Skip to main content
UploadLanguage (EN)Support
BusinessMobileSocial MediaMarketingTechnologyArt & PhotosCareerDesignEducationPresentations & Public SpeakingGovernment & NonprofitHealthcareInternetLawLeadership & ManagementAutomotiveEngineeringSoftwareRecruiting & HRRetailSalesServicesScienceSmall Business & EntrepreneurshipFoodEnvironmentEconomy & FinanceData & AnalyticsInvestor RelationsSportsSpiritualNews & PoliticsTravelSelf ImprovementReal EstateEntertainment & HumorHealth & MedicineDevices & HardwareLifestyle
Francis Rowland, profile picture
Uploaded byFrancis Rowland
PDF, PPTX2,592 views

User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want

The document discusses user research principles, emphasizing the importance of not directly asking users what they want, as it may not yield genuine insights. It highlights the need for empathy, curiosity, and specific goals when conducting research, alongside various methods like interviews, surveys, and usability testing. The author stresses the importance of analyzing data from both short-term and long-term user studies to inform design processes effectively.

Related topics:
User Research•
Download as PDF, PPTX
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want User research The gentle art of not asking users what they want Francis Rowland User experience designer EMBL-EBI Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want So... who is this guy exactly? User experience designer at EMBL-EBI Background in web design Distant background in environmental science Organiser for EBI Interfaces and Cambridge Usability Group I try to help people identify and describe [design] problems, connect with users, and deliver useful, usable services Day-to-day, I do a lot of sketching and prototyping Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” - attributed to Henry Ford (who may have never said this*) * http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/08/henry_ford_never_said_the_fast.html Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want “The trouble with market research is that people don’t think how they feel, they don’t say what they think and they don’t do what they say.” David Ogilvy (might have said this...*) http://www.foolproof.co.uk/three-old-chestnuts-cracked/ Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want So why bother with user research? curiosity -> insights -> empathy Talking to users will help you learn more about activities goals pain points opportunities “Validate that the problem you are solving actually exists ... [and remember] the user is giving you data, not an expert opinion” - Elaine Wherry Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Not this kind of empathy... Deanna Troi, Star Trek “empath” Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want So why bother with user research? curiosity -> insights -> empathy Talking to users will help you learn more about activities goals pain points opportunities “Validate that the problem you are solving actually exists ... [and remember] the user is giving you data, not an expert opinion” - Elaine Wherry Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Why are you doing the research? Set out goals before you arrange user research What do knowledge gaps are you trying to fill? Who are you going to report the research to? How will you act on this? What’s next? Test hypotheses Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Be prepared to dig... “WHY?” Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Long term user research Mine your data! log analysis helpdesk tickets Diary studies Fly-on-the-wall Fly-on-the-wall: http://ebiinterfaces.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/science-stories-and-better-design/ Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Short term user research Interviews Surveys Focus groups Participatory design Usability testing Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want How do you know when you’ve done enough? Look back to your research goals Did you answer your questions? Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want How do you know when you’ve done enough? Look back to your research goals Did you answer your questions? A note on usability testing “Using small numbers of participants [in usability testing] is acceptable because we’re hunting for usability issues. When you try to extend the purpose of your test it’s not possible to rely on such a small number of participants.” - Dave Hamill Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Only users? What are your “competitors” doing? Information from related projects? Idea generation might just start at home... Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Reporting back: “in-reach” Synthesising meaning from research results Storytelling Pictures; video Pull quotes & annotations Personas & scenarios Activity diagrams Monday, 4 March 2013
User research: the gentle art of not asking users what they want Thank you Any questions? Email: frowland@ebi.ac.uk Twitter: @francisrowland If you’re interested in learning more, come and talk to me, have a look at upcoming Cambridge Usability Group events [1] and the BCS East Anglia event [2] on March 7, 2013 [1] http://lanyrd.com/profile/camusability/ [2] http://bcs-paul-jervis-talk.eventbrite.co.uk/ Monday, 4 March 2013