No Time for User Research?

No time for user research?
BOOSTER 2015 WORKSHOP
Jenny Shirey
Lead Product Designer, Citrix
March 10, 2015
Methods for creating user-centered products
without holding up the process

Practice and learn: 3 methods
What we’ll cover today
Guerilla user interviews Concept speed dating “Cheap & cheerful”
usability testing

»» In-depth discussions on each method
»» Details on synthesis (what happens after)
»» How to present the data to your teammates
What we won’t cover

»» A taste of user research
»» Hands-on practice
»» Ideas and tips to get you started
What you’ll get out of it

Booster 2015 workshop // No time for user research?
METHOD 1: GUERILLA INTERVIEWS METHOD 2: SPEED DATING METHOD 3: USABILITY TESTING WRAPUPINTRODUCTION
Jenny Shirey // Lead Product Designer // Citrix
Research done with people who use or would
potentially use your product.
It helps us understand what users want and need.
User research can be done at all stages of the
design and development process. It can be
exploratory, generative, or evaluative.
What’s user research?

Common myths about user research

Myth 1: It takes too much time

Myth 1: It takes too much time
Many methods can be done in just a few days.
User research also saves the team from wasting time
developing features people don’t want, don’t need,
or can’t figure out how to use.

Myth 2: User research must be done
by a trained usability / UX expert

Myth 2: User research must be done
by a trained usability / UX expert
Anyone who is relatively patient and open-minded can
do user research.
You might not get “flawless” results, and you might
miss a few things. But the benefits of learning from
users will outweigh any mistakes you make.

Let’s learn and practice
some user research methods

Method 1:
Guerilla user interviews
http://planet.globalservicejam.org/sites/default/files/gsj14/project/files/DSCF1847_0.JPG
Name credit: Leah Buley, author of “The User Experience Team of One”

A user interview isn’t just chatting with users.
It’s a series of questions designed to get insights
that will help you make a better product.
What’s a user interview?

»» To get into our users’ heads
»» To learn more about processes and environments
»» To validate hypotheses
»» To identify pain points, needs, and desires
Why do we do user interviews?

... what people actually do
... whether people will really use your product
... how people will use your product
To get these insights, you’ll have to observe
actual behaviors.
User interviews won’t tell you...

Ask questions you’ve
prepared ahead of time
based on what you want
to find out
3 Ideally, pair up so one
person can take notes,
or record the session
4Go to a place where
you’ll find people
similar to your
target audience
1 Plan to spend
about 15-30
minutes talking
to each person
2
The basics

3-4 hours
2-4 hours
2-4 hours
1 hour
Prepare questions; choose a place to find people
15- to 30-minute interviews with at least several people
Synthesize the data
Informal read out with team
Total time: 2 days
Timeline

Tips

Be open-minded; don’t assume
Instead of “You store your files in a folder on your desktop, right?”
Try: “Where do you store your files?”
1

2
Get them to tell stories
“Tell me about the last time you...”
“Can you tell me more?”
“I’d love to hear about your process for...”

3
Don’t be afraid of silence
Sometimes people need time to think

Demo
My goal: to learn about the participant’s
morning routine and identify potential
areas for improvement

1. Find a partner
2. On your own, write down some questions you want to ask
about your partner’s morning routine (2 minutes)
3. Interview your partner – one of you is the interviewer,
the other is the participant (4 minutes)
4. Switch roles (4 minutes)
Practice (10 minutes)

Debrief

Method 2:
Concept speed dating
Photo: Michael Dean

Showing one or several early-stage concepts to
potential users to get feedback.
You can show sketches, storyboards, videos,
or prototypes.
The lower the fidelity, the more likely that people
will focus on the concept.
What is concept speed dating?

»» To gauge whether an idea makes sense and seems
useful for our target audience
»» To get qualitative feedback about a concept so
that we can improve it
»» To get a sense of whether it’s worth moving
forward with a concept or feature
Why do it?

Lauren Chapman
www.lchapmandesigns.com
Sample concept

Briefly explain the
concept and ask
“what do you think?”,
then listen
3 Ask questions to
prompt for more
info or make sure
you understand
4Sketch out some
concepts (stick
figures are fine!)
and write the story
1 Show concepts
to participants
in person or with
screen sharing
2
The basics:

1-3 hours
1-2 hours
1 hours
1 hour
Sketching concepts
Finding 3-5 people and showing them the concepts
Pull together feedback
Informal read out with team; deciding how to iterate
on concepts
Total time: 1 day
Timeline

Introduce the concepts in a neutral way
“My team wanted me to show this to you”
1

Play “psychologist” and
answer questions with questions
If the participant says, “how would this work”,
you can ask “how would you like it to work?”
2

Focus on whether the participant finds
the concept useful, not just “I like it”
3

Don’t get into marketing mode
Your job is learn, not to sell the product
4

Demo

1. Find a partner
2. Review the concept and questions on your sheet (2 minutes)
3. Explain the concept to your partner and ask questions.
You can use the sample questions to get started. (4 minutes)

Method 3:
“Cheap & cheerful”
usability testing

A participant is shown something (a website,
a mobile app, a clickable prototype, sketches
on paper, etc.) and asked to complete some
typical tasks.
The moderator prompts the participant to
“think out loud” and observes how the participant
uses the prototype and any issues.
What is usability testing?

»» To learn whether people have problems using our app/
website/product
»» To find out whether a design is working before spending a lot
of time and effort on coding it
»» To learn whether a message is clear or confusing
Why do we do usability testing?

Things you can test...
NetworkDevices Settings On/Off
Help
XenClientXenClient
XenClient is a platform that lets you use and manage multiple computers.
You can access your other computers through XenClient.
XenClient is a platform that lets you use and manage multiple computers.
You can access your other computers through XenClient.
Welcome to
Skip in tro Next
Paper prototypes Wireframes High-fidelity prototypes
Existing products

The basics:
Find 3-4 users to
test with
3
Ideally, pair up with
an observer. Record
the session (audio
and screen)
Ask users to complete
the tasks. Observe what
they do (don’t help
them). Remind them to
think out loud.
4 5Decide what you’ll
show; if needed,
create prototype
1 Write a script with
a few key tasks
2

2 hours
1-4 hours
2 hours
1 hour
Total time:
*Designs have to be complete and show all screens needed; this can take extra time
1-2 days
Write basic script with key tasks
Create a prototype using static screens and hot spots*
30-minute tests with 3-4 people
Debrief with team and decide what to change
Timeline

Be careful not to “lead” the user
Instead of “That was easy wasn’t it?”, say “How was that?”
Try to maintain neutral body language and facial expressions
1

Observe what the participant does
and doesn’t do, and where they have issues
Don’t help them (unless absolutely necessary to finish the study)
If they ask how to do something,
say “How do you think you would do that?”
2

If the participant is quiet,
ask what they’re thinking
3

Verify your assumptions
with the participant
“I noticed that you tried to tap this icon. What were you expecting?”
4

1. On your own, choose an app on your phone to test.
2. Decide on 3 tasks you want your partner to do. Write them
down. (5 minutes)
3. Give your partner your phone and go through your script
and tasks (5 minutes)

1. Get the data out of your head
Use post-its, whiteboards, or just pen and paper
2. Listen to the recordings if needed to grab quotes
3. Use structure to frame the data
4. Share findings with your team; use images and quotes
to make the data more compelling.
What do you do afterward?

Say
Do
Think
Feel
Sample structure

Testing resources
Invision app
Very easy to upload screens and add hotspots
Turn on “user testing mode” to make the hotspots invisible
Can test on mobile or computer
Usertesting.com
Must have a prototype or app that can be viewed with a link
(web or mobile)
Studies can be moderated (best results) or unmoderated

Testing resources
Gotomeeting Free
free.gotomeeting.com
Voice, video, and screen sharing with up to 3 people
Screenflick
www.araelium.com/screenflick
Recording on a Mac ($29)

Keep in mind

User research isn’t about people telling you
what to make; it’s about learning, gaining empathy,
and identifying potential needs

Getting into a habit of talking to a few users
at regular time intervals makes it less intimidating
and easier to fit into your dev cycle

Make sure there’s a process to take action
based on what you find out!

Where you can learn more
Don’t Make Me Think
Steve Krug
Interviewing Users
Steve Portigal
The User Experience
Team of One
Leah Buley

No Time for User Research?

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