Getting to know your real users: Mastering practical ethnographic research

Photo  via  Flickr  user  Ma2hew  Fern  

@dgcooley

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h2p://www.mediabarnresearch.com/   3  

h2p://www.mediabarnresearch.com/   4  

Photo  courtesy  of  Tom  Tullis  5  

Photo  courtesy  of    Monica  Ferraro  

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h2p://www.mequoda.com/ar@cles/subscrip@on_websites/how-­‐to-­‐conduct-­‐a-­‐usability-­‐lab/   7  

Let’s get real for a moment.

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“I practice guitar while waiting for data to finish crunching.”

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Photo  via  Flickr  user  C.P.Storm  

It’s definitely time to get out of the building.

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Ethnography is researching your end

users and product in the real world.  

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Ethnographic techniques Formal

Contextual Inquiry

Remote Contextual

Inquiry On-site usability testing

And many more!

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When to use it

Photo  via  Flickr  user  Christopher  Sessums  34  

Ethnography vs. other techniques Qualita've   Quan'ta've   Inexpensive   Easy  to  

Implement   Observa'onal   Contextual  

Focus Groups        ?

     

Surveys            Lab Testing            Journaling        ?      

Ethnographic Studies            

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How-to 1.  Plan your study –

What do you want to learn?

2.  Identify representative end users.

3.  GO TO WHERE THEY ARE.

4.  Learn all the things.

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What’s different?

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Artifacts!

Take photos.

Make copies.

Record videos.

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Sample Artifacts: Cheat Sheets

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“cheat sheet” of BETA codes. The FAs “rarely use” BETA and need a reference when dealing with the

home office. (B22)

One FC kept an extensive list of home office personnel he had spoken to about various matters. Each folder includes people’s names, their extension, and

comments about how helpful or unhelpful they were when the FC spoke

with them. (B8)

Sample Artifact: Homemade Checklists

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3 different teams showed us their homemade instructions or checklists for setting up fee-based accounts.

Sample Artifact: Strategic Seating of Clients

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The advisors care about projecting an image of absolute excellence. Clients visiting one office (B25) are seated in a specific location so they can see…

…that, no matter what, the market

goes up.

… the advisor’s many diplomas,

certifications, and honors.

… an organized set of files containing the necessary forms for

various products.

… any hustle and bustle in the office to

convey that we’re busily working on earning people

money.

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YAY!  A  

book!  

Loved  it!  

Practical Challenges •  Scheduling issues •  Productivity concerns from

management •  Site security •  Rules about photos

and videos •  Getting there •  Considerable additional

pre-planning required

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2 things

1.  If you’re only doing lab-based studies, you’re not getting the whole picture.

2.  When you do get out of the building, be very prepared.

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