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       User experience research aims to be able to provide information that seeks to provide insight to the user, provide context for usability, and asses potential problems while creating solutions. In short, the aim of user experience research is to gather information. This information can be used to identify facts or patterns, highlight problem areas, and reach conclusions about users and the usability of a product. Research teams then are tasked with deciding which types of research methods, tools, and techniques they are going to utilize to try to obtain their information. Typically, research methods are split into two categories: qualitative and quantitative. In this article, we elaborate on the differences between the two methods, their individual uses, and benefits in user experience research.

       Let’s say you’ve created a new digital tool that allows users to find and review gluten-free restaurants and brands in one place. So far, you’ve identified your target audience; gluten-free individuals. That’s a great start! Now, what do you know about how these gluten free individuals live their lives? What makes them tick? How do they make food purchasing decisions? How would you go about finding that information?

       A diary study is a research method that consists of collecting data about user activities, behaviors, and feelings over a certain time period, ranging from a few days to a month or more. During a diary study, participants will self-report their experiences and activities on a diary (or digital diary such as Dscout, Experience Fellow, Revelation or just Google Form). Participants will self report their interactions, thoughts and feelings in regards to a product or organization. Diary studies are useful to understand long-term behaviors and potentially create Customer Journey Maps through being able to document the customer's interactions with the product or an organization. 

Contextual Inquiry is a method adapted from ethnographic research which combines interviews, observational research, and task learning sited within the operational (work) environment. In our previous post, we defined what the method is, when it is best used (exploratory user research) and why (rich detail around context-of-use). 

Imagine your design team has a great new idea for a product that you think has the potential to be a real game-changer in the marketplace. For the sake of discussion, let’s say it’s a new app that will let small business owners manage their supply chain, so they know when their products will arrive, when they need to restock, and so on. Now, if your design team already works in the supply chain space, they might already know a lot about the user requirements. But what if all of your previous products are corporate enterprise-level software, and you don’t really have a good idea of how that scales down - which features your typical small business owners need, and which ones they will never touch?

     Let me ask you a question. Have you ever asked yourself, "where should I connect with my users to get the feedback I need?" After deciding how to proceed, did you get the answers you were seeking? If not, perhaps where you met the user wasn’t the ideal place.

     At KLI, we help our clients identify the most ideal venue based on a number of factors: the type of questions they have, the type of data/observations they seek, the amount of time they have, and their budget.

         A few weeks ago we explored the concept of Design Thinking and how that can be carried out in order to better understand a users pain points and learn how to effectively address them. During the design thinking process, there is a brainstorming phase in which all the ideas surrounding user opinions, user needs, and design issues are brought to light. This can be a pretty overwhelming portion of the design phase, and brainstorming is something that can occur even outside of the design context. However, brainstorming can often become cluttered and overwhelming if there are too many ideas being thrown around. So, how do we organize all the great ideas we have so that we can figure out the best ones?

Experts can be very helpful during initial design efforts for a product, sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience with a development team to guide their understanding of user requirements. After all, they understand everything in the domain so well and know a ton of skills, some of which they can perform without breaking a sweat. But what if we told you that expert influence on early design decisions can also introduce biases if not adequately checked?

      Good research does not have to be a super in-depth, complicated process. UX research that can garner a great deal of valuable insight can oftentimes be done in a simple, cost-effective manner. As seen through the 5-Second Test, some UX tests can be administered in basically five seconds which then allows for many people to complete the test in a short period of time. The more people who can complete a test or a study automatically means a greater response rate, and therefore, a greater yield of results. Quick and easy UX tests are not only effective in terms of the qualitative and quantitative data they can yield, but they are also cost-effective due to the quick and easy way in which they can be carried out. So, what are some other quick yet effective forms of UX tests that we can easily carry out?

One of the most effective ways to connect with your customer base is using online survey tools. Market research statistics can provide meaningful insight into details about a market, strategies, and customers.

An online survey can help customer relationship representatives gauge customer satisfaction, solicit information from existing or prospective customers, or help human resources professionals learn what matters to employees.