This week, our continued exploration of of 23 user research methods brings us to category number 3: Get a report.
These methods offer 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. Get a report (methods 9, 10 and 11) falls in the middle of both axis of our grid, so it’s great for all users.
Self-reporting is notoriously unreliable and biased. For instance, most Americans report that they eat right and exercise regularly, yet statics show that many struggle with weight control and weight-related health issues. So, if you are going to ask your research subjects to tell you about their day, you’ve got to give them some structure.
These days, self-reporting can be combined with passive data collection, including information about the users activities, location, and even spending habits. These two data sources (passive collection and self-reporting) can be combined to verify the user’s report or add nuance.
Text Study
Send your participants text messages or set-up alerts on their phones. Instruct them to record what they’re doing each time they receive a text. You can ask them to record what they are doing, but also where, how they feel, who is with them, and what they were doing immediately beforehand. All of these factors can create a rich understanding of the users mindset and the influences in their loves. Several pages per day over the course of a week yield a spontaneous sampling of the participants’ daily experience.
Photo Diary
Set-up custom Instagram, Tumblr or blog sites for users to create a photo diary. Ask them to record their experience with regard to a certain topic, i.e. food shopping, preparation, and consumption. Review the photos periodically with participants. As you explore the images with the consumer, probe them on why they selected the subject to photograph. The “why” explanation is important learning.
Adopt a User
If your goal is to reinvent an existing product, volunteer to follow the person through the experience of the health condition or treatment. Immerse yourself in the multiple experiences of the user—for example pill-taking, meal preparation, eating, and diet behaviors. Although time intensive, this technique will help you understand a new culture and the unspoken cues that operate around product experiences.
If you’d like to hear more about how to use these methods, give us a call. Or check out our recent posts on Show me and Tell me.