Gain Empathy

Observe

Engage 

Immerse

-> 

Output:

stories about people, actions, and motivations

artifacts - photos, drawings

deep insights revealed

 

Observe:

Contextual Inquiry:

purpose:

observe users performing tasks within the problem space

observe conscious, and unconscious behaviors

observe both digital and physical space

identity improvements for the problem space

 

Pre-interview:

identify a problem space

determine the location 

Decide who we want to research

Schedule interviews

Prepare questions

 

Interview:

introduce myself and outline what they should expect

Ask the participant to show how they would perform the tasks

Let the user complete the task

observe and take notes

After the task completion, ask the tester about the motivator for specific actions

Record the process (notes, audio, video tapes)

Observe both physical and digital behavior

collect notes for analysis through an affinity diagram?

look for consistent themes, insight, and opportunities

 

Create:

differentiate observation, conversation note

take photos of the environment and the users 

 

Diary Studies

Obtain knowledge of user behavior when unable to gain access to observe users

 

pre-study

identity a problem space

determine who we want to research

invite users to participate in the diary study

provide diary and explain the timing behind entries

 

Create:

small pieces of info

derive insights 

validate the hypothesis

 

 

Engage

 

Customer Interviews

1:1 (maybe good to involve a note taker)

 

Pre-Interview

Identity the problem space

Determine who to be researched

recruit participants 

create an interview topic guide

 

During the interview

establish a good relationship with the interviewee by asking off-topic questions

tell them they are not being tested

show great interest in their answers

after building up the good relationship, ask them to tell stories about the related topics

engage in active listening (nodding heads)

If want to know more about sth, use mirroring to affirm the statement and show interest

Take notes on post-it notes

Use what, how, why questions to understand their thoughts and behaviors. 

not using closed problem framework like “so you don’t like sthsth.” but use open framework “so how did that make you feel about sth”

 

what we create

small pieces of info -> insights and validate hypotheses 

 

Customer Surveys

Collecting users’ data （often remotely) on a statistically significant sample 

consists of many questions and structured questions

- Test hypothesis (across significant sample)

- understand user preferences in subjective areas

- to understand the user’s like/dislike about a product/experience 

-understand what features are valued most

-collect customer data

 

Pre-survey

-identity a problem space

-determine who to research

-use online tool/market research company to recruit participants that matches the profile

-identify what the key areas of inquiry will be 

(who, what, why, where, how)

-Determine what data will be useful to collect 

 

Rules for creating a good survey:

1. content is divided into clear sections (single theme for each section)

2. communicate the number of questions in each section

3. questions are in a logical order

4. questions ask are able to be answered

5. use clear language

6. use only one concept per question

7. avoid double negatives in the question and answers 

8. Use the likert scale with same scales on each end (strongly disagree/disagree/neither agree or disagree/agree/strongly agree)

9. use open-ended questions at the end of each section

10. make it clear that users can skip questions

11. pilot the survey to identity any problems with it

 

Create 

rich statistical data  - use as inputs for further research or design decisions

also can be used as artifacts (personas, empathy maps, or customer journey maps)