Experience report for UX Cambridge 2014 on how to involve stakeholders in the process of User Research

1. Collaborative
User Research
REVATHI NATHANIEL, @REVNATHANIEL
USABILITY ENGINEER, RED GATE SOFTWARE LTD.

2. A confession…
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3. The lone researcher who
observes interesting things and
reports them back to the world…
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4. @REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM

5. @REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-
of-research/

6. Collaboration is an act of shared
creation and/or share discovery
(Schrage89, p.4)
Sir Ken Robinson's “Changing Education Paradigms" RSA animated talk @REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM

7. Collaboration is active-it requires
active participation with an intent to
add value-
James A. Highsmith III
Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart, Issue 381 @REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM

8. Communication is passive- it transfers
information, with an intent to inform-
James A. Highsmith III
Illustration by Kevin Cornel, A List Apart

9. The entire process of user research can
be collaborative
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10. Collaboration during the phases of
research
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11. Plan
Analyse Execute
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Research Phases
• Understand Project requirements
• Plan scope of research &
• research activities
• Create research material
• Carry out planned activities
• Capture data
• Re-evaluate research plan
• Categorize data
• Analyse data
• Document analysis process
• Share findings

12. Plan
Analyse Execute
Task Collaboration friendly?
Yes Sometimes/
depends
No
Understand Project
requirements
Project kick-off
meetings
Plan scope of
research &
research activities
Meetings,
Documents on
Google Drive
Create research
material e.g.:
Surveys, interview
questionnaires,
screeners, etc.
Emails to the team
Documents on
Google Drive
Post work on walls,
Collaboration
games
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13. Survey
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14. @REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM

15. What worked
• Quality of research
• Rigorous process
• Widen scope of research
• Reduce bias
• Sense of ownership
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16. What didn’t work
• Survey Length
• Too wide scope
• Lengthy analysis
Recommendations
• Have a clear and documented research plan
• Don’t be afraid to put your foot down as the researcher 

17. Plan
Analyse Execute
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Research Phases
• Carry out planned activities
• Capture data
• Re-evaluate research plan

18. @REVNATHANIEL | #UXCAM
Data Techniques
Preference
Preferences, opinions, desires
Surveys
Focus groups
Preference interviews
Card sorting
Ability
What is understood or accomplished with a
tool
Prototypes
Usability testing
Log Analysis
Customer feedback
Card sorting
Conceptual
How things get done
Interviews
Contextual inquiry
Surveys
Classes of research
Slide taken from Indi Young’ s Introduction to Task Based Models

19. Plan
Analyse Execute
Task Collaboration friendly?
Yes Sometimes/
depends
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Carry out planned activities
Site visits,
Formative usability tests
Persona creation, Heuristic
evaluations
Capture observations/data
Google docs
Capturing data on post its
Re-evaluate research plan
Discuss with project team Collaboration games

20. Remote Usability Testing
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22. What worked
Reduce bias in note taking
Variety of observations
Discuss observations together
Discuss facilitation technique
Participation in the study

23. Testimonials
‘They provide a point of reference for discussions…’- James G, Tester
‘We can pick up the language they use to describe things and incorporate it into the product’-
Chris M, Developer
‘Listening to customers’ experiences…has exposed me to the technologies that I should
familiarise myself …Without UX providing such opportunities to get involved with the initial
research this may not have happened until much later in the process’- Chris M, Developer
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24. What didn’t work
• Busy calendars- team members unable to attend
• Team sometimes loses faith in the project
• Over enthusiastic and vocal observers
• Post study banter
Recommendations
• Email notes from the session to the team
• Share video/audio recordings
• Give instructions before the session
• Own the role of a facilitator

25. Personas
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27. What worked
• Sharing what we learn as a team
• Getting buy in
• Shared understanding
• More communication less document heavy
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28. What didn’t work
• Space
• Falling post-it notes
Recommendations
• Analyse and capture/document data as soon as you can
• Use super sticky post its

29. Plan
Analyse Execute
Task Collaboration friendly?
Yes Sometimes/
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depends
No
Categorise & Analyse
data
Post up data
Document analysis
process
Share findings
Presenting findings
with a colleague

30. There are times when you just
need to work alone!
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31. What didn’t work
• Analysing data together with another person
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32. What worked
• Work with a colleague but separately
• Discuss your own interpretations of the data
• Don’t be afraid to ask why
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33. Issues with Collaboration
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34. • Dominant team members
• Organization and time management skills
• Facilitation skills/people management
• Familiarity with collaboration techniques
• Enthusiasm
• Company culture
• Immediacy
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35. Summary
• The entire user research process can be very collaborative
• Collaboration is active
• Some research phases are more collaboration friendly than others
• Some techniques are more collaboration friendly than others
• There are a couple of pitfalls with collaboration
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36. My top tips
#1 Change your mind set and try collaboration
#2 Continually look for opportunities to collaborate
#3 Learn when not to collaborate
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37. Revathi Nathaniel
Usability Engineer
Red Gate Software Ltd
Twitter: @revnathaniel
Email: revathinathaniel@red-gate.com

38. References
Adaptive software development: a collaborative approach to managing complex systems-
James A Highsmith III
Gov. Uk- User research blog
‘Have you had your recommended dose of research?’- Dipa Shah
https://userresearch.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/06/have-you-had-your-recommended-dose-of-research/
Introduction to Task Based Models- Indi Young
http://www.slideshare.net/indi/a-brief-very-brief-introduction-to-task-based-models