This document discusses the significance of 'small data' in answering crucial customer-related questions that 'big data' fails to address, such as understanding the reasons behind consumer behavior and product returns. It provides various case studies illustrating how analytic design group inc (ADGI) utilizes small data through qualitative research methods to uncover insights that inform product development and user experience strategies. ADGI positions itself as a leader in user experience design, emphasizing the importance of in-depth research to enhance business strategies and customer satisfaction.

1. The Power of Small Data to Answer Big Questions

2. As a Business Owner,

3. As a Business Owner, Product Development
Manager,

4. As a Business Owner, Product Development
Manager, CEO,

5. As a Business Owner, Product Development
Manager, CEO, Sales Super Star,

6. As a Business Owner, Product Development
Manager, CEO, Sales Super Star, or VP Customer
Experience…
You have some very
BIG Questions
about your customers and
their needs.

7. ‣ How can I make my product stand out compared to the
competition?
‣ How can I change the current market dynamic with
something new and bold?
‣ What kind of improvements can I make that will really
work for my customers?
‣ Why are people returning my product?
‣ How can I persuade people to change their behavior?
‣ What are people going to want in the future?
‣ How can I improve sales, even in a recession?
‣ What’s the best way to design this product (or
interface?)
‣ How can I meet my customers ever-increasing needs
without increasing my costs?
BIG Questions Like:

8. And you probably have tons of ‘Big’ Data:

9. ‘Big’ Data like...
‣ Web site analytics
‣ Sales figures
‣ Sales forecasts
‣ Profit and loss statements
‣ Number of units sold
‣ Type of people buying
‣ When people buy
‣ How much they pay
‣ How much your competitors’ products/
services cost
‣ Performance data about your product
‣ Info about your feature set compared to all
of your competitors
‣ A comparison of last week’s, last month’s
last years data to this week’s, this month’s,
this year’s data
‣ Spreadsheets of reported issues and
customer comments
‣ Results from A/B testing
‣ Survey results
‣ Demographic data
‣ Market analysis data

10. But while the ‘Big’ Data can tell you what, how
much, and who, it does not tell you why.
‣ How many people visit your site...
✴ but not why they do
‣ Whether sales are up or down...
✴ but not why
‣ How many units sold last week and where...
✴ but not why people chose your product (or not)
‣ How much your competitors’ products/services cost...
✴ but not why that price point is working
‣ Performance data about your product...
✴ but not why people keep returning that same
product that’s working exactly as its supposed to
Wouldn’t it be
nice to know
why?

11. To answer the big questions,
the why questions, you need
what we call Small Data

12. What is Small Data?
Small data is research about your
customers, but with smaller sample
sizes and deeper investigation

13. What is Small Data?
Small data is research about your
customers, but with smaller sample
sizes and deeper investigation

14. What is Small Data?
Small data is both qualitative and quantitative

15. What is Small Data?
Small data lets us zero in on clusters of
insight that big data misses

16. What is Small Data?
Small data lets us zero in on clusters of
insight that big data misses

17. How have we helped our clients answer
their big questions with small data?

18. Consumer Behavior
Client question: What would make
someone switch smartphones?1.
Methods Used:
■ field study (12 participants)
■ diary study + final interview
Things we looked for:
■ device ecosystem
■ social ecosystem + device
intersections
■ set up pain-points
■ stated reason for choosing current device
Key findings
■ device ecosystem not all that relevant
■ social ecosystem is very significant
■ a failure to successfully transfer the
social ecosystem at set up is not easily
overcome over time
Value for client
■ identified competitive opportunities
■ highlighted how the experience changes when the
device is now in the carrier’s environment
■ mapped importance of device and social
ecosystems
Project Details
Turnaround time: ~ 12 weeks+
What’s your consumer
behavior question?

19. Sample
Ethnography, diary and lab study

20. Churn Reduction
Client question: Why are product returns
for this product so high?2.
Methods Used:
■ in-store intercept for recruiting
■ field study (12 participants)
Things we looked for:
■ digital ecosystem
■ set up pain-points
■ stated reason for buying this
device
Key findings
■ often a disconnect between stated
needs and device capabilities
■ while set up was fairly easy, instructions
from OEM made it more difficult
■ access to help was next to impossible
Value for client
■ pin pointed several issues that would not have been
apparent in usability testing
■ more than just tactical findings, we identified
several strategic findings
■ the findings were used to manage the product and
the program and the client found
■ value from them for over a year.
Project Details
Turnaround time: ~ 6 weeks+
What’s your churn
reduction question?

21. Sample
Ethnography

22. Performance Comparison
Client question: How does this device
compare to others?3.
Methods Used:
■ in-lab comparative testing
(40 participants)
Things we looked for:
■ comparing task performance
■ user preference and why
Key findings
■ whether certain key features were likely
to attract buyers
■ the relative impact of usability on the
perceived value of the key features
■ assess both preference for particular
devices, why and the size of the gap
Value for client
■ accurate predictor of market performance
■ highlight key development areas - where to
focus product development effort
■ the findings were used to manage the product
development into the next few cycles
Project Details
Turnaround time: ~ 8 weeks+
What’s your
comparison question?

23. Sample
Usability, Comparative study

24. Product Development
Client question: What is the best way to
develop this product?4.
Methods Used:
■ in-lab comparative testing
(24 participants)
Things we looked for:
■ comparing task performance
■ user preference and why
■ the impact of platform on perception of
perceived usefulness
Key findings
■ platform had a huge influence on
expected functionality
■ time on task less relevant than ease of
use and perceived usefulness
■ shifting platforms to complete tasks has
a significant negative impact on
perceived usefulness
Value for client
■ identified product development opportunities
■ prioritized feature value by platform
■ identified usability issues
Project Details
Turnaround time: ~ 10 weeks+
What’s your product
development question?

25. Usability, Comparative study
Sample

26. Social Innovation
Client question: Will our product move
the needle on a big social problem?5.
Methods Used:
■ field study/ethnography (18
participants)
Things we looked for:
■ family/physical activity dynamic
■ social ecosystem + device
intersections
■ activity related pain-points
■ stated reason for choosing to be active (or not)
Key findings
■ the proposed delivery method was not
going to be as effective as hoped
■ the significant pain point being
experienced by the target market is not
what was originally expected
■ a life-long social impact will have to be
considered in stages
Value for client
■ identified social innovation opportunities
■ illustrated an avenue for impact through solving
target market pain point
■ fleshed out demographic data with real customer
stories
Project Details
Turnaround time: ~ 12 weeks+
What’s your social
innovation question?

27. Sample
Ethnography

28. How can we help you…

29. answer your big questions?

31. Who we are
Analytic Design Group Inc (ADGi) is a visionary user
experience strategy and design firm that specializes in
using in-depth primary research to drive strategy, product
development and user experience decisions.
At Analytic Design Group inc. (ADGi) every element of our designs
have a purpose, our work activates the entire user experience in
support of your business strategy. We can do this because we know
why your customers do what they do. This is the fuel to our in-depth
analysis, the analytic part of Analytic Design, and the driver behind
what helps us craft user experiences that ensure that every touch
point of your digital product both supports, delights, and enables
people as well as meets your business goals.
Some of our clients include:
Capital Group, University of British Columbia, AT&T, Sony
Founded in 2005 on the
principle that evidence-based
design will always be more
powerful than design driven by
best practices, we have grown
from a single practitioner to a
vibrant, collaborative team.
ADGi’s Vancouver
offices are at the
beautifully restored
Flack Block

32. Our Services
Key service areas include: user research, user experience strategy
development, interaction design, communication design, and
usability testing. Lately some of our work has also included service
design considerations as well. Our projects can include the full
sweep of user experience services (i.e. user research through
strategy and design) or just one element. Our aim is to always fit
the work required to the need, and we’ll work with you to ensure
you are getting the best value from our efforts.
/ Usability Testing / / Communication Design / / Interaction Design /
/ User Experience
Strategy Development /
/ User Research /
Service Packages:
• Make it Usable
• Increase Your Impact
• Discover Your Competitive Advantage

33. Karyn Zuidinga
CEO
604.669.7655
karyn@analyticdesigngroup.com
www.analyticdesigngroup.com
@analytic_design