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Conduct user research

(Read AppleHIG)

  1. Know your users - Analysis their tasks : watch them working. Design solution but not features. Image how users will complete the task without computer.
  2. Build prototype: be quick and only for the purpose of improving the design. (* avoid using the same code written for prototype in the final product. )
  3. Observe users: use the information collected to revise your prototype. - Let users work with your product without any interference or extra help. For example, if you see a participant begin to have difficulty and you immediately provide an answer, you will lose the most valuable information you can gain from user observation: determining where users have trouble and how they figure out what to do. - Instead of writing and reading long report, watch user research video together with all your developer team (with people of different responsibility)

User research on foreign customers

Windows 8 stress-free intorduction. Reduce telephone call 21%. (Rate of returning was also over 20%)

  • Localize your design by considering the CULTURE CONSTRAIN (eg. direction, time, food custome, people's characterist etc.)
    • As an example, when writing manual. Write simple quick start manual for US people while write 丁寧な manual for JP people.
  • Do user research for 3 rounds, so that you can make and revise your prototype. Be simple, be quick and be cheap!
  • Different type of user research:
    • User test: make task for users
    • Expert review
    • 1 on 1 interview: (group dicussion will cause bias)
    • Survey/Questionaire.
  • User test: How to quantativly measure user experience?
    1. NE ratio (Novice vs Expert)
    2. Ratio of task completion
    3. Error free ratio
    4. Rate on difficulty
    5. System usability Scale
    6. Time cost of task completion
    7. Net Promoter ratio - An example: solve Windows8 metro interface problem by quick start guides. For US people, almost don't read manual even you ask them to do so. Thus: Video > Drawing > Text.
    8. Measure on UI usage: time cost, click count.
  • Questionaire:
    • Ask users to rate on adjective words (of course you have your own weights on those adjective work).
    • Ask purpose: how do you use it, for what purpose.
    • Online interactive survey is a level-up of normal questionaire, It is recommended because:
      • Interactive survey allow you to ask follow-up questions so that you can consider your questions carefully.
      • Small tip 1: allow for hesitate and pondering for no more than 2 weeks (or he will forget).
      • Small tip 2: ask about only one topic in each question.


conduct_user_research.txt · Last modified: 2019/09/18 08:46 by admin