Quality Time with the User
Hamburg (UX Camp), 29.07.2017
How to make interviews count
Shared under Creative Commons (CC-BY-ND).
I am a
shy
person
2
Foto Foto
3
Foto
I am also
curious
&
empathetic
Foto
Interesting combination.
4
Social anxiety
Strong interest
in people
My survival script*
5
Violent
Outbursts
Helpless
Desperation
Social
Anxiety
Emphatic
Curiosity
Experiencing
as a child
in my family.
*= See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_analysis
My survival script has set me up
6
User
Researcher
Life
Coach
Teacher
Trainer
Empathy and a strong drive to please
They define what comes natural to me and what are fields of growth
My STRENGTHs
§Active Listening
§Reading expressions
§Curious / non-judgemental
My CHALLENGEs
§Neutral/non-supportive
attitude
§Silence
§Making people „suffer“
§Resolutely taking control
7
8That brings to my first piece of advice:
https://flic.kr/p/LoMXs
Know yourself,
before you know others
10
Probably your most important research project:
What kind of person are you?
https://flic.kr/p/3gtnCj
What is your “UX”?
§ Receive feedback (a lot!) from
colleagues, participants,
friends and strangers
§ Watch yourself while interviewing
§ Watch yourself while watching
yourself interviewing ;-)
§ What are your scripts, drivers,
triggers (transactional analysis)?
Learn something profoundly new
„Uncovering a new way of looking at the
world, of understanding the beliefs and
desires of a group of people represents a
change in ourselves.
Being changed, we advocate for that
understanding, ... so that they [the team]
can bring new things into the world that
will better support others.“
From „Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries – User Research War
Stories“, New York 2016
The value of user interviews
Steve Portigal
Quality Time with the user?
§ 30–60 min.
§ Ideally in “context”
§ Semi-structured
https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-photo/young-man-categorically-against-giving-interview-606511394
Value the obvious
not so
obvious
Your obvious is totally wrong.
Be humble!
14
§Your are attempting to
enter somebody else‘s
world.
§They are the masters of
their world.
§Don’t assume, don’t judge.
§Ask obvious questions!
Bildnachweis: https://flic.kr/p/4WtVKR
Nothing is your
obvious here!
15
Calm? – Interviews are a strain!
16
Listening
My next Question?
Time left?
Remaining Topics?
Overall Interview
Structure!
My notes?
Did I start
the recording?
My posture?
Yes, calm. (Deliberately control your cognitive strain*)
17
Listening
Watching
Feeling
Time left?
My notes?
Overall Interview Structure!
* = Practice will make this easier ;-)
You can practice “Knowing nothing“
18
Mindfulness through
Meditation
§Better control of thoughts
and feelings.
§Practices an open, non-
judging attitude.
19
Every day when I get up …
Humans are not well suited for
averaging their lives.
https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/2mr1xo/every_morning/ (from the movie „Groundhog Day“, Columbia Pictures 1993)
Stories, not
generalizations
There is no every day.
Aim for concrete experiences
21
When you wake up in the morning, how do you start your day?
Please remember waking up today (yesterday, last Sunday):
What were your first thoughts and actions?
§When was the last time, that you ...?
§Can you remember a concrete situation where you ...?
§What was your happiest/worst experience with ...?
Work towards the tipping point*
22* = Again, Steve Portigal’s words (and model).
Question
StoryQuestion
Answer
Question
Answer
Tipping
Point
23
When as a researcher entering somebody else ‘s world,
it normally starts out awkward.
https://flic.kr/p/6rxa3H
Admit the awkwardness
Be O.K. with being not O.K.
This is not love
§An “awkward” start is
completely normal
§Do not compensate by
over-comforting the
participant.
§Relax:
If you are not at ease,
they are not at ease.
https://flic.kr/p/SJdeBz
Aim for trust
not for love.
A proper invitation
Always practice your
„Rahmungskompetenz“
§ Who are you?
§ Why are you doing this?
§ Brief overview of what is to
expect
§ How long will it take?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Astaire,_Fred_-_Never_Get_Rich.jpg
Of course, there is awkward.
And then there is
When you are
called from a
young woman’s
bedroom.
Use every opportunity to
Sharpen the saw
Life is research
The easy stuff
§You can meditate § Interviewing Users,
Steve Portigal
§ Validating Product
Ideas, Tomer Sharon
§ Just enough research,
Erika Hall
Read BooksPractice Mindfulness
More books on research:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/created/68146420-hans-
joachim-belz (WORK IN PROGRESS)
https://flic.kr/p/aht7Wt
Slightly more challenging:
Practice deep listening
in real life
31
32
Earth is strangely gripping.
Explore! – Nano, nano! :-)
Mork and Mindy: Putting the Ork back in Mork, ABC 1980
You still got questions?
33
@minutefforts / @Anstrengungslos
hans-joachim.belz@anstrengungslos.de
www.anstrengungslos.de
Beratung,Training, Coaching und Transformation
Innovativ, digital und
kundenzentriert – wir helfen
Ihnen ihr Potential auszuschöpfen

Quality time with the user

  • 1.
    Quality Time withthe User Hamburg (UX Camp), 29.07.2017 How to make interviews count Shared under Creative Commons (CC-BY-ND).
  • 2.
  • 3.
  • 4.
  • 5.
    My survival script* 5 Violent Outbursts Helpless Desperation Social Anxiety Emphatic Curiosity Experiencing asa child in my family. *= See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_analysis
  • 6.
    My survival scripthas set me up 6 User Researcher Life Coach Teacher Trainer
  • 7.
    Empathy and astrong drive to please They define what comes natural to me and what are fields of growth My STRENGTHs §Active Listening §Reading expressions §Curious / non-judgemental My CHALLENGEs §Neutral/non-supportive attitude §Silence §Making people „suffer“ §Resolutely taking control 7
  • 8.
    8That brings tomy first piece of advice: https://flic.kr/p/LoMXs
  • 9.
  • 10.
    10 Probably your mostimportant research project: What kind of person are you? https://flic.kr/p/3gtnCj What is your “UX”? § Receive feedback (a lot!) from colleagues, participants, friends and strangers § Watch yourself while interviewing § Watch yourself while watching yourself interviewing ;-) § What are your scripts, drivers, triggers (transactional analysis)?
  • 11.
    Learn something profoundlynew „Uncovering a new way of looking at the world, of understanding the beliefs and desires of a group of people represents a change in ourselves. Being changed, we advocate for that understanding, ... so that they [the team] can bring new things into the world that will better support others.“ From „Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries – User Research War Stories“, New York 2016 The value of user interviews Steve Portigal
  • 12.
    Quality Time withthe user? § 30–60 min. § Ideally in “context” § Semi-structured https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-photo/young-man-categorically-against-giving-interview-606511394
  • 13.
    Value the obvious notso obvious Your obvious is totally wrong.
  • 14.
    Be humble! 14 §Your areattempting to enter somebody else‘s world. §They are the masters of their world. §Don’t assume, don’t judge. §Ask obvious questions! Bildnachweis: https://flic.kr/p/4WtVKR Nothing is your obvious here!
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Calm? – Interviewsare a strain! 16 Listening My next Question? Time left? Remaining Topics? Overall Interview Structure! My notes? Did I start the recording? My posture?
  • 17.
    Yes, calm. (Deliberatelycontrol your cognitive strain*) 17 Listening Watching Feeling Time left? My notes? Overall Interview Structure! * = Practice will make this easier ;-)
  • 18.
    You can practice“Knowing nothing“ 18 Mindfulness through Meditation §Better control of thoughts and feelings. §Practices an open, non- judging attitude.
  • 19.
    19 Every day whenI get up … Humans are not well suited for averaging their lives. https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/2mr1xo/every_morning/ (from the movie „Groundhog Day“, Columbia Pictures 1993)
  • 20.
  • 21.
    Aim for concreteexperiences 21 When you wake up in the morning, how do you start your day? Please remember waking up today (yesterday, last Sunday): What were your first thoughts and actions? §When was the last time, that you ...? §Can you remember a concrete situation where you ...? §What was your happiest/worst experience with ...?
  • 22.
    Work towards thetipping point* 22* = Again, Steve Portigal’s words (and model). Question StoryQuestion Answer Question Answer Tipping Point
  • 23.
    23 When as aresearcher entering somebody else ‘s world, it normally starts out awkward. https://flic.kr/p/6rxa3H
  • 24.
    Admit the awkwardness BeO.K. with being not O.K.
  • 25.
    This is notlove §An “awkward” start is completely normal §Do not compensate by over-comforting the participant. §Relax: If you are not at ease, they are not at ease. https://flic.kr/p/SJdeBz Aim for trust not for love.
  • 26.
    A proper invitation Alwayspractice your „Rahmungskompetenz“ § Who are you? § Why are you doing this? § Brief overview of what is to expect § How long will it take? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Astaire,_Fred_-_Never_Get_Rich.jpg
  • 27.
    Of course, thereis awkward. And then there is
  • 28.
    When you are calledfrom a young woman’s bedroom.
  • 29.
    Use every opportunityto Sharpen the saw Life is research
  • 30.
    The easy stuff §Youcan meditate § Interviewing Users, Steve Portigal § Validating Product Ideas, Tomer Sharon § Just enough research, Erika Hall Read BooksPractice Mindfulness More books on research: https://www.goodreads.com/list/created/68146420-hans- joachim-belz (WORK IN PROGRESS) https://flic.kr/p/aht7Wt
  • 31.
    Slightly more challenging: Practicedeep listening in real life 31
  • 32.
    32 Earth is strangelygripping. Explore! – Nano, nano! :-) Mork and Mindy: Putting the Ork back in Mork, ABC 1980
  • 33.
    You still gotquestions? 33 @minutefforts / @Anstrengungslos hans-joachim.belz@anstrengungslos.de www.anstrengungslos.de
  • 34.
    Beratung,Training, Coaching undTransformation Innovativ, digital und kundenzentriert – wir helfen Ihnen ihr Potential auszuschöpfen