Rich UX Research for Everyone UX London, 2015

Interesting Questions➔ Do Android users understand the

hamburger menu?

➔ Is this font size readable on an iPad mini?

➔ Does my new sign-up process reduce abandons?

More Interesting Questions➔ Will people make purchases on mobile? Do

they prefer a native app or the mobile web?

➔ What are the barriers to signing up for food aid?

➔ How and how often do people check their social media messages?

Really Interesting Questions➔ When are people happy?

➔ How do people mentally model the process of voting?

➔ What does publishing really mean to self-published authors?

➔ What are the information needs of newly diagnosed cancer patients?

I’m Cyd Harrell (@cydharrell)

I’m Product Director at Code for America

My favorite tools: empathy & duct tape

How do people really use phones in their cars?

EngineerUXDesigner

DataScientist

GovernmentPartner

Really Interesting Questions➔ When are people happy?

➔ How do people mentally model the process of voting?

➔ What does publishing really mean to self-published authors?

➔ What are the information needs of newly diagnosed cancer patients?

Publishing: Steven’s Story

This afternoon’s agenda➔ 14:20 Deeper Remote Research Methods

➔ 15:10 Diary Studies: Theory

➔ 15:30 BREAK

➔ 16:00 Diary Studies: Practice

➔ 16:30 Recruiting the Right People

➔ 17:15 Questions & Wrap Up

Not just remote testing, remote research

You know this one, right?

Exercise➔ Broad Research Goal: understand planning behaviors on

mobile➔ Participant Task: plan a group dinner at a nice restaurant

➔ Moderator Goal: sketch a map of what’s important➔ Constraint: sit behind the participant - you’re not allowed

to see their face

Observations?

Experience Sampling

Experience Sampling

Cyd’s results

What would you actually need to do this?

Toolkit for Simple Experience Sampling

➔ SMS

➔ People’s phone numbers

➔ Mobile forms

Mobile Forms

Questions?

Co-design remotely

Google Draw Testbeds

Google Draw Testbeds

Let’s try it!

The research labin your pocket

The old toolkit

The new toolkit

Components of a Diary Study➔ Writing

➔ Photography

➔ Audio recordings

➔ Video recordings

➔ Participant interactions

Questions?

Break time!

Welcome back!

Writing Diary Study Prompts

Writing Diary Study Prompts

Diary Study Responses

Diary Study Responses

More Diary Study Prompts

More Diary Study Prompts

Diary Study Responses

Exercise➔ Sample Research Goal: understand how couples share

news, information, tasks, & affection while separated➔ Participant Task: up to you

Share your prompts

dScout freebie

Questions?

Get the right peopleor go home

Participant Options

➔ Someone on your team➔ Grab someone who isn’t involved in your project➔ IM your outside friends for a quick look➔ Panels & agencies that match demographics➔ Real users from email & consent lists➔ Physical & web intercepts

realness

Real people, real contexts of use

➔ Why are you doing this work?➔ What exactly are you asking? (How much time, where,

when)➔ Who do you need? (tasks or demographics)➔ Who is asking?➔ Who vouches for you? (official sponsor or trusted leader)➔ Will there be a reward or incentive?➔ Can this be confidential or anonymous?

Snowball Recruiting

➔ Start with your own network➔ Use social media and email➔ Craft your appeal with forwarding in mind➔ Ask every participant who else they know who can help

Pro tip: include bio or personal information in forwardable appeals “Matt is a local father and researcher”

Anatomy of a recruiting tweet

@person we’re interviewing [job or characteristic] about [topic] on [dates] (paid research) -interested? [LINK]

I’m looking for [job or characteristic(s)] for a [research activity] on [dates] incentive £x [LINK] please RT

Pro tip: edit your profile to mention “UX Researcher” and “Current Study: (study topic)”

Anatomy of a recruiting emailDear community leader,Thank you so much for passing this on to your [members]. We’re hoping to interview [job or characteristic] about [topic] on [dates] at [place]. These will be [one hour] interviews and will be [entirely confidential]. We are offering an honorarium of [£x].

We have been working in [place or field] for [5 years now] and have so appreciated the participation of the community. This research will directly help with efforts to improve [thing] and we will share our results via [reporting method].

Incentives that work

“Thank you so much, I really appreciate your taking the time to talk to me.”

Paid Incentive Goals➔ Draws in users without an agenda➔ Doesn’t draw in prize hunters➔ Doesn’t cloud the study question

Logistically➔ Collect minimal personal information➔ Deliver quickly➔ Appropriate for location

Exercise➔ Broad Research Goal: your own next study➔ Participant Needs: consider demographics, tasks, timing

➔ Task: create the appeal to reach out to these participants...or those who represent them

Share your appeals

Choosing which people

Back to Forms➔ No more than 5 questions➔ Always ask an open-ended

question

“What’s your biggest challenge in arranging child care?”“Why did you come to this website today?”“What was the occasion for the last travel reservation you booked?”

Back to Forms“What’s your biggest challenge in arranging child care?”

➔ Pro Tip: How to find actual speakers of a language:

“ What happens when you let go of a balloon?”“ Qu'est-ce qui se passe quand vous lâchez un ballon? ”

Exercise➔ Broad Research Goal: your own next study➔ Participant Needs: consider demographics, tasks, timing

➔ New Task: create the screening survey to identify the right participants

The right person is someone who cares, who is available and communicative.

Final questions?

Thank you Igor & Liga!

You can reach me at cyd@codeforamerica.org @cydharrell

Thank you for coming!

Go run some amazing research.