Understanding Your Users: How to Get Meaningful

InsightsLiz Lesemann

Lead Customer Researcher, MRPORTER.COM

UX Crunch London

May 2016

Jennifer Kilian, McKinsey

Pretty much all companies insist they focus on the

customer. Yet reality often belies that assertion.

Pretty much all companies insist they focus on the

customer. Yet reality often belies that assertion.

Budgets and key performance indicators often are

not aligned with performance on customer metrics.

Budgets and key performance indicators often are

not aligned with performance on customer metrics.

Research may be superficial.

Jennifer Kilian, McKinsey

Pretty much all companies insist they focus on the

customer. Yet reality often belies that assertion.

Budgets and key performance indicators often are

not aligned with performance on customer metrics.

Research may be superficial.

Business decisions made at the executive level often

fail to consider the impact on customers.

Common pitfalls of getting meaningful insights

1. Focusing too early on the solution; research done too late, or not at all

2. Doing what users want without thorough questioning

3. Not involving the right Personas in research

4. Not involving the business team in research

Common pitfalls

1. Focusing too early on the solution; research done too late, or not at all

2. Doing what users want without thorough questioning

3. Not involving the right Personas in research

4. Not involving the business team in research

Common pitfalls

VODAFONE birth of mobile payments

People use products in ways that serve them, which

can be extremely different from its intended use.

(famous example: M-PESA)

National  Archives,  Nairobi  city  center  (Photo  Credit:  Katrina  Shakarian)

2. Concept

3. Construction

1. Insight & Ideation

Interaction design Visual designPrototyping

Design principles User journeysInformation architectureDesign conceptPrototype

Evolution Maintenance

4. In Market

2. Concept

3. Construction

1. Insight & Ideation

4. In MarketKey metrics User testing

“We have done user research”“We already know what needs to be done”

2. Concept

3. Construction

1. Insight & Ideation

User testingFriendly user test / beta testing

Co-creationUser testing of early designsValidating the value proposition

Key metricsSatisfaction & engagementEvaluation of UXVoice of the Customer

4. In Market

Ethnographic researchMarket researchSecondary researchTrends

How can we truly innovate and improve the

user experience?

Carry out research early

Focus on understanding the problem; then look into solutions

1. Focusing too early on the solution; research done too late, or not at all

2. Doing what users want without thorough questioning

3. Not involving the right Personas in research

4. Not involving the business team in research

Common pitfalls

If I had asked people what they wanted,

they would have said faster horses.

Photo  Credit:  Harry  Shipler,  1910

To design is much more than to simply

assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is

to add value and meaning, to illuminate,

to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to

dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and

perhaps even to amuse.Paul Rand

Question every insight before building it into something

Use foresight, creativity and fresh thinking

1. Focusing too early on the solution; research done too late, or not at all

2. Doing what users want without thorough questioning

3. Not involving the right Personas in research

4. Not involving the business team in research

Common pitfalls

The fewer people you talk to, the

more important it is that your are

talking to a heterogeneous group.

Inflation of research

More testing isn’t always better

• Un-moderated testing means limited

depth

• Not defining user profiles well means

limited validity of insights

Identify who your users are

Make sure to include different user types (Personas) in research

1. Focusing too early on the solution; research done too late, or not at all

2. Doing what users want without thorough questioning

3. Not involving the right Personas in research

4. Not involving the business team in research

Common pitfalls

Get your teams

more involved in

user research.

Conduct the research that is most

interesting for your business team.

According to Boston Consulting Group,

Insight teams are concerned about a lack

of senior management in the research

process; and

https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/consumer_insight_marketing_consumers_voice/

Line managers often expressed

disappointment with the results on

consumer insight.

Engage senior management in research

Make sure your outcomes answer: ‘So what?’

Summary

Carry out research earlyFocus on understanding the problem; then look into solutions

Question every insight before building it into somethingUse foresight, creativity and fresh thinking

Identify who your users areMake sure to include different user types (Personas) in research

Engage senior management in researchMake sure your outcomes answer: ‘So what?’

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Any questions?

thanks!