Articles about User Research
Remote User Research: Opportunities for Adoption in Asia
Language Intro (75 words) Introduction, translated into 5 languages Asia is experiencing a user research boom, with the number of professionals growing rapidly. However, remote research as a practice is still not widely accepted across all Asian countries, due in part to low awareness of tools available. To become successful, remote research platforms need to adapt to the diversity of potential recruits in Asia and make it easier for researchers to screen, schedule, and compensate participants, as well as complete translations seamlessly. [Read More]
Virtual Techniques to Gather User Data for Optimal UX (Book Review)
Remote Usability Testing includes virtual techniques and digital UX methods used to gather user data in real time to make design decisions. This book provides detailed steps and considerations to gather user data, analyze that data, and translate those findings into design decisions. [Read More]
How Mental Health Apps Do (or Don’t) Support Some of COVID-19’s Most Vulnerable Populations
The emotional impact of the pandemic has taken its toll on people's mental health, which has greatly intensified the need for accessible and usable mental healthcare. The UW ALACRITY Center was given a grant by the US National Institute for Mental Health to study the acceptability, usability, and effectiveness of mental health apps for suicide prevention among essential workers and people experiencing unemployment during COVID-19. [Read More]
How to Think Like a UX Expert (Book Review)
Have you ever had an issue at work that you thought was unique to your company, only to discover that the issue was widespread and had been around for years? Think Like a UX Researcher sets out to assist those of us who could benefit from the decades of knowledge and wisdom that Travis and […] [Read More]
Cognitive Interviewing: A Method to Evaluate Surveys
Learn how cognitive interviewing can improve your surveys so you really get the data you need. Surveys are a common method for collecting data from users. To ensure you get the data you want, you must ask questions that truly reflect your research goals. Cognitive interviewing is a useful method for evaluating how well users can understand and answer your questions. In this article, we describe cognitive interviewing and compare it to usability testing, showing the similarities and differences, so you can start using cognitive interviewing to improve your own surveys. [Read More]
Reliability and Validity: Ensuring a Foolproof UX Research Plan
Methodical user research following best practices yields good results, but are they “reliable” or “valid”? Here's how we apply social science concepts to UX research. [Read More]
Getting Access to Doctors for User Research
Most first-timers in the healthcare-innovation space find it frustrating to get access to doctors for user research. [Read More]
UX in Southeast Asia: Examples Across Current UX Maturity Levels
The article explores the current state of UX in Southeast Asia and provides three examples from across the UX maturity spectrum. [Read More]
Cultural Dimensions of Chinese-American Websites
This article highlights the current state of UX in Southeast Asia and provides examples from across the UX maturity spectrum. [Read More]
Evaluating Smart Speaker UX: Guidelines and Approach
As the IoT world continues to expand, researchers need to understand what to take into account when evaluating and improving the design of smart speakers. [Read More]
10 Steps for Drafting a User Research Program (Part 2)
Research project planning provides benefits to both partners and practitioners alike. This article outlines the second five of ten recommended steps for research program planning. [Read More]
How Do Other People Do It? A Comparative Review of Usability Study Reports
An experimental insight into how Comparative Usability Evaluation studies and reports are done. [Read More]
10 Steps for Drafting a User Research Program, Part 1
Research project planning provides benefits to both partners and practitioners alike. This article outlines the first five of ten recommended steps for research program planning. [Read More]
Understanding User Adaptation to New Technology in the Manufacturing Industry
This article discusses the challenges faced, the importance of UX research, and the research process in the Indian manufacturing industry in the era of the Internet of Things. [Read More]
UX Research for the Gaming Industry Requires Looking through a Unique Lens
The gaming industry needs UX researchers who understand the unique challenges of creating good experiences for video games, which are very different than other interfaces. [Read More]
How to Conduct Field Research Anywhere (Book Review)
I have never before taken a “work” book to bed, and then read it compulsively all night. I actually haven’t done this since I was a kid (and then a flashlight was part of the equation). But, then again, I had never encountered a book as compelling, interesting, insightful, complete, readable, and downright beautiful as […] [Read More]
The Evolution of UX Research: A Job Posting Analysis
Looking to becoming a UX researcher, evolve your career, or train others? Learn insights about the state of UX research from a job postings analysis. [Read More]
How to Use UX Research to Guide an Agile Process
In this case study, the author discusses how she worked with her team to integrate research into an Agile development process. The resulting changes helped the team better respond to user needs by incorporating research throughout the sprint cycle. [Read More]
Big Data UX: Research Opportunity and Ethical Challenge
As UX professionals we need to serve as gatekeepers to properly handle ethical challenges when using videos of users’ participation within large sample new research tools. [Read More]
Understanding User Motivation: Creating Compelling IoT Experiences
Understanding how IoT technologies impact everyone in the household is key to designing intuitive, compelling experiences. [Read More]
Lean User Research: Lessons from the Agile Trenches
Seasoned user researchers share tips on starting, iterating, and scaling lean research methods to adapt user experience research to a fast-moving Agile development process. [Read More]
The Three Stooges Mock Usability Test: A Method To Train Inexperienced Facilitators
A hands-on method for training people new to research, or those wanting a refresher how to facilitate sessions with challenging participants. [Read More]
Writing Usable Survey Questions: 10 Things All UX Researchers Should Know
By following a few simple guidelines, you can create surveys that are more usable for your participants and will generate more useful data for you. [Read More]
Mechanical Turk: Quickly Scale Research Without Breaking the Bank
Through Mechanical Turk, user experience researchers can conduct quick, scalable, and budget-friendly studies, while testing a product’s accessibility and suitability for international audiences. [Read More]
Nielsen’s Heuristic Evaluation: Limitations in Principles and Practice
Nielsen's heuristic evaluation is one of the standard usability assessment tools outside of actual testing, but it has failed to adapt to the changing ecosystem of design. [Read More]
Collaborating Across Cultures: Designing UX Studies for Japan
Designing global research requires being sensitive to cultural differences. Tokyo-based researchers, who often partner with international clients, share tips on conducting UX studies in Japan. [Read More]
Finding Your Bearings: Co-creating Journey Maps to Understand Complex Landscapes
Journey maps are a powerful tool that can help define a complex user landscape, attain user and stakeholder buy-in, and empower problem solving. [Read More]
Want to Understand the Future of HCI? Take a Trip Down Memory Lane (Book Review)
A review of From Tool to Partner: The Evolution of Human-Computer Interaction by Jonathan Grudin. [Read More]
UX Researchers: Be Careful Out There! (Book Review)
A review of Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories by Steve Portigal. [Read More]
The User Experience of Libraries: Serving The Common Good
Libraries are increasingly seeking UX expertise to help them better serve the public. [Read More]
Is That Product Idea Really Good? (Book Review)
A review of Validating Product Ideas Through Lean User Research by Tomer Sharon. Guidance for why, when and how to conduct user research for product design. [Read More]
Big Behavioral Data: The Key to Eliminating User Frustration
Big data can provide behavioral patterns from thousands of people. These patterns can be searched and indexed and used to identify usability issues and eliminate user frustration. [Read More]
Current Customers: The Kano Model Helps Keep Personas Fresh
Understanding the progression of products and human behavior according to the Kano model—customer satisfaction measured via five categories—can help you refresh personas. [Read More]
User Research for Non-Researchers: How to Get User Feedback Without a Dedicated Researcher
A step-by-step guide on how to conduct qualitative research for times when your UX researcher is not available. [Read More]
The Power of Qualitative Methods: Aha Moments in Exploring Cybersecurity and Trust
A research team learns how to incorporate qualitative research methods into their work by examining user perceptions of and experiences with cybersecurity. [Read More]
A Civic View: Bridging the Gap between Citizens and City Government
An innovative civic data collection tool, Civic View combines video footage and GPS tracking to give citizens a more immediate voice in city government. [Read More]
Designing Credible Studies: A Research Framework
UX research can mean compromise between the credibility of a study and the needs of the business. A research framework can bridge the false division. [Read More]
Surviving Tricky and Sticky Research Situations (Book Review)
A review of The Moderator’s Survival Guide by Donna Tedesco and Fiona Tranquada. Improve your research moderating skills. [Read More]
Building Empathy in the Enterprise: Using Conferences as a Research Venue
User group conferences can provide great opportunities to reach qualified prospective research participants in a single location—a potential goldmine for collecting rich user data. [Read More]
Max Diff Survey: Informing Design, Driving Strategy, and Facilitating Collaboration
Max Diff surveys answer design questions and drive strategic direction. The collaborative approach invites team members to feel ownership over the results. [Read More]
Business Origami: Learning, Empathizing, and Building with Users
Business origami is a participatory design method for creating a map of the ecosystem surrounding a product, design, or other solution. [Read More]
Customer Feedback: Collecting In-Context Product Insights
Creating an effective customer feedback system requires an understanding of the data provided by analytics but also an understanding of the user and business goals. [Read More]
Finding Meaning with Ethnography (Book Review)
A review of Practical Ethnography: A Guide to Doing Ethnography in the Private Sector by Sam Ladner. A detailed view of what makes research ‘ethnographic.’ [Read More]
UX Advocacy in a University Context: Strategies and Tactics for Multiple Stakeholders
Designing university websites presents a complex set of challenges. Being methodical in identifying internal and external users, and understanding operational, tactical and strategic considerations is essential. [Read More]
Scarcity: Focusing on Limitations to Explore Design Opportunities
Looking at the concept of scarcity can lead to new ways of understanding users, designing for their needs, and making the best use of their resources. [Read More]
Talking To Strangers On The Street: Recruiting Through Intercepting People
Recruiting for research projects can be challenging, but going to places where the people are can make it easier to find the right participants. [Read More]
Using Journey Lines: Insights and Ideation
As a user research tool, mapping out the a journey helps the researchers and UX team develop a shared understanding of the story. [Read More]
The Impact of Images: Research on Users’ Processing and Perception
Eye tracking study results show that images of people grab the attention of users and have substantial impact on their processing and perceptions of webpages. [Read More]
The Future of UX Research: Uncovering the True Emotions of Our Users
A brave new world of user experience research that includes physiological responses is on its way. Stay tuned as the tools become more economical and practical. [Read More]
Ethnographic Research: Business Value
Knowing why people act, feel, think, experience, and choose the way they do gives us rich cultural insights to inform design or to build meaningful, empathetic user experiences. [Read More]
