Collaborative User ResearchREVATHI NATHANIEL, @REVNATHANIEL
USABILITY ENGINEER, RED GATE SOFTWARE LTD.
A confession…
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The lone researcher who observes interesting things and reports them back to the world…
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@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/
@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM Sir Ken Robinson's “Changing Education Paradigms" RSA animated talk
Collaboration is an act of shared creation and/or share discovery (Schrage89, p.4)
@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart, Issue 381
Collaboration is active-it requires active participation with an intent to add value- James A. Highsmith III
Communication is passive- it transfers information, with an intent to inform-James A. Highsmith III
Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart
The entire process of user research can be collaborative
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Collaboration during the phases of research
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Plan
ExecuteAnalyse
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Research Phases• Understand Project requirements• Plan scope of research &• research activities• Create research material
• Carry out planned activities• Capture data• Re-evaluate research plan
• Categorize data• Analyse data• Document analysis process• Share findings
Plan
ExecuteAnalyse
Task Collaboration friendly?
Yes Sometimes/depends
No
Understand Project requirements
Project kick-off meetings
Plan scope of research &research activities Meetings,
Documents on Google Drive
Create research material e.g.: Surveys, interview questionnaires, screeners, etc.
Emails to the teamDocuments on Google DrivePost work on walls,Collaboration games
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Survey
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What worked• Quality of research
• Rigorous process
• Widen scope of research
• Reduce bias
• Sense of ownership
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What didn’t work• Survey Length
• Too wide scope
• Lengthy analysis
Recommendations
• Have a clear and documented research plan
• Don’t be afraid to put your foot down as the researcher
Plan
ExecuteAnalyse
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Research Phases
• Carry out planned activities• Capture data• Re-evaluate research plan
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Data Techniques
PreferencePreferences, opinions, desires
SurveysFocus groupsPreference interviewsCard sorting
AbilityWhat is understood or accomplished with a tool
Prototypes Usability testingLog AnalysisCustomer feedbackCard sorting
ConceptualHow things get done
InterviewsContextual inquirySurveys
Classes of research
Slide taken from Indi Young’ s Introduction to Task Based Models
Plan
ExecuteAnalyse
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Task Collaboration friendly?
Yes Sometimes/depends
Carry out planned activities
Site visits, Formative usability testsPersona creation, Heuristic evaluations
Capture observations/data
Google docsCapturing data on post its
Re-evaluate research plan
Discuss with project team Collaboration games
Remote Usability Testing
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What worked Reduce bias in note taking
Variety of observations
Discuss observations together
Discuss facilitation technique
Participation in the study
Testimonials‘They provide a point of reference for discussions…’- James G, Tester
‘We can pick up the language they use to describe things and incorporate it into the product’- Chris M, Developer
‘Listening to customers’ experiences…has exposed me to the technologies that I should familiarise myself …Without UX providing such opportunities to get involved with the initial research this may not have happened until much later in the process’- Chris M, Developer
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What didn’t work• Busy calendars- team members unable to attend
• Team sometimes loses faith in the project
• Over enthusiastic and vocal observers
• Post study banter
Recommendations
• Email notes from the session to the team
• Share video/audio recordings
• Give instructions before the session
• Own the role of a facilitator
Personas
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What worked• Sharing what we learn as a team
• Getting buy in
• Shared understanding
• More communication less document heavy
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What didn’t work• Space
• Falling post-it notes
Recommendations
• Analyse and capture/document data as soon as you can
• Use super sticky post its
Plan
ExecuteAnalyse
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Task Collaboration friendly?
Yes Sometimes/depends
No
Categorise & Analyse data
Post up data
Document analysis process
Share findings
Presenting findings with a colleague
There are times when you just need to work alone!
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What didn’t work
• Analysing data together with another person
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What worked• Work with a colleague but separately
• Discuss your own interpretations of the data
• Don’t be afraid to ask why
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Issues with Collaboration
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• Dominant team members
• Organization and time management skills
• Facilitation skills/people management
• Familiarity with collaboration techniques
• Enthusiasm
• Company culture
• Immediacy
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Summary• The entire user research process can be very collaborative
• Collaboration is active
• Some research phases are more collaboration friendly than others
• Some techniques are more collaboration friendly than others
• There are a couple of pitfalls with collaboration
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My top tips #1 Change your mind set and try collaboration
#2 Continually look for opportunities to collaborate
#3 Learn when not to collaborate
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Revathi NathanielUsability EngineerRed Gate Software Ltd
Twitter: @revnathanielEmail: [email protected]
References Adaptive software development: a collaborative approach to managing complex systems-
James A Highsmith III
Gov. Uk- User research blog
‘Have you had your recommended dose of research?’- Dipa Shah
https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/
Introduction to Task Based Models- Indi Young
http://www.slideshare.net/indi/a-brief-very-brief-introduction-to-task-based-models
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