User research is the one thing that you should never skip in a user experience process. It provides insights and understanding into the motivations and drivers of existing (and potential) customers and it is a key input into any design. How much user research you do, however, is very much dependent on your company, project, and timelines. So, be prepared to have many different tools in your quiver, to respond to these varying situations.
There are many different ways you can get user insights, and I detail some of them below.
User Interviews
The “bread and butter” of user research… the user interview. You spend one to three hours talking to a person about their life: What they like, what they dislike, what they love. You go in-depth in the topic you are researching, even to the extent that you (if they let you) go through their home to look at their environment. The key to this, and most of these research methods, is active listening. Have an engaged conversation with the person to really understand who they are and where they are coming from.
For logistical (and in some companies, legal) reasons, you should have a colleague accompany you and take notes during the interview. Video and/or audio record the interview, so you can go back and double-check points later (and make sure you have the participant sign a release form that they agreed to be recorded). Finally, come to the table with a pre-written set of questions and topics that you want to cover, but don’t be afraid to go “off script” to get into the details of their responses.
Ethnography
This involves shadowing users for days or (if time and budget allows) weeks, to get a sense of what their lives and workflow is. This is (in most instances) work related, so you’ll be monitoring several people in their nine-to-five jobs. The key to this type of research is to be a “fly on the wall” and capture EVERYTHING. Yes, this is an odd situation at first, and many people revise their behavior because they are “on camera.” You’d be surprised how often participants forget you are there, however… even if you are RIGHT THERE, four feet away.
In the many different ethnographic research projects I’ve done in the past, I sat and typed notes until my fingers felt like they would fall off… And even then, I went back to the video and audio I had recorded to review what I had captured to find more insights. This is a time and labor-intensive approach, so keep that in mind.
Collaborative Design
This is when you basically “co-design” with a participant, after framing the problem space and desired functionality in a clear and simple way. The sketching and design part is not the important part (users aren’t designers) – the important part is the conversation that foes along with the design activity. It allows you to get a sense of what the person likes and dislikes, and that’s a key input into the “intellectual capital” you need to produce effective designs.
“Guerrilla” research
If you can’t locate existing customers, you can have some quick “friends and family” interviews that can let you. While less formal that typical user research, you can definitely get some insights from such conversations.
Focus Group
This method has its challenges, in that it’s… not very good. Yes, you will in all probably get some information by the end, but you will also suffer through a lot of “groupthink” and bickering. You may also suffer from one of the participants effectively “taking over” the conversation because of their dominant personality. Focus groups have their place… but (in my opinion) user experience research is not one of them.
Stakeholder Interviews
While not the user, many stakeholders in your company have insight into the “voice of the customer”, either through market research, trade shows, or feedback. They can also provide the business perspective, which is an important input into what you need to do in the final design.
Diary Study
I have had great success with diary studies, where users record what they do for a short period of time. It provides the sort of “from the horse’s mouth” insights that you may not be able to get from ethnography or interviews. It’s hard to get people to commit to such an effort, though, so be aware you’ll have to do spend more time recruiting.
Closing
What method should you use? I’ll once again use a phrase that is a vital part of any user experience professional’s library: It depends. It depends on your research goals and the needs of the project. If the project is a very large redesign of an existing product, application or website then I would spend a lot of time doing user interviews and ethnography. If the project is a “quick hit” revision, then I would do some stakeholder interviews and some “guerrilla” research to inform your work.
Again, find the approach that fits both your circumstances and your comfort level, but always remember: you are taking time out of people’s lives, so please, be kind and respectful of their help.