Presentation to the 2015 UX Strategies Summit in San Francisco, California, USA. Covers why ethnography is important and things to keep in mind when conducting this research.
39. Sample Artifacts:
Cheat Sheets
39
“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)
41. Sample Artifact:
Strategic Seating of Clients
41
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.
47. 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.
47
Editor's Notes
The participant room at Mediabarn in Arlington, VA, USA.
Participant room at Mediabarn in Arlington, VA, USA.
Participant room in the recently decommissioned usability lab at Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA, USA.
Participant room in the usability lab at Webcredible, a UX agency in London, UK.
People’s real workspaces don’t look like usability labs.
Ok. *Some* real workspaces kindof look like usability labs.
My own home office, circa 2009.
My home office today.
Others, not so much.
How many of you have feather boas in your labs?
Moreover – what’s *not* in this photo? That’s right. The computer. When I asked people for photos of their “workspace,” this person (an elementary school administrator) didn’t even think to include their computer in the photo – a reflection of just how much their work *isn’t* about its digital components.
The computer is almost entirely out of frame, on the right.
After the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
“This is me and Verena, one of our nurses, with a bonked out diabetic hiker waiting for a litter to arrive.”
“Me, shortly after witnessing the guy at my feet pitch 40’ off a cliff sustaining multiple injuries in a remote wilderness climbing area, trying to coordinate what would eventually become a massive rescue effort culminating in a helicopter hoist.”
“Me, shortly after witnessing the guy at my feet pitch 40’ off a cliff sustaining multiple injuries in a remote wilderness climbing area, trying to coordinate what would eventually become a massive rescue effort culminating in a helicopter hoist.”
And now let’s look at some REAL workspaces.
Don't be afraid to collect a lot of artifacts. (Always with permission, of course.)
Take photos – of the person's workspace, of important environmental factors, of the distance from the desk to the fax machine or printer, etc.
When feasible, record short videos.
Make copies of job aids people have created to help themselves with their work.
Don't be afraid to ask for screen shots or to take actual physical measurements if necessary.
When you’re gathering artifacts, think about how you will use them to tell the story.
Scheduling issues
When people come to you, they've set aside time to spend with you, focused on your shared goals. When you go to them, you sometimes need to work around a lot of other people's schedules as well, particularly if you're spending a whole day working with a series of people.
You also need to account for your own travel time, which usually means fewer participants per day.
Productivity and morale concerns from management
If you're observing in a call center, they don't stop gathering statistics for that day. In that and other situations, management might be overly concerned that your presence will have a negative effect on their metrics for the day.
Since politics are everywhere, there may be some issues with who does/doesn't get to participate, particularly if participant compensation is involved.
Site security issues
Always find out ahead of time what you need to do to enter the site/parking lot, where to park, what to tell any security personnel when you enter the building, and what documentation (driver's license, plate number, etc.) to have ready. If you need to be preregistered, make sure your on-site contact does so.
Follow ALL applicable site safety rules (e.g., hard hats, eye/ear protection, etc.) - sometimes this can make data collection challenging.
Rules about photos & videos
Not surprisingly, companies are careful about protecting their intellectual property from competitors. You may not be allowed to collect the artifacts you'd like to.
Pre-planning
Organization is critical. Have all questionnaires and any other paperwork/artifacts grouped, packaged, and labeled ahead of time.
There are no copy machines in the field!
Get ALL of your paperwork together ahead of time – there will be no chances to make extra copies! I highly recommend a single manila envelope per participant, plus extra copies of all necessary paperwork.