Transcript
FieldResearchattheSpeedofBusiness:What,Why,andSomeHow
PaulShermanFebruary18,2015
UserResearch
Whatit is
Whydo it
Howto do it (intro)
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UserResearch
The method goes by many names…
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MyTerm
I use the term “customer observation” or “user observation” research.
It keeps the focus on two things:
The customer
Observing them in the real world
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UseTheTermThatWorksForYourOrganization!
At a former company, we referred to it by two acronyms…
FMO FMH
Any guesses?
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WhateverWorks
“Follow Me to the Office”
“Follow Me Home”
Part of the UX practitioner’s job is to align the team and build user-centered research and design activities into the product development life cycle.
Use words that resonate with your stakeholders.
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UX
WhateverYouCallIt…
Customer observation is a method of understanding your target users’ goals, workflows and context.
It reveals how they work (or play), why they do what they do, and how your solution fits – or might fit - into their current patterns of behavior.
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UX
WhyObserveUsersInContext?
Because Content Context Is King
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ContextIsKing
Imagine you’re talking to some target users.
Where will you learn more about how they work?
Here? Or Here?
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WhyObserveUsersInContext?
Because Behavior Doesn’t Lie
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WhyObserveUsersInContext?
People (usually) don’t mean to lie.
But people are bad at recounting the details of things they are expert at and do every day.
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WhyObserveUsersInContext?
Bonus…
When you watch people in context, you can ask follow-up questions about things that never would’ve occurred to you in a lab or meeting room.
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CurrentSolutionOrNewOne?
Most observation projects are run either to watch how people use an existing product or service…
Or to identify how people currently perform an action…and assess whether there’s an opportunity to provide a new product or service.
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TypicalObjections
The project manager: “It takes too long.”
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The founder: “We don’t need to talk to customers, I know what they need.”
The marketer: “My team can run a focus group.”
CounteringTypicalObjections
“It takes too long.”
Quality user research can be done in as little as two or three calendar weeks. Think of it as “sprint zero.”
“I know what customers need.”
There are other users besides you. Do you really want to build a product without ensuring that you’re meeting your target users’ needs?
“We can just run a focus group.”
Observing the target customers in context will reveal rich details about workflow and motivation that focus groups can’t uncover.
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WantToSeeAnExample?
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Here’sAnother
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What are the chances I would’ve learned as much if I
just brought those people into a lab?
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HowToDoCustomerObservations
Philosophical considerations
Practical considerations
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PhilosophicalConsiderations
Open your mind
Own your ignorance
Ask open-ended questions
Ask questions because you want to know the answer, not because you want to show how much you know.
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PracticalConsiderations
Above all…decide what you want to investigate.
It’s OK if you just want to go out and look for problems to solve.
But be explicit that that’s your goal.
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AnExampleGoalStatement
During discussions with [client], we identified the following goals and constraints for this effort:
Goals• Study and document current users’ workflows, and establish where [product] impedes
workflow efficiency.• Uncover users’ wants and needs for increased workflow efficiency and data presentation.• Redesign [product]’s existing workflows where necessary, as well as design new workflows
and features to better meet user needs and counter competitive threats.
Constraints• Do not “disconnect” from the installed base. The redesigned workflow, views, and
normalized terminology must not put any training burden on the current user base or cause more than mild and transient disruption to current customers’ efficiency levels.
• Wherever possible, preserve the existing shortcuts and accelerators. Some users of [product] use the application often, and have developed ingrained habits of use for certain common workflows. The redesigned application will to the greatest extent possible preserve the users’ means of interaction and workflow habits.
• The application UI will be browser-based, OS-independent, and usable on a tablet form factor. The application will be entirely browser-based. It should be designed to work on the latest versions of the top 4 common browsers (IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari). In addition, it should be usable at a typical (logical) tablet resolution of 1024x768.
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MakeAProjectPlan
You won’t regret it if you do. You will regret it if you don’t.
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WhatTypeOfDataDoYouWant?
Structured observations
Record behavior with a coding scheme.
“Participant entered transactions 7 times during her shift. Each took two
minutes.”
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Unstructured observations
Just watch what’s going on.
Ask follow-up questions in the moment.
Looser, more conversational.
RecruitingUsers
Get access to real users, not the users’ bosses.
Seriously. They have to be real target users.
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StartingYourObservations
You’re not going to feel prepared.
That’s OK. Just go with the flow.
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CollectingYourData
Use a format that works for you!
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SummarizeDaily
Daily reports are your friend.
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SummarizeDaily
Daily reports are your friend.
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SummarizeDaily
Daily reports are your friend.
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AnalysisandReporting
Affinity diagramming is useful to identify commonalities and trends.
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AnalysisandReporting
Reporting is really up to you. Research some reports!
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Caveats
Adjust for agile: user research is often “sprint zero” work. But it can also occur mid-cycle.
You can do it quickly, but don’t expect to shoehorn it into a single dev sprint. (Maybe two though!)
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PaulShermanpaul@shermanux.com
+1.512.917.1942
QUESTIONSANDCONTACTINFO
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