This thing called Customer Reseach

This thing calledCustomer Research

Christopher McCann

Wednesday 23 July 14

“Designing without research is like getting into a taxi and just saying, ‘Drive’”

- Nate Bolt, Design Research Facebook

Why Customer Research?

Wednesday 23 July 14

Why Customer Research?

“Insights about your customers or users were never discovered sitting at your fucking couch”.

- Will Evans Wednesday 23 July 14

Repeat after me…Repeat after me….

“You are not the user”

The tendency to believe that everyone uses technology the same way you do. Andrea Glusman

Malkovich Bias

Wednesday 23 July 14

Insight Graph

Source: Norman, Landauer 2000Will Evans

Insights

People

0

12$

Lots$

People&

Insights&

zero&users&give&zero&insights&

Wednesday 23 July 14

Types of Customer Research

1. Optimization

2. Product Development

3. Strategic Product Direction 1. Strategic Product Direction

'Validate your convictions'

2. Product Development

'Expose user to hypothesis designs'

3. Optimization'Refine the design'

• In-person interviews• Observational Walkthroughs• Diary Studies

• Storyboard Feedback• Prototype Validation• Scenario Testing

• Usability testing - pre release

• Live testing - post release• A/B Testing

Qualitative

Quantiative

Wednesday 23 July 14

How do I do this ?

Identify who you are researching

Develop the ‘Hunt Question’

Map out the your conversation

Prepare

Photo: The Royal Tenebaums

Wednesday 23 July 14

The Hunt Question

I am going to research X, so I can do Y

X is often an activity, Y is usually a project goal or specific area / feature.

Purpose for this piece of research

Source: Design for Interaction: Design Research – D. Saffer Photo: The Talented Mr. Fox

Wednesday 23 July 14

Practical Guidelines

• Prepare well

• Try to interview with 2 persons - one persons facilitates.

• Record entire conversation.

• Interview in their natural environment.

• Document the persons and environment.

Wednesday 23 July 14

Shut up. Listen

Wednesday 23 July 14

Do’s and Don’ts ‘He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks does not know’ – Lau Tzu

• Smile• Provide context to questions• Ask open questions - converse • Avoid asking people opinions on ‘imaginary’ a design.• Watch what people do more then what they say.• Don’t talk about yourself

Wednesday 23 July 14

Analysis

“We tend to project our own rationalizations and beliefs onto the actions and beliefs of

others”- Don Norman

Wednesday 23 July 14

Common Biases

• Confirmation Bias

• Observer-expectancy Effect

• Primacy and Recency Bias

Wednesday 23 July 14

Confirmation Bias

Your tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms your preconceptions or hypotheses.

Don’t test your own designs.

Use a script and stick to it.

Review script to avoid bias questions / language with rest of team.

Wednesday 23 July 14

Observer - Expectancy

When you expect a given result from your research which makes you unconsciously manipulate your experiments to give you that result

Develop research procedure as together as a team

Wednesday 23 July 14

Primacy Recency Bias

The tendency to weigh the first (primacy) or more recent information (recency-your very last interview) more heavily.

Define sample size or participants.

Make a interview plan and stick to it.

Resist urge to stop when results become similar.

Wednesday 23 July 14

Analysis

‘Always pass on what you have learned’- Yoda

Wednesday 23 July 14

Research DebriefNot a conclusion but a springboard for action.

Your research findings must connect with the product design process.

What the team learns from the research must effect change to ...

• The design or system

• The process

• The way the team views the users.

Get the team to discuss what should happen next.

Wednesday 23 July 14