This document provides guidance on conducting user experience research for three teams investigating problems in farming, health, and security in Kenya. It outlines literature review, competitor analysis, interviews, contextual inquiry, and knowledge mining as appropriate research methods. For each team and method, it provides examples of the types of questions that could be asked and the sources of information that could be consulted to better understand users and identify opportunities. The presenter is introduced as a UX researcher based in Nairobi interested in applying these research techniques locally.

1. Conducting Research
Class 3 of 4
Kagonya Awori
UX Researcher
Nairobi, Kenya

2. Recap
Intro to UX part two
http://www.slideshare.net/kagonya/intro-to-ux-part-two
Defining Users
http://www.slideshare.net/kagonya/defining-users-18104455
Slideshare Account name: Kagonya Awori

3. Recap:
Three hunt statements from the teams

4. Team Farming
To find out how farmers in Kenya acquire
information on farm inputs, and how they
recommend retail prices and retail outlets.

5. Team Health
Explore ways of centralizing patient's records so
that it can be accessible from anywhere; but with
privacy considerations
To investigate how a patients information is stored
and accessed by the patient, medical
practitioners and the government; and to find out
how this information is protected.

6. Team Security
To investigate how Nairobians know find out
about and avoid security threats;
To investigate scenarios that expose visitors in
Nairobi to security threats.

7. Plethora of research methods to use

8. 1. Literature Review/ Desk Research
Applies all the time
Sources of information include:
Newspapers
Magazines
Blogs
Government Publications
Academic papers
Case studies

9. List sources of information for each team
Team Farming
To find out how farmers in Kenya acquire information
on farm inputs, and how they recommend retail
prices & retail outlets.
Team Health
To investigate how a patients information is stored
and accessed by the patient, medical practitioners
and the government; and to find out how this
information is protected.
Team Security
To investigate how Nairobians find out about and
avoid security threats; To investigate scenarios that
expose visitors in Nairobi to security threats.

10. 2. Competitor Analysis
“To know your Enemy, you must become your
Enemy.” Sun Tzu, The Art of War

11. Lets list competitors for each team
Team Farming
Which companies acquire information on farm inputs?
Which recommend retail prices & retail outlets?
Team Health
Which companies store patient information?
Where do patients, medical practitioners and the Govt. access patient
records from?
Which organisations protected client info? In or out of medical field
Team Security
Where do Nairobians go to to find out about security threats?
What do they read to know what avoid security threats to avoid?
What organisations inform the public/their employees on the danger areas in
Nairobi? How do they do it?

12. Methods to use
1. Competitor Analysis
Sign up for the product
Use it yourself
Interview current users
2. Bodystorming
Have your team test the product, then identify the gaps while testing it.

13. User Experience field research methods

14. 1. Interviews
Prepare a set of questions targeted to your concept, and ask
users in a face-to-face setting. It is useful to have two
researchers per interview session, so one can guide the
discussion, and the other can take detailed notes.
Do Not ask these questions:
What do you want?
What would you add?
Instead,
What problems do you have with the current product/service?
What do you think about the product/service you use?
Tell me about the last time you were robbed?/ went to hospital/ bought
a farm tool

15. 1. Interviews
Team Farming
To find out how farmers in Kenya acquire information on farm inputs, and how they
recommend retail prices & retail outlets.
e.g. Where do you buy farm inputs from? Why that shop and not others? What type of
farm inputs do you get from that shop?
Team Health
To investigate how a patients information is stored and accessed by the patient,
medical practitioners and the government; and to find out how this information is
protected.
e.g. Which hospital do you attend most? Are you registered there? Do you have access
to the your medical records? How do you keep track of your medical history?
Team Security
To investigate how Nairobians find out about and avoid security threats; To investigate
scenarios that expose visitors in Nairobi to security threats.
e.g. Which are the most dangerous areas in Nairobi? How did you know that? How do
you inform your friends about the dangerous areas? How do you know what areas to
avoid when you travel to a new town?

16. 2. Contextual Inquiry
This is a rich observational research technique where users are
observed in their natural environment as they perform a task, or
use a product or service.
Done in order to get the clearest understanding of how users
perform the task under study, what technology and information
they use , who they work with, what outputs they create and
that inputs they need.
More about how to conduct a contextual inquiry:
Definition:
http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/contextualinquiry.htm
Process:
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/contextual-inquiry.shtml

17. 3. Knowledge mining
Leverage the experience of people who are uniquely qualified
to offer insights—early adopters, power users, wizened veterans.
Draw out their knowledge in surveys, interviews, or brainstorming
sessions.
Team Farming: farmers, fertiliser sellers, agriculture SACCOs
Team Health: medical practioners, hospitals, patients, NHIF
Team Security: police officers, watchmen, journalists, G4S,
Red Cross, radio stations

18. About the presenter
Kagonya Awori is a User Experience Researcher in
Nairobi, Kenya. She holds a Masters in Human-
Computer Interaction (MHCI) from Carnegie
Mellon University, the birthplace and world leader
in user experience studies. She is the first African
with an MHCI from Carnegie Mellon.
Kagonya is passionate about catalyzing the
knowledge and application of user experience
research in the burgeoning tech community in
Kenya.
Her interests include local content
generation, mobile user experience design, social
networks and designing for rural communities.
She currently works on projects with iHub Research
and iHub UX Lab.