Understand people to design great experiences: An introduction to user research

© Ming Lee 2014, amisox.com
Understand people to
design great experiences:
An introduction to user research
Ming Lee
User Researcher and UX Designer

Contents
• Introductions and definitions
• Reasons for doing user research
• Dimensions of user research
• Overview of research methods
• How to work with researchers
• Driving change through user research

Ming Lee - 12 years in User Experience - Research & Design
5 years in IT: Databases and Programming
Studied: Information Technology and Humanities

User research definitions
User research focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and
motivations...it is the process of understanding the impact of design on an
audience. usability.gov
User research comprises multiple methods for gaining insight into user
needs and behaviours from real end users. uxpa-uk.org
User research is the systematic study of the goals, needs and capabilities
of users so as to specify design construction or improvement of tools to
benefit how users work and live. Schumacher, 2010, Handbook of Global User Research
What is missing from these definitions?

Context

Why do user research?

© Ming Lee 2014, amisox.com Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Happier users

© Ming Lee 2014, amisox.com Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Save time and money

The cost to fix keeps growing
• Concept
• Hand drawn design
• Digitised design
• Prototype
• Service that is implemented
• Service that is in pilot
• Service that has been launched

When is user research not required?
A very small scope project and the
development team themselves are the users.
E.g. Software engineer making tools for
themselves to automate build process.

Legal requirements
Sometimes user research is required by law,
e.g. Medical device regulation.

Research Dimensions

Research dimensions
• Academic – product service/development
• Quantitative – qualitative
• Market research – user research
• Local – global
• Project lifecycle

Academic – Product/service development
Objective Output
Academic research Qualify for Master or PhD.
Answer a research question.
Complete research project
goals.
Peer-reviewed paper
following the scientific
method, submitted to
academic journal and/or
conference
User research for
products/services
Information to guide
product/service development.
Reports, presentations,
Answers to specific design
questions, ideas for
improving the
product/service.

Qualitative - Quantitative
Qualitative Quantitative
“Words”, I feel... “Numbers”, On a scale of 1-5...
Generally requires manual
analysis (language processing)
Analysis is easier to automate
(numeric processing)
Generally direct Generally indirect
Example method: Interview Example method: Questionnaire

Market Research - User Research
Market Research User Research
What people say What people do
What people will buy How people use a product/service
Mass demographics Individuals
Broad insight Deep, focused insight
Adapted from: HFI, UX Research and Market Research, 2012

Market Research - User Research: conflicts
• Market research is more widespread
• Limited resources and turf wars
• Trustworthiness of qualitative information
• Respect and understand what each team
brings to the project

Products
people are
interested in
Market Research - User Research: synergies
Market
size
Competition
Market
trends
Pricing
Feedback on
concepts
and designs
Goals and
needs
Social
context
Information
context
Device
context and
capabilities
Personal
knowledge,
capabilities and
preferences
Location and
physical context
Actual
behaviour

汉语
español
English
suomi
Local - Global
Much more than this!

Project lifecycle
Image: designcouncil.org.uk

User research method landscape
Chart: Nielsen Norman Group

Expert / Heuristic evaluation

Expert / Heuristic evaluation
• One or more UX experts
• Checklists
• Can be scenario based
• Quick
• Location independent
Checklist: userfocus.co.uk

Summary of results
Raw score # Questions # Answers Score
Home Page -1 20 19 47%
Task Orientation -9 44 16 22%
Navigation & IA 0 29 0
Forms & Data Entry 0 23 0
Trust & Credibility -1 13 9 44%
Writing & Content Quality 0 23 0
Page Layout & Visual Design 0 38 0
Search 0 20 0
Help, Feedback & Error Tolerance 0 37 0
Overall score 247 44 38%
Checklist: userfocus.co.uk

Usability testing

Usability testing
• Recruit and schedule representative users
• Lab/artificial environment vs. on-site
• Option of remote usability testing
Image: Danny Hope

Exploratory / contextual inquiry
research

Why
• To discover ways to improve or add to
existing services
• To discover completely new services
• To understand how your service will be used
 input for design and development

What you can learn
• Personas
• Communication flows
• Workflows – sequence of steps
• Physical layouts
• Findings – built from the bottom-up

Steps
• Plan and design study
• Field work – researchers visit users –
apprentice/master relationship
– Observe
– Interview
• Analyse results – with the rest of the team
• Share findings

Communication flow
Two projectors
Affinity diagram
Physical models
Artifacts

Affinity Diagram

Communication Flow

Concept testing - AXE Anticipatory
eXperience Evaluation

Why?
Evaluate concepts and prototypes very early in
the development process
 Lower development costs

Steps
• Plan and design study
• User visit
– Concept briefing
– Concept evaluation
• Analyse results – step-by-step process using
a spreadsheet
• Share findings

Concept briefing
• Description and narrative
• Optionally: illustrations, paper prototypes

Concept evaluation
Unlabeled image pairs stimulate thoughts and
conversation

AXE – Further information
http://www.allaboutux.org/axe-anticipated-
experience-evaluation
A user guide will be published soon.

Working with researchers

How to work with researchers
Initial brief
• Project objectives, roadmaps, business objectives,
risks, success factors
• Stakeholders
• Project timelines
• Who are the end-users, locations – primary and
secondary
• Previous research / what do you already know
• What do you need to find out
• What will you do with the research results?

The best research plans are built up through
discussion and collaboration  look for this in
your research partner.
A good researcher will ask you questions to
understand what you need before preparing the
research plan

• Focus, focus, focus
• Learn about research or work with an
experienced researcher
• Integrate research with the rest of the
development process

Driving change
We want better products/services, not rotting
reports.
• Close collaboration between the researcher
and design team
• Involve stakeholders in the research, e.g.
managers and programmers observing users
first hand.
• Present findings in a constructive way
– How to Deliver a Report Without Getting
Lynched, Nielsen Norman Group

Understand people to
design great experiences:
An introduction to user research
Ming Lee
User Researcher and UX Designer
www.amisox.com
www.linkedin.com/in/minglee

Understand people to design great experiences: An introduction to user research

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