The document outlines essential research skills for developers to effectively communicate with users, emphasizing the importance of recruiting the right participants and observing their behaviors in natural environments. It encourages developers to ask open-ended questions to understand user motivations and to allow users to interact with prototypes while verbalizing their thoughts. Several exercises are provided to apply these techniques, particularly in developing a competitor to OpenTable.

1. Research Skills for Developers
How to Talk to Your Users
Diane Loviglio
User Experience Researcher
@dianeloviglio
UX Eye for the Developer Guy - June 29th 2011

2. Research Techniques
Get the Right People Recruiting
Observe their Current
Observation
Behaviors
In-depth
Understand Why
Interviews
Let Them Talk You Through
Think-alouds
Your Product*
@dianeloviglio June 2011

3. Get the Right People
Don’t just talk to anyone.
Don’t just talk to everyone.
Recruit the people with behaviors you are interested in.
(worry less about occupation, age, gender unless it’s relevant)
e.g. Homeowners, not couple in their 30’s with their first child
e.g. Roommates who split bills, not college kids
Exercise
You’re developing a competitor to Open Table.
Which different types of users would you want to talk with?
@dianeloviglio June 2011

4. Observe Their Current Behaviors
In their natural environment
With their own devices
With their own problems and their own data
e.g. before Mint, people used spreadsheets to manage finances
get those artifacts - have them walk you through the structure
e.g. use their laptop, their browser, see their bookmarks,
their keyboard shortcuts etc
Exercise
You’re developing a competitor to Open Table.
Where and when would you observe your potential users’
behavior?
@dianeloviglio June 2011

5. Understand Why
Start questions with...Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
Would you? Do you think? Are you? This is based on hypotheticals!
e.g. How did you figure out how to get here?
Did you use Google Maps?
e.g. What would you change about your shopping experience?
Would you like bigger aisles?
Exercise
You’re developing a competitor to Open Table.
What questions would you ask to understand why your potential
user is behaving the way they are?
@dianeloviglio June 2011

6. Let Them Talk You Through
Your Product*
*This is not you giving them a demo
Sit them in front of your prototype/beta.
Give them a task and then let them drive.
Have them think out loud the whole time and record the session.
Take notes during the session.
If they ask for help, say
“First I want to see how you would do it. Imagine I’m not here.”
Exercise
You’re developing a competitor to Open Table.
What tasks would you give them?
@dianeloviglio June 2011

7. Research Skills for Developers
How to Talk to Your Users
Diane Loviglio
User Experience Researcher
@dianeloviglio
UX Eye for the Developer Guy - June 29th 2011