Basic UX Research Tips and Tricks Part 1
Every time I begin a new project, or start a new job, I pick up some new tips and tricks that help me improve my UXR practice. I’ve learnt a lot from observing colleagues run studies. I’ve also learnt a great deal from identifying what typically works and what doesn’t work while running my own studies.
Every UX Researcher has their own style and their own set of tricks they’ve learnt which compliments basic facilitation and research knowledge. It can be quite delightful to discover the tricks others so you can add them to your own tool belt. Some of these tips and tricks are second nature for anyone with research experience. However, if you’re new to the field, you haven’t necessarily had the chance to build upon your textbook knowledge of research or facilitation.
Here are a few pointers that may be useful if you’re new to UX Research (and hey, maybe if you aren’t new too, eh?).
1. Engage in friendly conversation
At the beginning of any study comes a moment when participant and researcher first meet. Your eyes lock and as you introduce yourself, you offer your hand for a friendly shake. Even if you aren’t big on small chat, it really helps to engage in conversation with your participant in this pivotal moment. Conversation helps build rapport, puts your participant at ease, and can provide you with little bits of information you can use to personalize the study for your participant.
Example: You work for an event ticketing company. You ask the participant how their day is going and if they’re having an okay week so far. Without getting terribly personal, after 5 minutes of chit chat, you’ve come to know that your participant likes summer weather because he can take his children outside to play more often. This inspires you to have the participant show you how he would go about signing his kids up for an outdoor family event next week using your ticketing software. The task becomes personalized to the participant without feeling like a test. Nice!
2. Design relevant research tasks
Similar to the previous point, when designing task-based research, make your tasks realistic to those who will be your participants.
Example: Rather than asking your participant to browse for a gardening tool they may have never heard of before, take a moment to understand their interests and play into them. If you’re wanting your participant to browse for an item online to observe the checkout flow, see if they’re currently looking to make a specific purchase. Or perhaps they’ve mentioned an interest that relates to a company product that you can weave into the task. Observing someone do something they MAY actually do in real life is more beneficial than having them fake buy a tool they would never want or need. They may be more realistic in their actions and honest in their responses if it feels more relevant to them.
3. Don’t just hear yes/no, see yes/no
I once watched a participant struggle through a task. After the task, I asked the participant how easy or difficult it was to complete on a scale from 1(very easy) to 5 (very difficult). The participant answered that it was “5! Very easy!” even though I had watched the frustration build on their face while they worked through the task. You really have to probe to understand these two opposing pieces of information. Rather than just hear and accept the answer and move on, clarify why the participant finds it easy when they clearly appeared frustrated. They might have very low expectations for your experience (find out why), or perhaps they don’t want to disappoint you (remind them that they can be honest). It’s important to look for feedback in expressions and actions as well as in answers.
4. Ask for a recent example
I’ve used this one a lot. When you are gathering context and understanding a participant’s experience with something, it helps to ask for an example. Instead of asking a participant for any example of X, ask them to describe the last time they did X. This is helpful for two reasons:
- Instead of telling you about the most perfect experience they’ve had with X, they’ll tell you about the last time which may be more reflective of their typical experience with X.
- After you ask for a recent example, you might end up hearing “well, when I said I have experience with X, what I meant is that I have watched my colleague use X in the past” or “I actually can’t remember the last time I used X.” Having the participant provide an example of the last time they did X will clarify their actual experience and reveal if they were exaggerating a bit ;)
For 4 more Basic UX Research Tips and Tricks, see Part 2! https://medium.com/@DLSim/basic-ux-research-tips-and-tricks-part-2-abcc75654066
