{"id":9928,"date":"2017-07-10T12:14:34","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T11:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=9928"},"modified":"2020-11-05T11:30:29","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T11:30:29","slug":"intro-ux-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/intro-ux-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Intro to UX Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

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See Part 1 (Introduction to UXD<\/a>), Part 2 (Agile & Lean UX<\/a>) or the full Table of Contents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn design, you\u2019re solving for user needs and business goals. In research, you\u2019re solving for a lack of information.\u201d \u2014 Erika Hall<\/p>\n

UX Research isn\u2019t as scary or intimidating as it may sound at first \u2014 we\u2019re not writing a PhD or discovering a cure for cancer! UX Research is about being inquisitive, asking questions and then following a systematic process to find answers. The stakes are much lower than with \u2018pure scientific research\u2019 and so too the amount of scientific rigour expected.<\/p>\n

Instead of being a scientist, be a detective.<\/p>\n

Detectives need to be thorough, accurate and have evidence to back their claims. They solve their cases not in the lab, but in the field \u2014 talking to people, asking questions, understanding motivations and looking for behavioural clues. In UX you won\u2019t catch a killer but you might design a killer banking app!?<\/p>\n

The process you follow and techniques you use to find your answers depends on what you want to know. Start with your sprint questions.<\/p>\n

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\"Instead of being a scientist, be a detective.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

Define the research problem\u00a0clearly<\/h2>\n

A large problem with UX Research is knowing when to stop. Defining your research problem statement clearly will help with the issue of never feeling finished.<\/p>\n

Try to rewrite your sprint questions using a verb such as describe, evaluate or identify. Avoid using more open-ended worlds like understand or explore. It is much easier to know when you have finished describing something than when you have finished exploring it.<\/p>\n

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\"A large problem with UX Research is knowing when to stop.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

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Selecting the right techniques<\/h2>\n

Now that you know what you want to know, it is time to go and find the answers. Below is a list of common UX research techniques and resources to get you started.<\/p>\n

1. Contextual Enquiry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contextual Enquiry is a structured approach for interviewing and observing users while they use your product (or a stand-in for your product) in the context of their everyday life. Interviewing a user about buying health insurance in a quiet meeting room is very different from watching a user trying to navigate your many pop-ups and terms of service screens while they are at home holding a screaming child. This is by far the most valuable type of UX research because it gives you the best approximation of how real users will encounter and use your product in the real world.<\/p>\n

Interviewing Users \u2013 Rosenfeld Media<\/span>Interviewing is a foundational user research tool that people assume they already possess. <\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

2. User Interviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although not as effective as a contextual enquiry, there is still a place for User Interviews<\/a>. A User Interview is not the same as a focus group and should be conducted one-on-one to avoid more dominant members of a group crowding out everyone else.<\/p>\n

Interviewing Users<\/span>Interviewing is a foundational user research tool that people assume they already possess. <\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Focus Groups in UX Research: Article by Jakob Nielsen<\/span>A paper by Jakob Nielsen about the purpose and methods for using focus groups to understand users and guide the\u2026 <\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

Surveys & Questionnaires<\/strong>
\nWhen you\u2019re not sure where to start, try a survey or questionnaire. They are quick, relatively inexpensive and can give you an idea of where you should target your more in-depth qualitative research. They won\u2019t give you the full picture but can be a fantastic diagnostic tool.<\/p>\n

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\"When you\u2019re not sure where to start, try a survey or questionnaire.\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

7 aspects of successful usability questionnaires<\/span>This week in HCI we\u2019ve been thinking about questionnaires. They can be an important usability tool, although there are\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Better User Research Through Surveys - UX Mastery<\/span>Online surveys are commonly used by marketers, product managers, strategists and others to gather feedback. You've\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative and Qualitative Research<\/span>Qualitative research studies can provide you with details about human behavior, emotion, and personality\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

4. Competitor analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n

When deciding who your competitors are, think broadly. Ask yourself \u2018what user problems does my product solve?\u2019 and \u2018what other products or services also solve that problem?\u2019<\/p>\n

The answers aren\u2019t always obvious.<\/p>\n

If you own a shop that sells milkshakes, the problem you might be solving is (a) \u2018quenching a thirst\u2019, but equally, you might be solving the problem of (b) \u2018where can two friends who don\u2019t drink coffee can go to catch up\u2019.<\/p>\n

In Option A your competitors are coffee shops, service stations, vending machines and any business that sells milky drinks, but in Option B your competitors are gyms, restaurants, parks and all other places two friends might go to have a chat.<\/p>\n

If you were in the business of selling DVDs a decade ago, your competitors weren\u2019t only other DVD rental shops, they were Netflix, pay TV and YouTube. Users weren\u2019t buying DVDs somewhere else?\u2014?they were choosing to consume content differently.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from businesses in other industries that solve similar user problems.<\/p>\n

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\"Ask yourself \u2018what user problems does my product solve?\u2019\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

Competitive Analysis: Understanding the Market Context<\/span>While user-centered design focuses on user needs\/tasks, and information architecture focuses on content, these two\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Competitive Analysis Example - Adventures in UX<\/span>UX, Competitive Analysis<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

5. Ask an Expert and Stakeholder interviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

While getting out into the field is incredibly important, don\u2019t forget many people within a business or organisation have daily interactions with users, and so also have valuable user insights to share.<\/p>\n

The best colleagues to tap on the shoulder are salespeople, customer service, call centre representatives, the technical support team, social media teams and the complaints department.<\/p>\n

A Stakeholder Interview Checklist<\/span>This is an excerpt from from Kim Goodwin's excellent Designing for the Digital Age. It is quite long, so we've broken\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Stakeholder Interview Template\u00a0: UX Apprentice
\nLearn the Basics of UX Design.<\/span>Learn the Basics of UX Design.<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Better Stakeholder Interviews
\nLearn the Basics of UX Design.<\/span>Remember the childhood game of \" Telephone \"? One person whispers a message into the ear of their friend, and that\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

6. Analytics<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you already have a website and you are looking to update or upgrade, then analytics software (like Google Analytics) can be a source of great user insight.<\/p>\n

Beyond Goals: Site Search Analytics from the Bottom Up<\/span>Top-down analytics are great for creating measurable goals you can use to benchmark and evaluate the performance of\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
UX Metrics for Noobs and Skeptics: An Interview With Richard Dalton<\/span>They say, if it moves measure it. I've been finding myself thinking a lot about how to measure UX lately - mainly to\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
How A\/B Testing And Analytics Can Make You A Better Designer - Smashing Magazine<\/span>Metrics can be a touchy subject in design. When I say things like, \"Designers should embrace A\/B testing\" or \"Metrics\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

Document your findings<\/strong>
\nWhat good is all this research if you have no way of sharing it?
\nPersonas and Journey Maps<\/a> are just two of the most popular ways to distil your research. Convert those hundreds of sticky notes, multiple hours and countless user insights into a format that is easily shared, quickly understood and look damn good on the walls of your office.<\/p>\n

Personas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction to User Personas <\/span>From all over the techniques and tools related to design process and User experience, only personas appears as a...<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Personas: The Foundation of a Great User Experience<\/span>This round of research validates the persona characteristics and fills in any gaps from the first round of research...<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Defining And Applying Personas to UX Design<\/span>Personas have long been integrated with UX documentation. They help us create fictional users, representative of our...<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Imperfect Personas<\/span>Personas are great. No seriously, they are the best thing since sliced bread. I can\u2019t think of any...<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n
Getting the most out of personas<\/span>Personas are fictional, archetypal characters that represent the users of a site or product. Personas can be...<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/section>\n

Journey Mapping<\/strong>
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