Virtual Floorspace

Once participants arrive, the interviews are mainly a matter of ensuring that the data you need to capture as outlined in the interview protocol is captured. After the first couple of interviews, the research lead will develop a sense of topics that are most likely to result in data that will be useful to innovative design work in the future. The research team should debrief after each interview to discuss whether the research protocol should be modified for any reason. Some questions or exercises don’t work as well as planned in terms of data capture and participation, and need to be amended or omitted. In my experience, the most changes are made either after the first session, the first day, or the first round of interviews.

As time goes by, the interview moderator may modify the interview for each participant to get the most value out of the interview. Some people feel that this is problematic because modifications to the interview precludes comparisons of data across participants for a given set of variables. My feeling is that assigning such weight and rigor to variables that are being measured qualitatively is to misunderstand the nature of the data being collected in customer interviews. I feel that it is best to get the most value out of each interview and to characterize each participant as clearly as possible, and then to compare variables across participants to the degree that it makes sense for the type of data being collected. If a participant is leading me down an interesting trail of discovery toward a potential opportunity for design innovation, then I will follow that trail in lieu of other sections of the interview that I feel will not be as fruitful. My sense of where to take the interview has developed over many years of interviewing customers for the purpose of creating innovative web sites.

Uncategorized customer interviews, customer research, Depth interviews, e-commerce design strategy, interview protocol

In addition to the materials required to conduct the research exercises and to capture data, you will need to organize food and drink according to the standard practices of the organization sponsoring the research, and as allowed by the project budget. Sometimes the food and drink offering is elaborate, with a full lunch or dinner provided as a perk to the participants, researchers, and/or project sponsors. In other cases, it is very simple: “The snack machines are over there.” At a minimum, bottled water should be provided for the people who will be talking the most: the participant and the moderator. I prefer a middle of the road set up, because lots of food tends to cause unwanted distractions, and participants fumble with plates and trying to eat while being observed. I prefer a selection of soft drinks and juices, with a tray of assorted snacks like trail mix, power bars, or other easy to eat items.
Research days are often 10 to 12 hours long, and so a lunch tray for the research team is always welcome. I prefer to order lunch and have it delivered to the area where the team is located, rather than going out to lunch. Walking to lunch spots with the project sponsors and team is a good opportunity to bond, but in some cases it leads to many opportunities for getting off-track for the afternoon sessions. Project sponsors or wayward team members start window shopping or stopping for little errands, and then we’re late for the first afternoon session. Being cooped up in the same small room for 12 hours is no joy, but it tends to keep people talking over impressions, which can be very fruitful.

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

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

Uncategorized customer interviews, Depth interviews, interview protocol, methodology, planning user research

The research protocol should include a detailed schedule for each day. The following is a typical daily schedule for Usography research projects:

-       Prepare participant testing station and observation room

-       Make copies of script if necessary

-       Set up video equipment when research assistant not present

-       Replenish materials for exercises if necessary

-       Prepare water and/or other refreshments

-       Conduct Interview 1

-       Debrief

-       Replenish materials and prepare rooms, as needed

-       Conduct Interview 2

-       Debrief

-       Replenish materials and prepare rooms, as needed

-       Conduct Interview 3

-       Debrief

-       Replenish materials and prepare rooms, as needed

-       Conduct Interview 4

-       Debrief

-       Assemble and label materials completed during the day

-       Burn data to DVD

Research sessions are being scheduled at 2 hour intervals. The interviews usually last 75 to 90 minutes. There is a break between sessions of 30 to 45 minutes, when the team talks about what was observed in the previous session and the changes, if any that should be made to the research protocol. If the team takes a lunch break, it usually lasts 30 minutes and is taken on-site.

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

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

Uncategorized customer interviews, e-commerce design strategy, interview protocol, methodology

The research team should arrive at the interview location at least an hour before the first interview will take place. This gives you time to prepare the setting and agree on any mechanics of the interviews that are still open. If interviews will take place at different locations throughout the day, then my team usually meets for breakfast to run through the day’s activities and to make sure all materials are ready for use.

If interviews will take place in a central location, then a list of the current day’s interview participants should be printed out and posted in the area where they will take place. This list should also be emailed to team members and stakeholders.

Check with security prior to the day of the sessions to figure out what kind of documentation will be required to bring participants into the research area. Checking ahead with security is relevant in all kinds of research settings, from office buildings to retail locations, to special facilities like airports. This is often overlooked, and can lead to big headaches. At a minimum, security should be given a list of each day’s participants. They usually have some kind of guest badges or passes that can be issued at the check-in desk.

The research protocol you wrote identified the materials that will be required for your customer interviews. The materials identified in the research protocol should be refreshed at the beginning of each day. Copy machines for some reason seem to break more often the day that interviews take place, so we usually make lots of copies prior to the day we will need them. We are especially careful to have extra copies of any paper forms that participants will write on directly, because if we are lacking those, then we will be lacking data we need. Recording devices, media for data and copies, markers, pads, etc., should all be checked at the beginning and end of each research day to avoid unpleasant surprises.

As a point of reference, the following are materials that Usography typically requires for customer interviews:

• Copies of research protocol
• Release form (permission to use likeness and responses)
• Payment received form
• Cards with content types, features, concepts
• Photos for brand impression analysis, photo elicitation
• Grid with topic relevance on one axis, perceived value on the other
• Digital camera, recorder, or video camera
• Map of physical location where activities or interactions take place
• Markers
• Blank wireframes for screen sketches

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

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

Uncategorized customer research, Depth interviews, design research, e-commerce design strategy, in-depth interviews, interview protocol

When the day arrives for conducting the interviews, there are many preparations to make to ensure a smooth and successful day of interviews. Many things can go wrong that were unexpected, that put customers on edge or make the sessions less effective than they could be. This is a big problem for customer research because of the expense involved and because it takes time to get funding approval for the research sessions. The more precisely you plan the actual interview logistics, the more likely it is that your interviews will be productive.

In subsequent posts I’ll cover the following topics:

• Prepare the research location
• Review the daily schedule with research team members
• Check recording equipment
• Prepare for refreshments and breaks
• Receive participants

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

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

Uncategorized e-commerce design strategy, research methods, user research

In my last post, I discussed an interview module that asks customers to evaluate an existing design. This post is an example of that module.

Interview outline:

-       Review the ReGIS design comps of key screens with participants

-       Ask participant to describe each of the elements on each page, and what they think each component does

-       Ask participant to describe the destination of the most important links on the page

-       Ask participant to mark up the page using a highlighter, specifically indicating with components should increase or decrease in prominence

-       List components that the participant considers as missing

Data to capture:

-       Marked up design comp

-       Identification of design elements that cause confusion

-       Notes about participant’s design preferences

-       Research assistant’s coding of participant reactions (see “coding” on page xxx)

Example Script:

Please take a look at this design for the start page of ReGIS. I would like to get your your feedback about this design. This design was not created by anyone in the room, or anyone from the Company for that matter, so nobody’s feelings will be hurt. Be as direct and opinionated as possible.

As we talk through this design, I’m going to ask you to mark it up to show your thoughts and opinions. To do that, please use these highlighters and this pen. When you see a type of information or tool that you would be likely to read or use, highlight it with the green highlighter. When you see a type of information or tool that you don’t understand what it means or how to use it, highlight it with the yellow highlighter. When you see a type of information or tool that you would not be likely to read or use, mark through it with the black marker.

Okay, now I would like to ask you to begin in the upper left hand corner, and describe what you see in each area of the page. Describe what you think it is for, and what you think will happen if you click it.

Probe regarding participant’s understanding of each design element on the page.

What is your understanding of how the “Bring It Now” feature works? What products do you think you would find there? Do you think there is an extra service charge to have these products delivered immediately? What do you think that service charge is? What do you think it should be?

What is your understanding of this element in the middle of the page (Coupons for on-site amenities)? How do you think it works? What will happen if you click one of these links?

Remind participant to describe what the expected outcome is of clicking each major link on the comp.

If participant omits component, ask question to make sure they can identify component when prompted.

Missing components

Now you’ve responded to the design elements on the page. Let’s talk about what’s not on the page, that you would like to see added in. You can review the ideal guest site you designed earlier or the lists of tasks we covered earlier in the interview if you want to.

What components would you like to add to the page?

For example: “How do you think community tools such as Locate Guest, Post Pics, or Post Video should be accommodated in this design, if at all? If they were included, how often would you use them?”

Specific outcomes of the design evaluation module include:

• Customer-generated requests for design modifications
• Opportunities for innovative design features and functionality
• Identification of interaction design elements that confuse customers

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

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

Uncategorized customer research, design strategy, e-commerce design strategy, participatory design, qualitative research, research protocol