USER RESEARCH METHODS

Explore

Field Prep

Interviews, Conversations and Explorations.

Without first talking to your users, you risk the expensive mistake of creating something they don't want or need. Data and analytics can only tell you the "what". But observation and conversation allow you dig deep and understand the "why" behind a user’s needs and desires.

Engaging with Users, interviewing them, conversing with them and getting them hooked on to your idea can be daunting. Use the following approaches to build confidence in unlocking user insights.

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User Interview Conducting useful user interviews.⁠

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Engage & Observe Moving beyond what user's say to acquire deeper wisdom.⁠

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👥 Form a team

No more than three research members should attend any single interview or engagement activity so as to avoid overwhelming the participant or crowd the location.

Establish Team Roles before the activity. One person takes the role of asking questions or engaging, second person takes notes, steps in with additional probing questions when needed, adds notes on participant’s physical manifestation and sometime a third person could be a photographer to record the session.

Seek permission and brief the participant about the process, in advance.

🔗 Align Team Perspectives

Different people see things thorough different frames which leads them to different questions they seek to answer by looking for data. There are things that some people know that others will not based on having framed the challenge differently and sought out data to make more sense of that frame.

Use the I Wish I Knew (IWIK) / Because Then (BT), Approach

The IWIK/BT statement helps a team understand the different frames team members have and the type of data that:

Individuals are seeking / have sought to inform their frame

The team should seek to move forward

How?

Have each member of your team share their biggest “I Wish I Knew ____/ Because Then____)

This helps others on the team to understand both the frame others used and what data they are seeking to validate that frame.

Once everyone has had an opportunity to share, discuss the common themes that emerged from how people framed the challenge and what types and sources of data they were seeking.

💯 Field Implementation Tips

🦻 Active Listening

Pay close attention to what the user is sharing, be curious about them and their viewpoint.

🙏 Respect the User

They are experts of their own lives, respect that. Don’t talk over them or finish their sentences. Ask permission to take pictures or audio record the conversation.

🙅 Defer Judgement

Respect the world view of your user, don’t try to correct their perspective, needs and aspirations.

👁️ Observe

Have your team members focus on observing the user during the engagement. Where do they look, their body postures, how do they reply. Use engagement methods like “Show and Tell” to elicit insights into their emotions.

📤 Keep Biases Aside

Experience the world through their eyes and set aside your view of their world. Frame and rephrase what they say and note down everything.

🎤 Ask Open ended probing questions

Probe with “Why” and Prompt with “What if” scenarios, avoid asking yes/No questions.

😷 Silence is Good

Awkward silence reveals a lot, it allows the user to reflect on their own responses and many a time leads to a more honest reply. Do not fill silence with your voice and words.

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👥 Form a team

🔗 Align Team Perspectives

💯 Field Implementation Tips

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