1.
Five tips to speak to an
international user
audience
Joe Leech
@mrjoe
joe@mrjoe.uk

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@mrjoe
⅓ ⅓⅓
Research DesignDigital
Strategy
This is what I do. I’ll share insights from the
last 11 years of working in user experience.

3.
@mrjoe
About Joe
800
user
research
sessions
23countries

4.
1. It’s not about you
it’s about me.

5.
@mrjoe 5
I went out in the lunch break before this
session and spoke to two international
students, it took me less than 30 minutes.
I showed them a website from my home
town university of Bristol.

6.
@mrjoe
What is that garden thing?
That’s of no interest to me.
I come to the website with
something in mind I have to
do. I want to get to it easily.

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2.Go out and talk to
students. (and if you can
talk to their parents)

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@mrjoe
Go to the cafeteria and speak to
international students. Record
the interviews and show the
results to the team to get stuff
done.
Use silverback, it’s cheap and
easy. http://silverbackapp.com/
Speaking to parents is harder,
try open days or if needs be
research them in their own
country (I can help if you need it
joe@mrjoe.uk)

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3. Understand what students
want and need at each point
in their journey.
Give it to them.

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@mrjoe
Build a picture of the student’s journey to choosing a university. This
is a customer experience map, it plots all the activities and steps a
student goes through. The blue things are the minimum things the
website has to do to meet their needs, the grey boxes are important
and need to be addressed at some point, the white boxes show
things that will delight. The map can also show parent needs. Use
research to uncover the steps and needs. This can be printed and
placed on the wall, a strategy for the future of digital.

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@mrjoe
The other university in my home town of Bristol does a great job at
meeting user needs.

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4. Seperate experiences
are not always the way
forward.

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@mrjoe
Are we getting a different
experience to other students?
I understand why they split
international students out
from normal students. But it
makes it hard to know
which one to choose

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@mrjoe
Students International
Students
Is this segregation right? Many international students feel apart from
other students, the website sends a message that they will be
treated that way.

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5. Tell stories

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@mrjoe
I want to know a few things.
- The reputation and city culture
- The costs
- Can I get a job afterwards?
I want to know other student’s
experiences

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@mrjoe
Tell stories.
UWE do a great job, they tell stories
from other students answering all the
key questions.
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/whyuwe/
uwestudentstories/
internationalstudentstories.aspx

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@mrjoe
Title Text
18
A great example!

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@mrjoe
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1. What’s in it for me?
“I chose UWE for its great reputation,
competitive tuition fees for
international students and location in
Bristol, which is a nice city.”
Answering key user questions.

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@mrjoe
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2. What’s in it for me?
After finishing his placement, Chen kept
in close contact with RBS throughout
his postgraduate studies. This close
relationship resulted in Chen securing a
job with RBS when he graduated.
Answering key user questions.

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@mrjoe
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3. What’s in it for me?
Chen is hoping to work in the UK before
going back to China to continue his
career. His UK qualification and the
work experience he gained will enable
Chen to further his career in China's
competitive market.
Answering key user questions.

22.
1. It’s not about you it’s
about me.
2. Understand their journey.
3.Go out and talk to them.
4. Don’t make international
students feel different.
5. Tell stories.
Joe Leech @mrjoe
joe@mrjoe.uk