Virtual Floorspace

To understand the competitive set of each participant, ask them to list the competitive sources of products or information related to the topic you are researching. Ask them to describe:

• The relative value of each source
• Likes and dislikes of each source
• Successful and unsuccessful interactions with competitive sources
• Experience using similar or competitive web sites
• Rating of your site vs. competitive sites based on specific criteria

As a result of the competitive set module, you should have obtained:

• List of competitive sites
• Positive and negative aspects of competition
• Ratings to compare across participants
• Competitive benchmark in terms of design and/or functionality
• Opportunities to reach parity or superiority

Sample script:

• When did you first start planning your last stay in a vacation resort?
• When you started planning, which companies were you considering staying with?
• Why did you include each of these?
• Which companies did you leave out of this list? Why?
• Are there any companies that you wish you would have included in this process? If yes, which one(s)?
• Are there any companies you wish you would have left out of this process? If yes, which one(s)?
• Which web sites did you visit?
• Which web sites did you know about but not visit? Why?

Copyright 2009, Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (http://www.usography.com)

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts

Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (www.usography.com) customer interviews, e-commerce, e-retail design strategy, selection set, user research