Introduction

 User research is often the first step of a UX design process. You cannot start
designing a product or service before understanding what the users want.
 Once you know the best practices in user research, it will help you gain first-
hand knowledge of your users to design an optimal product— the one that
sells better than your competitors’. So, here we go!

User Research Techniques

We do not recommend conducting user research without users. However, owing to
budget and timescale constraints, it is quite common for service organizations to
perform user research without involving users. The following techniques are
adopted:
#With Users
 Requirements Capture Workshops
 Contextual Interview
 Usability Testing
#Without Users
 Stakeholder Interview
 First-click Testing
 Benchmarking
 Expert Review
Requirements Capture Workshops

Requirements gathering is an important step before commencing with the design.

Prioritizing needs and wants is key here. The following steps are involved:

1. Gather data from users: Do not restrict your definition of users to the
actual users of your product. Instead, widen the scope to include a sample
that represents each stakeholder.

2. Analyze data to understand user needs: Use statistical techniques to

optimize your data into manageable chunks. This will make it easier to
analyze and derive insights.

3. Convert user needs into requirements: Once you complete the steps
mentioned, it is pretty straightforward to elicit requirements from the
hierarchical task analysis. You can then make a list of functional and non-
functional requirements.

Contextual Interview

In a contextual interview, you observe and listen as the user works. You don't
usually offer the tasks or scenarios.
Contextual interviews combine observations with interviews. By involving the
user, you understand the user's environment and the actual technology the user
works with. As opposed to usability testing, you watch people’s behavior in their
environment doing their own tasks.

Usability Testing

Usability testing comes in many forms - casual coffee-shop studies, formal lab
testing, remote online task-based studies and more. Irrespective of how you carry
out your testing, you’ll need to go through these five phases:
 

Prepare the Design or Product to Test

 Prepare your product or design to test

 Find your participants
 Write a test plan
 Take on the role of moderator
 Present your findings
 Prepare a set of goals for your study.
 Be specific. You will use these goals to frame study tasks.
  You will need to figure a way to illustrate your designs for the study. For
initial design ideas, you can use a paper 'prototype' from pencil sketches or
design it through software such as PowerPoint.

Find your Participants

 Identify potential users for your product and find how you can reach them.
 Test with relevant users, make improvements, test again and make further
improvements.
 Appreciate the participants' time by offering incentives either in the form of
cash or gift cards. The going rate may vary in different parts of the world.

Write a Test Plan

 A test plan will enable smoother communication with stakeholders and

design team members who may want input into the usability test and, of
course, keep yourself on track during the actual study days.
 This is a place for you to keep a record of all the details of the study.
Take on the Role of Moderator

 As a moderator, make sure the sessions go well and the team gets the
information they need to enhance their designs.
 Participants should be made comfortable while they proceed through the
tasks. You must look forward to minimizing or managing any technical
difficulties and observer issues. Always stay neutral.

Present your Findings

 Jot down themes you notice, especially if they’re related to the study’s
goals.
 It's a good idea to talk to observers after each session to get a sense of their
main learnings.
 Once the sessions are over, look for more answers to the study’s stated
goals, and count how many participants acted differently or made certain
types of comments.
 Determine the best way to communicate this information to help
stakeholders.
Stakeholders Interview

 A stakeholder is anyone with an interest in the project's output. They can be

anyone from customers, bosses, subordinates to peers both within and
outside the organization. The conversations are conducted with any of the
mentioned stakeholders.
 These interviews allow you to step into the shoes of your interviewees and
understand their perspective.
 A useful way to get the business’ input into your project is through a UX
Stakeholder interview.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking studies measure your baseline. It also helps to track how the design
and functional changes impact the user experience. Two main ways to benchmark -
Stand-alone benchmarking and Competitive Analysis.

 Stand-alone benchmarking: Also known as Usability benchmarking, it

helps to establish the starting point to track how the user experience is
impacted by your design iterations.

 Competitive analysis: It helps generate ideas. Assessing multiple websites

gives you insights on what works and what doesn’t, to make sound design
decisions.
Expert Review

An expert review is where usability experts use their knowledge and experience to
walk through a product in the shoes of a typical user. Experts will spot problems
and recommend changes to improve usability. We prefer expert reviews when
budgets and timescales don’t allow for user research.
 

Global and Cross-Cultural Research Techniques

 

Cross-cultural research techniques have been gaining prominence. Offering a

product translated in 10 to 20 different languages is no longer sufficient. Users also
want a product that acknowledges their unique cultural characteristics and business
practices.
 

Power Distance (PDI)

According to Geert Hofstede, Power Distance Index (PDI) measures the extent to
which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family)
accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. It suggests the degree of
society’s level of inequality endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders.

 People who come from societies with a small power distance do not prefer
to be controlled. Communication with this group can be kept informal,
direct, and in a participative way to gain their trust and to engage them.
Meet your website visitors on eye-level, respect them, and take an interest in
their needs.

 People from societies with a big power distance are used to authorities and
solid structures. People consider you as an expert and trust you as an
 authority figure. Ensure you provide facts and clear statements upfront and
don’t load your visitors with a lot of responsibility. People who visit your
website from this group are slightly less critical and less driven to search for
detailed information to make up their mind.

Individualism versus Collectivism

 People from societies with a high score on individualism are those who
take the initiative to act on their needs and desires and make their own
decisions. They visit your site out of interest, to realize their own goals and
make their own decisions. You need to focus on these individual
requirements to convert them into loyal customers.

 On the other hand, people who belong to a collectivist culture consider the

interest of the group first, rather than their own interest. Consider this on
your web portal and offer enough reference points, such as testimonials,
'popular' categories, or social media sharing options to gather feedback from
peers.

Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)

o People from societies with a high Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI),

prefer deductive rather than inductive approaches. They think over,
make decisions and take actions based on a systematic evaluation of
all available and relevant aspects.
o People from societies with a low Uncertainty Avoidance are more
open to new ideas, they are willing to try something different, and
have a good risk-taking appetite. They are more tolerant of new ideas
and opinions even if the ideas differ from their own.
 Long-Term versus Short-Term Orientation
(LTO)

o People with short-term orientation focus more on the past and

present than on the future. They prefer quick results that are in line
with known values and traditions.
o People with long-term orientation make accurate decisions for the
future. These users have to be offered detailed information and
advantages that truly convince them of your product's value.

Task Analysis

 When specifying or designing a feature, it is essential that you understand

the tasks which the users must perform, including the situation in which they
carry out the tasks.
 In task analysis, we interview end users and observe them while they
perform their work in context.
  During final analysis, each task supported by the product is listed along with
the associated steps needed for completing the task, step inputs and outputs,
and the surrounding context in which the task is performed.

Surveys and Questionnaires

 These are quantitative modes of research and offers a quick way to collect
information from a large number of users.
 The obvious limitation here is lack of any interaction between the researcher
and the users.

Card Sorts

The primary goal of a card sort test is to understand how users perceive
relationships and hierarchies between various content, categories and other
information. This is typically used to generate information architecture or site
maps.
 

 
Tree Tests

Tree testing is a usability technique to evaluate the findability of topics in a

website. It is also known as reverse card sorting or card-based classification.
Similar to card sort, the primary goal here is to test whether the product has the
appropriate level of information hierarchy designed within the product.
 

A/B Tests

 A/B testing, also known as split testing, compares two versions of a web
page to see which one performs better.
 It focuses on providing similar users with two or more options and
documenting the user’s preferences amongst the options.
 There are also focused A/B tests on specific aspects of the product such as
the design elements, information hierarchy, navigation and so on.
Storyboard

Storyboards are illustrations that represent shots which ultimately represent a

story. It’s a sequential art where we array the images together to visualize the story.
This method came from the motion picture production

User Persona

It is a fictitious representation of a group of users who exhibit a similar pattern

regarding the behavior of using the application regardless of age, gender, location,
education, and profession.
Reporting on User Research

There are various types of deliverables—from no deliverable at all to a full report.

It is highly advisable that you choose a deliverable that allows you to share your
research findings and recommendations in the available timeframe and considers
the needs of your audience.
 

No Deliverable
 

 If you involve the right people throughout the research, you may just need to
have a discussion on your findings and make changes to the design without
spending any time creating a deliverable.
 However, keep in mind that you will have no record of your findings for
later use.

Quick Findings
If time is a constraint, your deliverable can be in the form of an email or **a
document ** which describes your overall findings and proposed design changes.

Detailed Reports
A report gives you the freedom to describe your findings and recommendations
comprehensively and in as much detail as needed. Reports have value as proof of
the research.
 
Presentations
When your deliverable is a presentation, you need to optimize it for effective
delivery. Those who view it later should be able to understand it easily, without the
explanations you initially give during your presentation.

Findings and Recommendations Matrix

A Findings and Recommendations matrix gathers all recommendations together.
This is usually in a simple tabular format, summarizing the findings that led to
each recommendation and if applicable, a severity rating for each issue.
 

Course Summary
Some of the key takeaways from this course are:
 User Research techniques with users
 User Research techniques without users
 Cultural factors to consider while designing an interface
 Qualitative techniques used for User Research
 Reporting User Research Findings