Getting the most out of getting out of the

buildingBetter Customer Interviewing

Todd Warren1-15-2013

3 kinds of user research

Generative

Techniques:• Contextual Design/Open Ended

Interviews• Segmentation Studies• Competitor study• “Net”-nographyBest:• To generate designs• Find Latent needs• Define segments/personas

Evolutionary

Techniques:• Paper Prototypes• Scenario “spike”• Observed usability testing

Best:• To validate solution• Test Terminology and Flow• Test wording and emphasis of

value prop

Quantitative

Techniques:• A/B Tests• Cohort Analysis• Behavioral Metrics• Heat MappingBest:• Test discrete design difference• Optimize Flow

Based on Janice Fraser Lean UX model, see: http://www.slideshare.net/clevergirl/ux-lean-startups-for-entrepreneurs-kellogg-edition

Contextual Design Interviews

• Watch users doing stuff versus answering questions.• Ground in the “Focus of Work” not the abstract of needs

• Go to where they work

• Underlying premise: users are bad at describing where they work around the system; but do it intuitively anyway• “Master/Apprentice” model—learn what it is they do, see what it is they do.• One person, less intimidating; allows teams to make progress faster

Basic approach of a CI Interview

• Define focus of the interview• Determine the subject (person)• Visit during a time that is in the context of related work• Watch them do the work; ask questions about what they are doing.• Gather “Artifacts”• Sketch their physical environment

Contextual Design Interview

• During the interview:• Take notes• Observes and ask questions• Record if possible• Take pictures if possible

• Preamble:• “we are watching people use facebook, and we’d like to watch you work with

facebook for 45min-hour as part of a class to develop a product concept”

Interview Demo

Debriefing the Interview

• Interviewers express the narrative of what they have seen.• Recorders catch “factoids”• Recorders attempt to extract “flow” and “sequence”• Think about cultural context

Interview de-brief

• Involve at least 1-2 others from the team• Do as soon as possible after the

interview• Have an individual who focuses on

recording facts/sequences/work models who didn’t attend the interview• Record facts even if they seem

irrelevant• Watch for rat-holes, detailed design

discussion

Eventually, consolidate into cross user models

Work Models: Affinity Diagram

• “Factoids” useful bits of information from the interview

• “Design Ideas” potential features or areas of investigation for further study

• Consolidate “bottoms up” based on how things fit together

• Each interview can generate 50-ish factoids/DI’s

• Use post-it notes (great for 3m!)• Can use electronic method: Microsoft’s

“StickySorter”, linoit.com• “Cut and paste” from interview works

well

Affinity Example

Affinity Model –Enthusiast apps

• Likely to use app before/after activity (not during)• Outdoor enthusiasts are looking for feature rich phones• People want to be able to conveniently and easily share media• Want to share with the right community -> Unobtrusive seamless sharing• Enthusiasts want to know where they’ve been/started and where friends

are• Want to be safe and know surroundings• Need accurate real time and future weather info• Need multiple modes of connectivity to avoid coverage-dependent

situations

Assignment: 6 debriefed interviews

• Use the interview debrief template in google docs• One sheet per team• One tab per interview subject

Next Week

• New Presentation template• Canvas• Solution Resume

• Contextual Interviews• 6 per team minimum• Record via spreadsheet and an entry in Launchpadcentral

• Canvas Update Launchpadcentral• Landing Page• Connect with Faculty Advisor and AB Mentor