User Research Flashcards
Researching competitors is a great way to discover solutions that worked and solutions that could use a bit of improvement. That being said, why is it important to not blindly accept existing solutions?
There’s no guarantee that these solutions provide the maximum value possible to users (or even any value at all).
So, what do we need to do to provide the maximum value possible to users?
We need to conduct our own research—to identify the actual needs of our potential users.
Why is engaging with your target audience early and often crucial to success?
By engaging with our target users early on, it allows us to test assumptions about our users, our hypothesis statement, and our problem statement.
What do you gain from observing the emotions and thought processes of real people?
We can reframe the problem we’re trying to solve in the context of real people instead of make-believe problems.
What are the benefits of valuable time invested in user research?
Effective user research ultimately saves time, prevents unnecessary rework, and allows teams to make informed design decisions.
What is User-Centred Design?
User-centred design (UCD) is a design method that focuses on placing the users of a system at the centre of all development decisions.
How does Jesse James Garrett, author of the book The Elements of User Experience explain it?
“user-centred design means understanding what your users need, how they think, and how they behave—and incorporating that understanding into every aspect of your process.”
How do you effectively employ the principles of user-centred design?
By talking directly to your users to understand how a design can meet their needs and requirements
It is integral that you engage with colleagues and customers – at which points in the design process must you engage with them?
Early and often throughout the design process.
What is the consequence to the end-product if you so not engage early and often enough throughout the design process?
Even a few degrees off-course early in the planning stages can lead to major miscalculations in trajectory and leave you with products or features that have little to no value.
Continual course-correction early on with real customer feedback is crucial
Out of the four main quadrants of UXD, User Research is one of the main quadrants, which other main quadrant does it strongly inform?
It strongly informs Experience Strategy in the early stages of a project. While not every designer can specialise in conducting user research, a basic understanding is still essential.
Name the two main types of User Research Methods designers employ at various points in the design process.
Generative (Exploratory) and Evaluative
What is Generative research?
Generative research is typically conducted upfront and helps designers better understand the problem space. One such example involves using interviews as a way to observe the thoughts and feelings of customers regarding the identified problem.
Most of these research methods can be sorted according to where they fall along two axes. What are the two ranges?
Most of these research methods can be sorted according to where they fall along two axes: one ranging from attitudinal to behavioural, and the other from qualitative to quantitative
Christian Rohrer of the Nielsen Norman Group identified a total of 20 different user research methods for UX designers to choose from. How could you determine which one will most benefit your project?
The Research method you choose will also depend on the type of information you’re seeking and the type of user you’re targeting. When you employ each method is just as important as which method you choose, as you’ll find that certain methods are more effective at different stages in the design process.
