6 UX Research Tips You Shouldn’t Skip
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I was sitting in my living room wondering what my lecturer was doing and asking myself “Oh God, when will he reply my message?”. Then suddenly a new chat popped on my phone notifications from one of my friends. He shared a registration link for an academy which got me to write this article.
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Last year (2020) is one of the most challenging years for all of us as we have to adapt to the new normal. As a final year undergraduate student, I also tried to utilize the opportunities that I had to improve skills since I had been squatting indoors 24/7 for a year long period of time (still counting though). Long story short, in the middle of 2020, I ventured myself to register for an online UX Academy since I was (and still) interested in this UX world from digital product development and had nothing to do since I was on the waiting list to do my thesis defense at that time.
At the UX Academy, I was mentored for 4 days by three UX research ninjas from a UI/UX agency and a decacorn from Indonesia. I learned how to do usability testing, in-depth interview, note-taking, user journey, and user persona. In this article, I will share with you guys the most valuable things that I gladly absorbed!
1. Always ask WHY?
“Mama used to say, you have to know someone a thousand days before you can glimpse her soul.”
― Shannon Hale, Book of a Thousand Days
I agree with the quote but as a UX researcher, we don’t have a thousand days to know someone’s behavior towards our app. So, to shorten the time, always ask ‘Why’ to any participant’s behaviors, sentences, opinion, expression, feelings, etc.
“Why did you choose to click this?”
“Why do you prefer this app?”
“Why don’t you like buying food at restaurants?”
“Why?”
To create a good environment while doing the usability testing and in-depth interview, please make a deal and make sure the participants have plenty of time to answer all of your questions. So that they can enjoy answering your questions and satisfy your curiosity.
2. Do Not Make Leading Questions
To simplify, do not ask questions to participants that can lead them saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, such as:
“Have you ever tried this feature before?”
“Why did you have difficulty finding the product?”
“So, you hate paying cash, don’t you?”
This could happen any time especially for a novice UX researcher like me (hehe) but I’m pretty sure that I will get better as I practice. So do you, don’t lose your hope!
3. Note the Verbatim, Not your Understanding
When I first joined the UX Academy, I didn’t know what verbatim is. But then, I google it and find out that verbatim is basically the exact, real, precise words and sentences that participants said during the in-depth interview and usability testing. Even the ‘hmmm’, ‘ooo’, ‘huh’, ‘hfftt’, ‘eh’, ‘hahaha’, etc.
To prove it, I compared my UX research study case before and after the UX Academy. Wow, to be honest, it makes a HUGE difference. I can gain more insights from the second UX research rather than the first one. Here are the examples of verbatim that I found on my second UX research study case.
Example 1:
“Aduh..mana ya?…gaada” (in Bahasa Indonesia).
“Ooh..where is it?…there’s none” (in English).
Example 2:
“Ini kalo gasalah ya..iya gaksih? Gabisa diklik hahaha yang ini gabisa diklik, Del, sumpah” (in Bahasa Indonesia).
“This is the right one..isn’t it? It can’t be clicked hahaha this one can’t be clicked, Del, I swear” (in English).
4. User Journey is Helpful and Fun!
My understanding about creating user journey is a method that can breakdown user’s behaviors, interactions, feelings, expectation, etc., towards an app. So, we can know and conclude what user needs the most. And the best part is that we are better doing this in team work, so we can hone our critical thinking here. Also, we can get to know user needs aptly.
5. Make an Understandable User Persona
In UX research, we usually use user persona to help us identifying our users based on their unique behaviors, feelings, jobs, etc., which can help us determine user needs. From what I learned at the Academy, user persona has:
- Nickname, for example, The Simple Person, The Explorer, The Loyal, The Eagle Eye, etc., you name it. Make it precise, understandable, and if you can, make it unique so anyone in your team can memorize it easily!
- Summary, is basically a statement describing a given nickname.
- Goal, is what user expects that a web or app can do. For example, uncomplicated web design.
- Motivation, is the reason why they expect something towards an app. For example, don’t have plenty of time to access web.
- Barrier, is the obstacle that makes their expectations aren’t fulfilled.
- Need, is basically what user needs while using an app or website. For example, icons and instructions that represent the features’ functions well.
- Photo, an image that represents our users!
Back to my experience, I had A LOT OF MISTAKES at this stage. But I want to tell you the mistakes that attached in my mind until now. Let’s start.
First, the mistake that I made was suggesting a new feature for the app in user needs column section. It is better to focus what user needs, not what the app should be. The mistake that I did was about like this:
Incorrect: A feature that can ensure user to buy certain product.
Correct: User needs others’ testimonial towards certain product.
Both of the sentences are leading to the same meaning but HOW you communicate to your team members is the most important thing.
”Within your visual communication there will inevitably be some information or meaning beyond the image itself for the person seeing to find. This makes visual communication a very powerful tool, by influencing what people see, you influence what they know, and by influencing what they know you further influence what they see.”
– Aldous Huxley, 1894 –1963
Second, an image in user persona is better to the one which represents the user the most. Believe me, it is quite tricky! There are so many images in this world that can be accessed and downloaded easily yet it makes us confused at the same time. And a little tip from one of the mentors from the academy, it is better to use illustration for user persona rather than using a realistic personal photo. I think it does make sense since we won’t have difficulties to get the approval using the image. Example:
The Nickname: The Ambitious
The Picture:
6. Make Friends and Connections!
“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” — Thomas J. Watson
Not forgot to mention that making new friends is the most fun thing that happened in the academy. Find friends and connections that support you to improve your inner knowledge, skills, and values! They will make you grow further rather than you will on your own.
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So, those are six things that I learned from the UX Academy that I have joined. Also, not forgot to mention that those are also the mistakes that I made while learning UX research. Remember that if you make mistakes, it means that you’re learning. Thank you guys for reading!
