Getting Started with User Research:DIY Quick Course

StirTrek 2011May 6, 2011

Carol SmithMidwest ResearchAkron, Ohio

@carologic

Small,Iterative

Steps

Behaviors, Desires, Needs & Abilities

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Observations

Interviews

7http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Card Sorting

Design for Everyone is

IMPOSSIBLE

Who will use it?

What they need to do?

Same Job Title, May Differ in…

UserExperience

Frequency of Use

Priorities Characteristics

Motivations & Attitude

Expectations

Which Student?Rick Connie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjkbh/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/caharley72/ (Christopher Alison Photography) via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Where do I start?

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Constraints…

Scope for Success

•Plan and Schedule•Research and Discover•Document•Analyze•Understand

Interview Experts

• Who are the users?• How many are there?• Common complaints?• Show stoppers?

• Understand:– Assumptions and stereotypes – Differences between users

Focus On…

• Tasks – frequency, importance, complexity

• Environment of Use – location, abilities and limitations

• Experience Level and Knowledge • Technology – mobile use, connection speed

Define Primary & Secondary Users

• Separate by:– Needs– Goals (Why will they use the product?)– Environment (Where will they use it?)– Context (When will they use it?)– How else do they differ?

Now You Have User Groups

[perhaps very loosely defined]

Observations

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Go to the user

Why Observe?

• Understand user’s environment– Abilities and limitations• Situational (lighting, noise)• Disabilities

• Learn about:– Real process– Interruptions (frequency and type)• Find out more about users

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heygabe/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/Actual Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heygabe/47206241/

Sit Back and Watch

• Arrive when they will be doing related tasks

• Observe for as long as needed:– 1/2 hour each - quick repetitive tasks– >1 hour for longer processes– Stay out of their “space” and don’t interrupt– Take photos and videos

Take Detailed Notes

• Write down questions and context

• Look for patterns and differences:– Style of tasks– Order of operations– Environment

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Artifacts!

Collect, Copy, Photograph

http://www.flickr.com/photos/camknows/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Clarify Observations

• After observation ask about:– Why doing?– Goal?– How typical was this?• Clarify confusing observations

Interviews

Interview to Discover/Confirm…

• Build on what you’ve learned:– Tasks– Attitudes and Opinions– Problems– Goals– Experience level and knowledge – Technology

Styles

• Structured– Question 1– Question 2– Question 3

• Open-ended• Combination

Use Scripts

• Memory tool for facilitator• Don’t have to follow• Promote consistency– Questions– Order of questions

Questions

• Quality of questions correlates to quality of answers:– Open-ended– Unbiased– Don’t lead or make assumptions– Use participant’s words

Stretch & Exercise

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Question 1

• Do you regularly book your travel online to save money?

Alternates – Question 1

• How often do you travel? – <listen>

• What proportion of that do you book online? – <listen>

• Why do you book travel online? – <listen>

Rationale - Question 1

• Do you regularly book your travel online to save money?

• Address one issue at a time and avoid double-barreled questions.

Question 2

• What are your thoughts about a new feature that allows you to instant message a travel agent with any questions as you book your travel?

Alternates – Question 2

• Would you like to correspond with a travel agent while you are booking travel? – <listen>

• What are some ways that you would like to correspond with a travel agent while you are booking travel? – <listen>

Rationale – Question 2

• What are your thoughts about a new feature that allows you to instant message a travel agent with any questions as you book your travel?

• This question asked the participant to predict the future.

Facilitation

• Remain passive (body, face) • Don’t confirm or reject answers• Listen for vocalizations • Watch non-verbal gestures– Encourage participant to elaborate

• Ask your question and let them talk

Silence is

Golden

User’s Time to Think!

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Card Sorting

Card Sorting

• Maximize probability of users finding content• Explore how people are likely to group items• Identify content likely to be:– Difficult to categorize – Difficult to find– Misunderstood

Gaffney, Gerry. (2000) What is Card Sorting? Usability Techniques Series, Information & Design. http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/cardsorting.asphttp://www.flickr.com/photos/richtpt via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Benefits of Card Sorting

• Easy and inexpensive• Use to determine:– Order of information– Relationships between info– Labels for navigation– Verify correct audience

Gaffney, Gerry. (2000) What is Card Sorting? Usability Techniques Series, Information & Design. http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/cardsorting.asp

Open or Closed (Reverse) Sort?

? ? ? Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

• One title/subject on each card• Short for quick reading• Detailed enough to understand• Supplement - short description on back• Use printed stickers (handwriting)

• Practice session first

Card Basics

Preventive Care Guidelines

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Participants

• Representative of users• Minimum of 6 • More participants = more data to analyze

• Allow one hour for 50 items• 30 – 100 cards

Facilitation/Direction

• Shuffle cards• Ask to: – Group items in own way– Talk out loud• Think about:– What expect to be together– When expect to see

Issues

• Card doesn’t fit: make separate group• Not relevant: tell me• More than one place: put in best fit• Items not understood– Correct audience?

• Items without consensus – Re-name item?– Include in more than one category?

Grouping Cards

• Ask to– Describe groups and name them– Describe overall rationale for grouping cards– Show best example from groups– What was difficult? What was easy?– Happy with final outcome?

Analysis

• Codes on cards = faster data analysis• Standardize group names • Look for patterns

• Excel Spreadsheet (Donna Spencer)• Online tools - limited analysis

Online Tools

• Moderated• Un-moderated

Optimal Sort, Optimal Workshop - http://www.optimalworkshop.com/

Demo: https://livedemo.optimalworkshop.com/optimalsort/supermarketdemo

Patterns

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Looking for Patterns

• Identify repetition– Groupings or clusters of users– Overlapping characteristics

• Relevant to design problem• After pattern is found, continuation of study: – Adds cost – Delays reporting– Low probability of many new findings

Focus your effortsuntil…

Get to 80%

80% Sure We Know…

• Primary user’s– tasks– goals

• Prioritize with:– vision (why we are doing this?)– business needs– etc.

• Awareness of what not known (yet).

Are we there yet?

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At Least 80%

Share What You Learn

[Radiate Knowledge*]

*Thoughtworks via @jonrstahl

Goals of Sharing

• Help the team:– understand user’s point of view – prioritize content and solutions– design for user’s needs and behaviors– identify new opportunities– create new solutions

Information Radiators Should

• Represents all research • Facilitate:– communication – decision-making

• Guide decisions about:– Navigation– Features– Design

Actionable Gap Analysis

Suggested Solution

•FAQ on how to make an appointment•Online Request for Appointment online•800 number prominent

Task

•Make appointment•Plan for future appointments•Coordinate appointments

Change Situation

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Persona

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Task Analysis

Example of a Task Analysis by Todd Zaki Warfel from his Agile2010 presentation "Opening the Kimono a look behind the design process."

Mental Model

Doing, Thinking, Feeling

Solutions or content provided by oDesk

Goal or intent with Personas Mapped

Mental Space

Other Methods

• Brainstorming • Competitive Reviews• Focus Groups• Expert (Heuristic) Evaluations• Paper Prototypes and Wireframes• Participatory Design• Surveys• Usability Testing

Do UX Early & Often

• Put it on the User Wall – Information radiators– Artifacts– Research findings– Competitors

Update Radiators Regularly

Recommended Readings

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Contact

Carol J. Smith(773) 218-6568

@carologiccarol@mw-research.com

http://www.mw-research.com

References• Cato, John. User-Centered Web Design. Addison Wesley Longman; 2001. • Gaffney, Gerry. (2000) What is Card Sorting? Usability Techniques Series, Information &

Design. http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/cardsorting.asp• Hackos, JoAnn T., PhD and Redish, Janice C. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design.

Wiley; 1998. • Henry, S.L. and Martinson, M. Evaluating for Accessibility, Usability Testing in Diverse

Situations. Tutorial, 2003 UPA Conference. (Activity)• Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.• Kuniavsky, Mike. Observing the User Experience: a Practitioner's Guide to User Research.

Morgan Kaufmann, 2003.• Mandel, Theo. The Elements of User Interface Design. Wiley; 1997.• Nielsen, Jakob and Robert L. Mack. Usability Inspection Methods. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

1994.• Powell, Thomas A. The Complete Reference: Web Design. Osborne/McGraw-Hill; 2000.• Redish, Janice (Ginny). Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works.• Rubin, Jeffrey and Dana Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and

Conduct Effective Tests. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.