Design research checklist for conducting contextual inquiry and user testing in a foreign country

1. Design Research: To Do Lists

2. Design Research: Part 1: Recruiting interviewees
Get stakeholder input and decide on target market research population (Marketing, Customer Care,
Product/ Web team, CEO, etc.) ?
Interviewee recruiting resources and ask marketing, used Craigslist or Gumtree ads, or reached out to
recruiting agencies for interviewees in the Target Persona* range?
Decided on the location of the research: If they are home visits, factor in the travel time of to and from
locations (also the possible costs of using transportation like cabs, tube, etc)?
If testing and research takes place in a neutral space, contact and book ahead of time co-working spaces
or any other office space / meeting rooms that could be used.
Finalize a list of appointments a week before arrival and keep a centralised spreadsheet with candidate
contact information, address, and basic stats?
Send out confirmations of time and place and also Thank You vouchers to everyone else who responded
to the request?
Did you...

3. Design Research: Part 2: Goals
Decide on research goals and the battery of tests that will be used to achieve the goals?
Practice interviews or agree on the battery of tests in office. Have an agreed upon series of tests and on
the exact testing procedure to ensure comparable outcomes?
Walk through the tests at least once before departure and with all team members present?
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4. Design Research: Part 3: Pre-Departure
Request to have any gift vouchers, interview waiver documents, prepared by the company?
Have costs for interviews settled up front before arriving at the city of destination. If possible, pay a larger
sum for interviewee's time and have the interviewee pay for their own meal to ensure a more 'natural'
buying behavior in the interviewee?
Settle and distribute cash (in local currency) among the interviewing teams?
Ask for company to lend 'travel chargers' for each person and sure each person has a backup or
emergency charger for their mobile?
Distribute Oyster Cards or any other pre-paid travel tokens?
Did you...

6. Design Research: Part 4: Arrival
Make sure everyone has proper SIM card upon arrival in the airport/ make it the first priority. Also ask for
company to lend 'travel chargers' for each person.
Keep a centralized list of all travel costs, and who paid whom and for what. This on top of keeping all the
receipts and documenting them by photographing them.
Have each team audio record the interview (if permissable by end user).
Agree on a set type of photographs to be taken after the interview, .e.g- portrait of end user in context, their
kitchen, or living room
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