Collaborative user research experience report ux cam 2014 r_nathaniel

Collaborative User ResearchREVATHI NATHANIEL, @REVNATHANIEL

USABILITY ENGINEER, RED GATE SOFTWARE LTD.

A confession…

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The lone researcher who observes interesting things and reports them back to the world…

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@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/

@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM Sir Ken Robinson's “Changing Education Paradigms" RSA animated talk

Collaboration is an act of shared creation and/or share discovery (Schrage89, p.4)

@REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart, Issue 381

Collaboration is active-it requires active participation with an intent to add value- James A. Highsmith III

Communication is passive- it transfers information, with an intent to inform-James A. Highsmith III

Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart

The entire process of user research can be collaborative

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Collaboration during the phases of research

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Plan

ExecuteAnalyse

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Research Phases• Understand Project requirements• Plan scope of research &• research activities• Create research material

• Carry out planned activities• Capture data• Re-evaluate research plan

• Categorize data• Analyse data• Document analysis process• Share findings

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse

Task Collaboration friendly?

Yes Sometimes/depends

No

Understand Project requirements

Project kick-off meetings

Plan scope of research &research activities Meetings,

Documents on Google Drive

Create research material e.g.: Surveys, interview questionnaires, screeners, etc.

Emails to the teamDocuments on Google DrivePost work on walls,Collaboration games

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Survey

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What worked• Quality of research

• Rigorous process

• Widen scope of research

• Reduce bias

• Sense of ownership

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What didn’t work• Survey Length

• Too wide scope

• Lengthy analysis

Recommendations

• Have a clear and documented research plan

• Don’t be afraid to put your foot down as the researcher

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse

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Research Phases

• Carry out planned activities• Capture data• Re-evaluate research plan

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Data Techniques

PreferencePreferences, opinions, desires

SurveysFocus groupsPreference interviewsCard sorting

AbilityWhat is understood or accomplished with a tool

Prototypes Usability testingLog AnalysisCustomer feedbackCard sorting

ConceptualHow things get done

InterviewsContextual inquirySurveys

Classes of research

Slide taken from Indi Young’ s Introduction to Task Based Models

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse

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Task Collaboration friendly?

Yes Sometimes/depends

Carry out planned activities

Site visits, Formative usability testsPersona creation, Heuristic evaluations

Capture observations/data

Google docsCapturing data on post its

Re-evaluate research plan

Discuss with project team Collaboration games

Remote Usability Testing

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What worked Reduce bias in note taking

Variety of observations

Discuss observations together

Discuss facilitation technique

Participation in the study

Testimonials‘They provide a point of reference for discussions…’- James G, Tester

‘We can pick up the language they use to describe things and incorporate it into the product’- Chris M, Developer

‘Listening to customers’ experiences…has exposed me to the technologies that I should familiarise myself …Without UX providing such opportunities to get involved with the initial research this may not have happened until much later in the process’- Chris M, Developer

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What didn’t work• Busy calendars- team members unable to attend

• Team sometimes loses faith in the project

• Over enthusiastic and vocal observers

• Post study banter

Recommendations

• Email notes from the session to the team

• Share video/audio recordings

• Give instructions before the session

• Own the role of a facilitator

Personas

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What worked• Sharing what we learn as a team

• Getting buy in

• Shared understanding

• More communication less document heavy

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What didn’t work• Space

• Falling post-it notes

Recommendations

• Analyse and capture/document data as soon as you can

• Use super sticky post its

Plan

ExecuteAnalyse

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Task Collaboration friendly?

Yes Sometimes/depends

No

Categorise & Analyse data

Post up data

Document analysis process

Share findings

Presenting findings with a colleague

There are times when you just need to work alone!

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What didn’t work

• Analysing data together with another person

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What worked• Work with a colleague but separately

• Discuss your own interpretations of the data

• Don’t be afraid to ask why

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Issues with Collaboration

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• Dominant team members

• Organization and time management skills

• Facilitation skills/people management

• Familiarity with collaboration techniques

• Enthusiasm

• Company culture

• Immediacy

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Summary• The entire user research process can be very collaborative

• Collaboration is active

• Some research phases are more collaboration friendly than others

• Some techniques are more collaboration friendly than others

• There are a couple of pitfalls with collaboration

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My top tips #1 Change your mind set and try collaboration

#2 Continually look for opportunities to collaborate

#3 Learn when not to collaborate

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Revathi NathanielUsability EngineerRed Gate Software Ltd

Twitter: @revnathanielEmail: revathinathaniel@red-gate.com

References Adaptive software development: a collaborative approach to managing complex systems-

James A Highsmith III

Gov. Uk- User research blog

‘Have you had your recommended dose of research?’- Dipa Shah

https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/

Introduction to Task Based Models- Indi Young

http://www.slideshare.net/indi/a-brief-very-brief-introduction-to-task-based-models