Sara illustrates the importance of emotional intelligence to conducting good user research. She shares how to be mindful of your emotional state in a user interview and presents examples and techniques for deepening self-awareness, regulation, and empathy so that you can better read your participants.

1. Sara Summers
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

2. Invisible Me
Emotional Intelligence & User Research
Sara Summers :: 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

3. Sara Summers
User Experience Evangelist
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

4. Data.
We collect, analyze, massage it and…
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

5. Data.
We collect, analyze, massage it and…
get our dirty little hands all over it.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

6. It’s
wo
:D rse
Data. .
We collect, analyze, massage it and…
get our dirty little hands all over it.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

7. It’s not me, it’s you.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

8. We influence subjects’ comfort, mood and
motivation (our results) with our bedside
manner.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

9. You’re in work mode.
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10. Back Story…
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13. Creative Staycation
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19. Turn off work mode, to achieve better
outcomes at your job.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

20. In the quest for accuracy, we need to take cues
from a profession that demands it:
Homicide Detectives.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

21. Researchers & detectives have
one big thing in common,
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

22. Detectives must get accurate
data, so we need to become
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

23. Rad way to learn
detective skillz.
Dallas Team
Ken Penrod
Rick Duggan
Scott Sayers
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

24. Vid Clip!
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25. Best detective quality?
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26. The detective’s first
objective is rapport.
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27. The detective’s first
objective is rapport.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

28. Detective’s Toolbox
- Handshake
- Pat on the arm - Touch is a powerful tool
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29. Behavior and Emotion Basics
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30. Americans mask negative emotions with a
smile…and the Japanese do it even more than
we do.
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34. Lips can’t lie
- They convey a myriad of emotions but are
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

35. Rapport Building Basics
- Shut the hell up
(Dear, Watson)
- Positioning
Women prefer face to face, men like angled
- Pen to paper
If words fail, sketch it out, encourage it
- Reverse chrono
For recollection, try starting last to first
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

36. October ‘08 to July ‘10
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37. We are what we do.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

38. When we toggle client relationships,
tenuous work constraints, we often
shut off compassion.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

39. Doctors have no reaction to poking, prodding
patients (they’re helping).
People can regulate empathy.*
*NeuroImage Journal, January 2010, Physicians down-regulate their pain empathy response:
An event-related brain potential study, by: Jean Decety a, Chia-Yan Yang b, Yawei Cheng
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

40. What ‘soft skills’ do you bring
to the table?
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41. Emotional Intelligence.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

42. Maureen O’Sullivan
founding researcher in
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

43. Emotional Intelligence:
Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Empathy,
Social Skills
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

44. Emotional Intelligence:
Essential ingredient for leaders.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

45. How about UX and Research?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

46. Self-awareness,
Self-regulation, Empathy,
…MUST for creating great products.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

47. Self-awareness:
Understanding of one’s emotions, values, strengths and
weaknesses. Honest with self and others.
Social skills:
Friendliness with purpose. Facilitating agreement,
enthusiasm, support and passion for collaboration.
Empathy:
Thoughtful consideration of the feelings of others;
sense, understand and acknowledge viewpoints.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

48. Test yourself.
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53. Self-awareness:
- Pay attention to your triggers
- Lean into discomfort
Social skills:
- Study body language
- Meet/acquaint yourself with new people
Empathy:
- Respect, acknowledge emotions
- Observe people with good listening skills
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

54. Stay conscious of what you bring
into social dynamics.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

55. Questions?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011