Qualitative UX Research on a Shoestring Gunter Kalogridis gkalogridis@tribune.comPinxia Ye pye@tribune.comAndre Alforque aalforque@tribune.com

GoalHow to Recruit, screen, and interview high-value customers.Synthesize findings.Produce actionable recommendations.

...with a little money and a lot of enthusiasm.

Will present methodology / cookbook

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

What vs. Why

Quantitative vs. QualitativePage views

Click ThroughPathing

...

BehaviorsRoutinesHabits...

“It's not the customer's job to know what they want.”

- Steve Jobs

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

- Henry Ford

Focus on behaviors and goals.

GoalInterview 5 High Value People

3 - 5 Participants ~ 80% Issues

#1. I don’t know what I’m looking for

#4. Confirm patterns

#5. A bit bored

#3. Find patterns

#2. Better ideas of what to ask

“We look for what we call the point of least astonishment.”

- Jared Spool

Methodology at Zap2it

1. Determine high value customers

2. Find candidates via online survey

3. Short phone screen to select the final five

4. One hour interview

5. Synthesize results

What makes a customer high-value?

What makes a customer high-value?Behaviors!

List 3 - 5 quantifiable attributes that predict passion / interest in your area.

High Value CustomersTV - Hard Core Planner

1. Uses some kind of supporting artifact(s) to plan viewing. For example: spreadsheet, Word document, pen and paper, etc.

2. Watches over 5 hours of TV per day.3. Regularly records two or more programs

simultaneously while watching a third. This could be live or on the DVR.

4. Highly values watching episodic TV programs in order.

SurveyAsk questions that are quantifiable.Don’t ask anything you do not need.Build trust.

SurveyHow Google Forms (Free)SurveyMonkey ($24 for 1,000 responses)

WhereOwn site - incentive to complete survey ($100)Craigslist Help Wanted ($25)

Survey Results

Qualities to look forShould be eager to talk.Should be able to tell a story.Should have the behaviors we are looking for.

Screener ProtocolSetupQuestionsAccept UserReject User

Screener Notes Template

Record ALL Conversations

Before the Interview● Completed notes with survey and screener data● Interview protocol that you have practiced with● Record and screen share

Look for the “Why”.

Synthesis● Team discuss the result immediately.● 3 things they found interesting.● Write notes immediately.● Transcripts (optional but recommended)

Results● Create a list of customer goals surround

your product.● A list of data to achieve these goals.

Costs with ShoestringSurvey: Google Forms (free), incentive $100Participants compensation: $100/personTranscript (optional): $100/person

5 people: $600 - $1,100

Ethnographic: Typical Costs3rd Party Company:Recruit, screen, interview, on-site research$2,000/person

5 people: $10,000

Filter out the noise - find the signal.

Listen in a structured, methodical way.

You will learn some truly amazing things.

Thank YouQ & A

Gunter Kalogridis gkalogridis@tribune.comPinxia Ye pye@tribune.comAndre Alforque aalforque@tribune.com