User research: Interviews and beyond

There are many ways to learn about users. The technique we hear most about is interviews, but there are other ways. Join this fast-paced, highly interactive session to experience three other ways to learn about users (and yes, we'll talk about interviews as well).

Donna is an independent design consultant. With 20-ish years experience, she has expertise across the entire design spectrum – from strategy to delivery and everything in between – and loves all of it. She has designed for a wide range of problems across all kinds of industries, with a particular emphasis on information architecture and complex employee experience problems. Recognised internationally as a leading UX practitioner, Donna is a regular conference speaker and has written five UX-related books. She created UX Australia and ran it for 9 years.

Transcript

1. User research: Interviews and beyond Donna Spencer
2. About me Principal Product Designer at MakerX UX design for 20+ years Author, seamstress, weaver, cat lady
3. Today’s structure Quick intro Task analysis activity Concept mapping activity Experience mapping activity Wrap-up!
4. About user research
5. About user research User research helps you understand your users Interviews are the most-used method Today we’ll learn 3 more, as hands-on activities
6. Task analysis
7. Task analysis Breaking down a (linear) task to understand it in detail Good for understanding goals and how people get there Good for routine and recent tasks Hierarchical task analysis: decomposing a task Cognitive task analysis: understanding decision-making, problem-solving
8. Task analysis activity In pairs or small groups… What did you do to get here today?
9. Task analysis tips Know what you will use it for Use that to drive the granularity Analyse with a range of people to note differences
10. Concept mapping
11. Concept mapping Exploratory method to understand the elements of a concept and how they relate to one another Good for understanding how people think of a topic Good for digging into a lot of detail Mind maps are a common method It’s all about understanding the relationships
12. http://users.edte.utwente.nl/lanzing/cm_home.htm
13. Concept mapping activity In pairs or small groups, create a concept map of… • The network of people who influence your purchasing decisions • Your favourite art/music style (and relationships between artists) • How decisions are made at work • Your choice
14. Concept mapping tips Very flexible method – explore how you might use it Give participants an example so they know what to do
15. Experience mapping
16. Experience mapping Exploratory method to understand someone’s experience with a product or service Broader and over a longer period of time than task analysis Understand goals, emotional reactions Understand touchpoints
18. Experience mapping activity In pairs or small groups, create an experience map of… A recent experience with a product or service
19. Experience mapping tips Get participants to make the map – don’t just interview them
20. Thank you! @maadonna LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-spencer/ Makerx.com.au designmethods.com.au