As more and more organisations become focused on creating great experiences, more teams are being tasked with conducting research to inform and validate user experience objectives.
UX research can be extremely helpful in crafting a product strategy and ensuring that the solutions built fit users’ needs. But it can be hard to know how to get started. This article covers all the basics: from setting research objectives to choosing the method so you can uncover the information you need.
Amanda’s last article covered how to “guerilla-ise” traditional UX research methods to fit into a short timeline, and when it makes the most sense to use them.
Now, she’s back to walk us through some of the most popular guerilla methods—live intercepts, remote and unmoderated studies, and using low fidelity prototypes. She covers pros, cons and tips to make sure you make the most of your guerilla research sessions.
As more and more companies realise the value of UX research, “guerilla” methods have become a popular way to squeeze research into limited budgets and short timelines. This often means reducing scope and/or rigor. The key to successful guerilla research is to strike the right balance to hit time and budget goals, but still be rigorous enough to gather valuable feedback.
So when is the best time to tackle your research guerilla style?
The most important decisions made about any product often take place between iterations. You could argue that the timeframe between identifying key research findings and understanding what the next iteration will be is the most crucial to the future success of the product. Andy Vitale, UX Design Principal at 3M, talks us through his iterative approach to research.
We’ve all known researchers who “throw their results over the fence” and hope their recommendations will get implemented, with little result. Talk about futility! Luckily, with a little preparation, it’s a straightforward process to turn your research insights into real results.
You’ve completed your in-depth interviews, your contextual inquiry or your usability testing. What comes next? As UX practitioners know, when it comes to research, field work is only a fraction of the story.
How do you learn from mountains of data, and then ensure your insights create a tangible impact in shaping your product’s design? We couldn’t think of anyone more qualified to ask than the prolific Steve Portigal, user researcher extraordinaire.
Creating a culture of user experience involves asking uncomfortable questions; the key is to navigate that friction so that people feel encouraged not just to contribute but also to question ideas.
A/B testing can help teams separate concerns and learn to disagree constructively. Minutia gets sorted out quickly, the work moves forward, and most importantly you help create a framework for challenging ideas, not people. Here’s how.
Yesterday we hosted Steve Portigal in our Slack channel for the last Ask the UXperts session for 2016.
It was an informative and entertaining session. Here is the full transcript.
Join user research expert Steve Portigal in our Slack channel to discuss lessons he and other UX professionals have learnt from mishaps in the field.
You’ll also have the opportunity to ask him about the skills needed to survive and succeed in user research.
Usability testing is a critical part of the user-centered design process, and comes in many forms. From casual cafeteria studies, to formal lab testing, remote online task-based studies and more. Whether you’re new to this part of UX research, or just need a refresher, Cindy McCracken walks us through the essentials of effective usability tests.
