This document discusses user experience (UX) research methods and best practices. It outlines the differences between UX research and market research, describing UX research as focusing on what people do and how they use products through smaller sample sizes. The document then covers various UX research methods like usability testing, prototyping, eye tracking, personas, surveys, interviews and diary studies. It emphasizes the importance of basing personas on direct user research and using them to build consensus and foster empathy throughout the design process. Finally, it provides tips for remote UX research, mobile research, card sorting, recruiting participants and maintaining best practices like checking biases.

1. Keeping your customers real
Jon-Eric Steinbomer, Director of Research
Lean Startup Circle - 2013

2. | © Progress UX LLC2

3. | © Progress UX LLC
UX Research is not Market Research
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User Experience
Research
•What people do
•How people use
•Smaller sample sizes
Market
Research
•What people say
•What people will buy
•Larger sample sizes

4. | © Progress UX LLC4
About Progress
Austin, Texas
Home Office and Usability Lab
Bellevue, Washington
Satellite Office

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Core UX Research Methods
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Usability Testing
Remote and Lab-Based
Prototype Testing
App (mobile) Research
Eye Tracking
Natural Interface (NUI)
Research
Expert Review
Out of Box Testing
User Research
Card Sorting
Tree Testing
Personas
Surveys
Contextual Interview/On-
Site Visits
Diary Studies
Listening Lab

6. Personas
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The over-achiever The follower The Idealist
© Nick Agin

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What are Personas?
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“Personas are not real people. They
represent real people throughout
the design process. They are
hypothetical archetypes of actual
users.”
Alan Cooper

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Why Personas?
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• The “average” user does not exist.
• We are not our users.
• Build consensus.
• Foster empathy.
• Support ideation.
• Research study recruiting.

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Endless flavors!
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Characteristics of Ineffective Personas
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• Contain too much “fluff”
information.
• Are based on dubious or
unknown sources.
• Aspirational - who you wish
your customers were.
• Static.
• Are not used.

11. | © Progress UX LLC
Characteristics of effective personas
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• Are based on direct user
research.
• Convey only relevant
information, i.e. - what
people want, what they are,
what they do - their story!
• Are iteratively refined and
validated.
• Are often referenced in
discussions and ideation.
“Roger”“Early Adopter”

12. | © Progress UX LLC
Final thoughts on personas
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“Personas are not real
people. They represent
real people throughout
the design process. They
are hypothetical
archetypes of actual users.
Although they are
imaginary, they are
defined with significant
rigor and precision.”
Alan Cooper

13. Remote UX Research
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Remote UX Research - Expanded Reach
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Researchers
Participant
Observers
Participant
Participant
Participant
Participant
Participant
Participant
Participant
Participant
Observers

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Remote benefit - ethnography
Participants are more comfortable as they speak
to us using their own OS, browser, resolution, etc.
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Remote UX Research & Real-time Interaction
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Remote UX Research Best Practices
• Mind the time zones.
• One moderator per session.
• If time allows, start broad, then narrow down to
your subject (website, prototype, product).
• Have a backup plan for the screen-share.
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18. Mobile/Hardware Research
Back to the lab!
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In-Person and On-Device
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Mobile app/Hardware Research
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http://www.mrtappy.com/

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Out of Box Testing (OOBE)
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22. Card Sorting
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Card Sorting
Helps us understand:
• user-derived labels (what do people call things)
• which items belong in existing categories (what goes where)
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Card Sorting with OptimalSort
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Card Sort Results
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Dendrogram visualization

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Tree Validation
Helps us understand how
well a given navigation
structure works
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27. Diary Studies
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28. | © Progress UX LLC
Diary Studies - Longitudinal UX
Helps us gain:
• Iterative feedback collected over time and use.
• Take us beyond initial discovery.
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research.microsoft.com

29. Recruiting Participants
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30. | © Progress UX LLC
Identify who you want to speak with
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• Personas
• Marketing data
• Call center data
• Sales staff

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Cast the net
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Forums
Social media
Ethnio - Live Intercept

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Screen each candidate
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Compensation
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34. A few best practices
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35. | © Progress UX LLC35
“everything we perceive is filtered and
biased by our version of things.”
“...understand one’s behavior free
from the tyranny of one’s own
expectations and biases.”

36. | © Progress UX LLC
UX Research best practices
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• Keep your ego in check.
• “Users” don’t exist, they are (we are) real people with
complex and sometimes messy lives. Dig in to find people’s
story.
• Conduct regular product research with real people. Weekly
or bi-monthly if possible. Get it on the calendar.

37. Thank You!
@ProgressUX
je@experienceprogress.com
Jon-Eric Steinbomer
www.experienceprogress.com