We’ve heard about the benefits of user research for years. It’s used by marketers and business leaders to explore new markets, bu user-experience and interface designers to ensure usability, and by designers and writers to confirm comprehension.
For many of us, the notion of user research conjures up images of observation rooms, elaborate surveys, charts, statistics, and complicated reports. Yet there are other powerful techniques that are relatively easy to implement and can offer remarkable insights—often with little investment of time or money.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be talking about a range of methods from simple to complex—that we call our Research Toolbox. Although not exhaustively comprehensive, this sampling reflects the typical techniques that designers and marketers are using to gain insights about users along the entire process of product and service design.
A Map of Possibilities
To help us select the right research tool, we’ve mapped them along two axes. This map will help you select methods appropriate for your situation and the type of user you’re investigating.
The horizontal axis maps the methods from “ask the user” (on the left) to “observe the user” (on the right). Sometimes, we want to ask a user directly their opinion or get an explanation of their actions or impressions. In other cases, we want to discretely watch a user, recording their unbiased reactions for ourselves. Asking is often useful for market validation and ideation, while observing is great for usability and comprehension.
On the vertical axis, we plot methods from “user is not yet conscious of needs” (at the top) to “user can articulate needs” (at the bottom). Sometimes, users aren’t able to tell us what they need because they don’t even know it for themselves. Other times, users are very vocal about what they need—often because their needs are rooted desires or pain points.
In addition to having a location on the map, the research methods are color coded to show groups that employ similar techniques.
Tell Me. (Blue)
These methods are best for gathering information quickly and directly. Use caution with these methods, since what people say and what they do are often quite different.
Show Me. (Purple)
The places and things people interact with provide clues about what they value, what tasks they want to simplify, and what kinds of tools or technology they prefer. These methods give you access to those insights.
Watch and Listen. (Yellow)
These methods show you what tasks and goals your users work to achieve on a daily basis. More importantly, they help you recognize obstacles to your users’ progress, which often translate into golden opportunities for your new product.
Get a Report. (Green)
These methods o!er a practical alternative to following users 24/7. Instead, arrange for them to give you reports of their activities, so you just get the highlights.
Test It. (Orange)
The sooner you start turning ideas into prototypes, the sooner you can put those prototypes in front of real users and catch your own misconceptions. Test it early, test it often—and save yourself time and money!
Get Creative. (Red)
Research methods that tap into the creativity of real life users can lead to extremely valuable insights. These methods can help users express concepts or feelings that they might not be able to put into words otherwise.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you details about each of the six method groups and the specific methods within each one.
Stay tuned!