Remote UX Research & Real-time Interaction

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Remote UX Research Best Practices

• Mind the time zones.

• One moderator per session.

• If time allows, start broad, then narrow down to your subject (website, prototype, product).

• Have a backup plan for the screen-share.

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Mobile/Hardware ResearchBack to the lab!

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In-Person and On-Device

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Mobile app/Hardware Research

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http://www.mrtappy.com/

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Out of Box Testing (OOBE)

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Card Sorting

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Card SortingHelps us understand:

• user-derived labels (what do people call things)

• which items belong in existing categories (what goes where)

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Card Sorting with OptimalSort

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Card Sort Results

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Dendrogram visualization

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Tree ValidationHelps us understand how well a given navigation structure works

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Diary Studies

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Diary Studies - Longitudinal UX Helps us gain:

• Iterative feedback collected over time and use.

• Take us beyond initial discovery.

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research.microsoft.com

Recruiting Participants

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Identify who you want to speak with

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• Personas

• Marketing data

• Call center data

• Sales staff

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Cast the net

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Forums

Social media

Ethnio - Live Intercept

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Screen each candidate

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Compensation

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A few best practices

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“everything we perceive is filtered and biased by our version of things.”

“...understand one’s behavior free from the tyranny of one’s own

expectations and biases.”

| © Progress UX LLC

UX Research best practices

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• Keep your ego in check.

• “Users” don’t exist, they are (we are) real people with complex and sometimes messy lives. Dig in to find people’s story.

• Conduct regular product research with real people. Weekly or bi-monthly if possible. Get it on the calendar.

Thank You!

@ProgressUX

je@experienceprogress.comJon-Eric Steinbomer

www.experienceprogress.com