COURSE 1 MODULE 4: Introduction to UX Research
What is a better way to frame this framed question: "Do you like or dislike the improved layout of these buttons?"
"Explain how you feel about the layout of the buttons."
Foundational research answers what question?
"What should we build? plus "What are the user problems?" "How can we solve them?" "Am I aware of my own biases, and am I able to filter them as I do research?"
How can you overcome sunk cost fallacy?
- Break down your project into smaller phases - Outline points where you can decide whether to continue or stop
What are some methods of overcoming False Consensus Bias?
- Identify and articulate your own assumptions - Survey large groups of people
How can you overcome Implicit Bias?
- Reflect on our own behaviors - Ask others to point out our implicit biases
How can you overcome Primacy bias?
- Take detailed notes or recordings - Interview each participant in the same way - consistency is key - ask your colleagues to join you during interviews to provide additional opinions
How can you overcome Recency Bias?
- Take notes or recordings for each interview or conversation you have - Interview each participant in the same way - consistency is key -ask your colleagues to join you during interviews to provide additional opinions
Define usability study
-A technique used to evaluate a product by testing it on users -help demonstrate if a product is on the right track or if the design needs to be adjusted -can test usability in person and online
Additional research methods that might be used to conduct design research include:
-A/B testing -Cafe or guerrilla studies -Card sorting -Intercepts
Research methods you might use to conduct post-launch research include:
-A/B testing -Usability studies -Surveys -Logs analysis
What are the most effective methods for overcoming confirmation bias during research?
-Ask open-ended questions when conducting interviews -Actively listen -Include a large sample of users
What are the six kinds of biases?
-Confirmation bias -False consensus bias -Primacy bias -Recency bias -Implicit bias -Sunk cost fallacy
Common foundational research methods include:
-Interviews -Surveys -Focus groups -Competitive audit -Field studies -Diary studies
Interviews Disadvantages
-It's time consuming to interview each user -It's expensive to pay participants and to rent space for the interviews -The sample sizes are smaller, due to time and money constraints -Group interviews can be affected by the bandwagon effect, or going along with the group's opinion instead of thinking creatively, which can discourage open discussion by people who have an opinion that doesn't align with the majority of the group.
Secondary Research Advantages
-Secondary research is generally cheaper and faster than primary research - you'll save time and money -you can often find secondary research via online searches and subscription research publications -secondary research can be a good supplement to findings from your primary research
Surveys Disadvantages
-Surveys often do not allow for in-depth feedback; most questions will have responses drawn from a set of multiple-choice answers. -There are some types of research questions that won't work in a survey format. -Surveys usually do not allow for personalization.
Usability Studies Disadvantages
-Usability studies only measure how easy it is to use a product -Can be expensive - especially if you have to bring users into a lab and reimburse them for their time -There can be differences between a "controlled" usability study in a lab versus how a user experiences the product in their real life
Usability Studies Advantages
-You can learn from first-hand user interaction and observation -Usability studies can challenge your assumptions about your product by demonstrating a completely different result than you were expecting -Users can provide in-depth feedback
Surveys Advantages
-You can learn more from a larger sample size -You are able to gather results and insights quickly -Surveys are usually inexpensive because they don't take as much time for participants to complete, and they can be done remotely
Secondary Research Disadvantages
-You will not learn from any first-hand user interaction -You will not receive user feedback specific to your product -Secondary research can be misleading and generalizing if not done appropriately
Interviews Advantages
-You're better able to understand what users think and why -You can adjust your questions or refocus the discussion based on the user's answers -You have the ability to ask follow-up questions in real time -You have the ability to ask questions specific to a user's needs -You'll receive direct suggestions from the user
Ways to prevent biases
1. Choose your words carefully 2. Foster independent thinking 3. Avoid specific language 4. Limit the guidance you give users 5. Consider users' tone and body language 6. Be careful of your own body language and reactions 7. Plan your research effectively 8. Remain open minded
What are the two ways we categorize research?
1. Who conducts the research 2. The type of data collected
Two key parts to every UX design project:
1. conducting research to learn about the users you're designing for 2. gathering feedback about their perspectives
Define A/B testing
A research method that evaluates and compares two different aspects of a product to discover which of them is most effective. For example, you might have users evaluate two layouts for the homepage of your app to find out which layout is more effective
Define intercepts
A research method that gathers on-site feedback from users as they engage in the activities being researched. Intercepts are often conducted in the field, so this type of research is often considered a subset of field research. An intercept study can provide quick, high-level feedback
Define card sorting
A research method that instructs study participants to sort individual labels written on notecards into categories that make sense to them. This type of research is largely used to figure out the information architecture of your project
Define interviews
A research method used to collect in-depth information on people's opinions, thoughts, experiences, and feelings -can be performed one-on-one or in a group setting, like a focus group
Define interviews
A research method used to collect in-depth information on people's opinions, thoughts, experiences, and feelings. You'll often conduct interviews of your target users themselves
Define diary studies
A research method used to collect qualitative data about user behaviors, activities, and experiences over time. Often, a user will log, or diary, about their daily activities and provide information about their behaviors and needs, which can help inform your designs
Define logs analysis
A research method used to evaluate recordings of users while they interact with your design, tools, etc.
Define cafe or guerilla studies
A research method where user feedback is gathered by taking a design or prototype into the public domain and asking passersby for their thoughts. For example, you might sit in a local coffee shop and ask customers if they would be willing to test your app design for a couple of minutes and provide feedback
Define focus groups
A small group of people whose reactions are studied. For example, your focus group might bring together eight users to discuss their perspectives about new features in your design. A focus group is usually run by a moderator who guides the group on a certain topic of conversation
When does post-launch research happen?
After the design is complete and your product has been launched -Within the product development life cycle, it happens after the launch stage (stage 5) to help validate that the product is meeting user needs through established metrics
Implicit bias + ux design example
Also called unconscious bias - It's the collection of attitudes and stereotypes we associate to people without our conscious knowledge Ex: When we only interview within a limited set of identity profiles, such as race, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and ability - or interview people from typically excluded groups but ask potentially offensive questions because of our embedded stereotypes
Define surveys
An activity where many people are asked the same questions in order to understand what most people think about a product
Define surveys
An activity where many people are asked the same questions in order to understand what most people think about a product -great way to measure the success of your product, during development and after it's launched -include a mix of qualitative and quantitative questions, -most useful after you have some initial understanding of the user's pain points
Define competitive audit
An overview of your competitors' strengths and weaknesses
Post-launch research answers what question?
Did we succeed? This research will tell you how your final product is performing based on established metrics, such as adoption, usage, user satisfaction, and more
Define bias
Favoring or having prejudice against something or someone based on limited information
Best practice is to conduct at least ______ user interviews during your research
Five user interviews
Define quantitative research
Focuses on data that can be gathered by counting or measuring -Based on numerical data that's often collected from large-scale surveys -Aims to answer questions like "how many?" and "how much?" -gives you the what
Foster independent thinking. Define bandwagon effect
Going along with the group's opinion instead of thinking creatively, which can discourage open discussion by people who have an opinion that doesn't align with the majority of the group
Design research answers what question?
How should we build it?
List some things you might want to ask users about during the design phase of research:
How was your experience using the prototype today? How easy or difficult was it to use? Why? Did you encounter any challenges?
Define Methods
How you get research done
One tool that can help you identify and explore your own implicit biases is the...
Implicit Association Test (IAT)
Interviews - quantitative research method
Includes only close-ended questions, like questions that require only "yes" or "no" responses or set multiple choice questions
Interviews - qualitative research method
Includes open-ended questions that require participants to explain their answers by providing more details
How would you combat the bandwagon effect in a group of five participants?
Instead of asking each person to share their thoughts one at a time, ask them to write down or record their thoughts before discussing as a group
Remain open minded. Define Recency bias
It's easiest to remember the last thing you heard
Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical measures of progress toward an end goal Ex: the KPIs for an app or new product launch might include things like how much time the user spent on a task or the number of clicks they used to make a purchase
Avoid specific language. Define confirmation bias
Occurs when you start looking for evidence to prove a hypothesis you already have
Limit the guidance you give users. Define False consensus bias
Overestimate the number of people who will agree with our idea or design - assumption that others will think the same way we do
Define qualitative research
Primarily collected through observations and conversations -Based on understanding the users' needs and aims to answer questions like "why" or "how did this happen?" -gives you the why
Usability studies - qualitative research
Qualitative research is based on observations, and a critical part of conducting usability studies is observing how participants interact with the product you've designed-can gain more personal insights
Usability studies - quantitative research
Quantitative research can be used when conducting usability studies to understand participants' impressions of the product
Define field studies
Research activities that take place in the user's context or personal environment, rather than in an office or lab
Define secondary research + example
Research that uses information someone else has put together ex: Using information from sources like books, articles, or journals is considered secondary research
Define primary research + example
Research you conduct yourself ex: Information from direct interactions with users, like interviews, surveys, or usability studies, are considered primary research
Sunk cost fallacy
The deeper we get into a project we've invested in, the harder it is to change course without feeling like we've failed or wasted time (hence the "sunk cost")
The goal of UX research is to
The goal of UX research is to prioritize the user and to make sure business needs are met
The goal of design research:
The goal of design research is to inform how the product should be built
The goal of foundational research is to...
The goal of foundational research is to help define the problem you would like to design a solution for
The goal of post-launch research:
The goal of post-launch research is to understand how users experienced the product and whether it was a good or poor user experience *you might also want to check your product's performance against the competition
Define product development life cycle
The process used to take a product from an idea to reality - five stages: brainstorm, define, design, test, and launch
What is the goal of a usability study?
To identify pain points that the user experiences with different prototypes, so the issues can be fixed before the final product launches
Define UX research
UX research focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation and feedback -it aligns what you, as the designer, think the user needs with what the user actually needs
When does user research take place?
User research is a continuous part of the product development life cycle and takes place before, during, and after phase 3: Design
Choosing your words carefully. Define framing effect
Where users make a decision or choice based on the way information was presented to them
Remain open minded. Define Primacy bias
You remember the first participant most strongly
Define usability study and the goal
a technique to evaluate a product by testing it on users -the goal of these studies is to identify pain points that the user experiences with your prototypes, so the issues can be fixed before the product launches
Secondary research can be completed at
any phase of the project, since you're using information from outside sources -this research is not a direct result of your product or the user you're designing for
Primary research and secondary research can be
both qualitative and quantitative
Foundational research happens during the
brainstorm stage (stage 1)
Research that takes place during the design phase, phase 3, of the product development life cycle, is called...
design research sometimes called tactical research
What are the qualities of a good UX researcher?
empathy - the ability to understand someone's feelings or thoughts in a situation pragmatism - a practical approach to problem-solving; focused on reaching goals collaboration - the ability to work with a range of people, personalities, and work styles
Research that takes place before anything is designed is usually called...
foundational research sometimes called strategic or generative research but we'll stick with foundational in this course
Choosing leading words can cause the _________
framing effect
The third type of user research is called...
post-launch research
The first way to categorize research is based on who conducts the research--what are the two types?
primary research and secondary research
The second way to categorize research is based on the type of data collected: what are the two types of data?
qualitative or quantitative
The research method we choose is decided by...
the question we're trying to answer
The most common method used to conduct design research is a
usability study
