More Than Usability

7 User Research Methods to Cover Every Corner.

HI, I’M RAZANUX RESEARCHER & DESIGNER –

@razsadeq

ST YLIGHT

IN THIS TALK

The role of user research in product development

User Research methods and tools to improve products and services

Why Research?

It’s important because you are not your user.

WHY RESEARCH

2.77 Billion internet users

510 Million active websites

USER VALUE

Does this website give me value? Is it easy to use?

Is it pleasant to use?

WHEN SHOULD I RESEARCH

At the beginning? At the end?

w

UX is not a part of the process.. UX is the process.

WHEN SHOULD I RESEARCH

WHEN SHOULD I RESEARCH

PLANNING

Inspire, explore, choose new directions

and opportunities

DEVELOPMENT

Inform and optimise UX in order to reduce

risk and improve usability

ASSESS

Measure product performance against

itself or its competition

TERMINOLOGY

UX DESIGN is the discipline: what we do. Designing a joyful, effective, efficient, services and products.

TERMINOLOGY

USER-CENTRED DESIGN is a process: how we do it. It generally includes research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration as required.

TERMINOLOGY

USER RESEARCH is a set of techniques implemented to understand users needs, desires, and behaviours to create and improve the user experience.

OUR FAVOURITE 7 METHODS OF USER RESEARCH

FIELD STUDY

DESIRABILITY STUDIES

SURVEYS & POLLS

USABILITY STUDIES

REMOTE TESTING

A/B TESTING

RESEARCHING WITHOUT USERS

3 DIMENSIONS

Attitudinal vs. Behavioural

Natural use vs. Scripted use vs. No Use

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

BE WARE OF DATA TYPES

Expectations Reactions Confusion

Comprehension Behavior

Page Views Bounce Rate Time On Site

Yes/No True/False

QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE

BE WARE OF DATA TYPES

QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE

Numbers can tell you what people do

& when they do it

Research will tell you how they do it

& why they do it

Preparation 1: Plan your UX research

Title Background

Goals Research questions

Methodology Participants

Schedule Interview Script

Preparation 2: GET THE MINDSET

Assume a beginner’s mindset Be Proactive Be Curious

Question Everything Don’t judge

Communicate your research

FIELD STUDY

FIELD STUDY (1)

WHAT IS IT?

• It’s going where your users are to understand first-hand how they actually do things.

• It’s a discovery process, it’s learning and not testing.

FIELD STUDY (2)

WHEN TO USE?

• To develop innovative concepts that guide future product development.

• To identify opportunities for enhancing an existing product.

FIELD STUDY (3)

HOW TO USE IT?

• Get representative audience • Brainstorm 3-5 questions • Ask plenty of whys and let them show you how. • Observe what they don’t say, play detective. • Translate the research results into affinity diagrams

and sequence models.

FIELD STUDY (4)

TIPS & TOOLS

• On recruiting users • Try to go as a team of 2~3 • Do not interrupt • do not asked questions that create any bias. • Silence is ok. • Don’t forget to reward.

SURVEYS & POLLS

SURVEYS & POLLS (1)

WHAT IS IT?

• It’s typically a set of questions used to assess a participant’s preferences, attitudes, characteristics and opinions on a given topic.

WHEN TO USE?

• Learning about people’s general preferences in a certain area.

• Gathering feedback on a live product or during a pilot. • Quantifying results from qualitative research activities

such as contextual enquiry or interviews.

SURVEYS & POLLS (2)

HOW TO USE IT?

SURVEYS & POLLS (3)

• Prepare a survey • Send out to users • Sit back, relax, and see the data roll in. • Visualise and communicate

TIPS & TOOLS

• Add a screener test to check who is representative. • Google forms with easy visualisation tools • SurveyMonkey / SurveyGismo • Facebook / Twitter

SURVEYS & POLLS (4)

DESIRABILITY STUDIES

DESIRABILITY STUDIES (1)

WHAT IS IT?

• A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods that allow you to assess users’ attitudes toward the functional and/or visual appeal of the website.

WHEN TO USE?

• You want to test the first impression of a design. • You want to understand what emotions are triggered by

different design options. • You want to measure visual design directions against

specific adjectives to help make a final decision

DESIRABILITY STUDIES (2)

HOW TO USE IT?

• Get users feedback on the different design options. • Ask them to choose what adjectives* they associate

with each design, and ask them why. • For a quantitative result, attach the design options in

a survey to be sent out to a large number of people

DESIRABILITY STUDIES (3)

* Modern. Fun. Accessible. Organized. Stressful. Empowering. Busy. Easy to use. Sexy. Expensive. Confusing. Attractive. Hectic. Trustworthy… etc.

HOW TO USE IT?

• Present results: Venn diagram or if using paired opposites you can present it in a meter

DESIRABILITY STUDIES (3)

TIPS & TOOLS

• Silverback • Camtasia • InvisionApp • Solidifyapp • Verifyapp

DESIRABILITY STUDIES (4)

USABILITY STUDIES

USABILITY STUDIES (1)

WHAT IS IT?

• A technique used for evaluating a product by testing it with representative users.

• It’s about testing the interactions, more than the impression.

WHEN TO USE?

• You have an interactive site or mock up. • You want to measure the efficiency, accuracy, emotional

response and recall. • The numbers are telling you something is wrong. • You have flaws in your website but not sure where to

start.

USABILITY STUDIES (2)

HOW TO USE IT?

• Based on specific scenarios, prepare a set of tasks. • Introduce the tester to the process. • Ask them to think aloud. • Start Recording. • Ask them whys, but avoid bias. • Review the videos with your team.

USABILITY STUDIES (3)

TIPS & TOOLS

• Steve Krug • Silverback / Camtasia • ipevo ziggi hd • whatusersdo questions • Echo. Boomerang. Columbo. • Don’t forget to reward.

USABILITY STUDIES (4)

REMOTE TESTING

REMOTE TESTING (1)

WHAT IS IT?

• Usability testing done remotely with a number of users.

WHEN TO USE?

• In the same circumstances you use for an in-house or in-lab usability test

• It’s hard to recruit • You got little time • You got few equipments • You want a totally fresh perspective

REMOTE TESTING (2)

HOW TO USE IT?

• Set tasks • Select users • Watch the results

REMOTE TESTING (3)

TIPS & TOOLS

• UserTesting.com • trymyui.com • whatusersdo.com • cost: 25-50€ • Drawbacks: you can’t ask why.

REMOTE TESTING (4)

A/B TESTING

A/B TESTING (1)

WHAT IS IT?

• Unleashing two different versions of a design on the world and see which performs the best.

WHEN TO USE?

• When two options are developed, both with obvious benefits, but with different focuses, but you are not sure which will be more effective.

• You have metrics to test against (macro and micro conversions)

A/B TESTING (2)

HOW TO USE IT?

• Develop two options, or add a feature. • Give it to the techies. • Let it run for a sufficient time, depending on how many

people visit your site daily. • Roll out the better version.

A/B TESTING (3)

TIPS & TOOLS

• Know your site, dive into it’s analytics. • Identify the areas to test. • Always go for small variations. One alteration at a

time.

A/B TESTING (4)

RESEARCHING WITHOUT USERS

WHEN TO USE?

• Decision Makers are unconvinced • Difficult access to users • lack of budget • lack of time • corporate policies • bureaucracy

RESEARCHING WITHOUT USERS (1)

HOW TO USE IT?

RESEARCHING WITHOUT USERS (2)

• Play Detective : Get the most out of your team. Talk to

the sales people and customer support.

• Buy existing research : nngroup, delloit, step two

designs internet research, Baymard institute, DHL,

Papers, Publications

HOW TO USE IT?

RESEARCHING WITHOUT USERS (3)

• Web Diving : find forums where your users exist, social

media, visit competitors.

• Follow the trend on market-leading sites are doing.

OUR FAVOURITE 7 METHODS OF USER RESEARCH

FIELD STUDY

DESIRABILITY STUDIES

SURVEYS & POLLS

USABILITY STUDIES

REMOTE TESTING

A/B TESTING

RESEARCHING WITHOUT USERS

BOTTOM LINE

Every design decision that we make is a

hypothesis; a proposal about how companies can

change people's behaviour.

BOTTOM LINE

be agile

design in a modular manner

and pray things will go your way.

THANK YOU!