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Quick and easy
user research
Learn from the user and ensure your service is successful

Frédéric Gaillard gaillard@axance.fr UX Masterclass Sept 20th, 2010

3 things
We want to talk to you about today

Axance UX Master Class Sept. 20th, 2010 2

First
Why do we need user research to create new
products and services?


Second
What are the main pitfalls of user research?


Third
How can you conduct
quick and easy user research?


Your presenter: Frédéric Gaillard

• Founder and CEO of Axance “user experience
design”, France
• Axance: French, design consulting firm:
specialized in incorporating user-centered design
principles into online product lifecycle

• Date of creation: 1999
• Number of Employees: 35 (25 + 10 ext.)
• Total clients: 200+
• Turnover (2010): €3.9M (estim.)

• Founding member of UXalliance (with 4 others
entrepreneurs)

Axance 7

Part 1

Why do we need user research?

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It is dangerous to design
for a user who doesn’t exist

http://www.walletpop.com/specials/top-25-biggest-product-flops-of-all-time


Some other flops

http://www.walletpop.com/specials/top-25-biggest-product-flops-of-all-time
axance 10

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What do we really need
to learn from user?


We need to understand what really motivates the user

What does he need?
When does he need it?
How does he need it?


We must understand the entire user experience

• Perception

• Cognition

• Emotion

• Action


We must be able to build the real user journey

By focusing on user tasks
you can assure that less important functions
won’t clutter the interface


What tools and methods can you apply?

• Observation (in context of use)
• Usage testing
• Eye Tracking
• Remote usability testing
• User feedback (e.g. through online
surveys)


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Doing research
with your customer
helps you focus
on the right goals


Part 2

Which are the main pitfalls of
user research?

Our statement is:

Research is usually done
at critical moments
of the product life cycle


User research is often done for design validation
(go/no-go)

What should we fix to What does the end user think of
improve the global UX of our UR Definition UR our idea?
service?

Live/ Conceptual
Improvements design
Product
Are there any critical
problem encountered by Lifecycle What does the end user
the end user that we UR UR understand from our design?
should fix before going live?

Development Prototyping

UR
Is the end user able to use our prototype?


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A critical moment
is not the best time
to learn lessons from user
…and it’s often too late for designers to accept errors


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It’s too many lessons to learn
at the same time
(not just 1 lesson)


It’s a real challenge to apply all these findings from a research

A very small amount of findings is
processed

Only those:
- Easy to implement
- Easy to share among team members

Rarely the most important ones: those
that would change dramatically the
shape of a project

Data collection document from test


A common conclusion from client is:

Research takes too much time


e.g. the minimum length of a standard research today is 15 days

5/7 days 2 days 5 days 1 day

= 15 days

1- Preparation and recruitment
2- Fieldwork
3- Analysis and reporting

4- Presentation of report with project team

It takes 15 business days minimum before you get the results


Then

When research takes time…
it is harder for the design team
to build, learn …and rebuild

(to acquire a failure culture)


Part 2

How can you conduct quick and
easy user research?

1
Test small parts
…and test more often

27

Use cheap and fast evaluation techniques

• Short telephone interviews with user Duration: 1-2 day
(using screen sharing tool to view user interface)

• Expert reviews, cognitive walkthroughs Duration: 2-5 days
(if no access to users, due to lack of time or limited availability)

• Brief user research in realistic contexts Duration: 6-8 days
(focus on the Primary audience, organize a user panel, avoid lab and deliver
results in workshops)


How to shorten the length of user research?
With a focus on the Primary audience and by delivering the results in a workshop

2/3 days 2 days 1 day 1 day

= 6/8 days

1- Preparation and recruitment
2- Fieldwork
3- Analysis
4- Workshop with project team
(report is replaced by a workshop)

Time can be divided by 2


Provide the project team with easy lessons to learn

HP Version A HP Version B

24% 37%


Test early with Low-Fidelity prototypes
Layouts, visuals, processes, labels, colors…

Early sketches (informal)

Graphic mockup to visualize
Layouts with content
The solution


2
Share the raw results with
the whole project team
Before making any recommendations

32

Share important lessons with all stakeholders

• Helps make strategic decisions

• Promotes collaboration
(and team integration)

• Avoid low level recommendations
(not connected to the company
strategy) Castorama board of directors + design team
during a strategic workshop in nov. 2008


When possible…

3
Bring a user researcher
within the project team
as project management support

34

Embed the research in the design flow

Now: Continuous user input
UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR UR

1- Prototyping and design 2- Development 3- Optimization

UR UR UR

Before: User input was at critical steps of the project

Why is it cheaper?
- Less time needed to recruit the users
- No need to prepare testing material or brief the researcher
- Less redesign work (easy lessons provided “on the fly”)
- Customize the design team to user needs and behavior


Example: fnacmusic.com

• 10 months project

• 27 days of testing during 8 months (214 Participants)

• No redesign during first 2 years

We built « in store » lab


6 tips for quick and easy user research

1. Start with fast and cheap methods (e.g. expert reviews)

2. Test unfinished material (e.g. don’t build a prototype dedicated to testing)

3. Break user feedback phases in small segments (as a continuous process)

4. Test with fewer users but more often

5. Go to participant’s home or office if you have time (and attend sessions when possible)

6. Don’t ask for a report or user session notes (ask for a workshop right after the sessions +

annotated screenshots)


Bonus

How do you apply these methods
to international projects?

3 simple lessons
we have learned
About doing global user research


Lesson #1
Every member of the team must
share the same vision


Lesson #2
Every member of the team must have
continuous feedback
from the user


Lesson #3
Every member of the team must be
willing to learn from mistakes


Read our latest book!

Win 5 copies of our book today!
(Leave your business card in the basket, we will draw winners later today!)


Questions?

Visit our site: www.uxalliance.com

Frédéric Gaillard gaillard@axance.fr

Axance UX Master Class Sept. 20th, 2010

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