A big part of being a User Experience (UX) practitioner is talking to your users. This means going straight to where your users are, observing them, and talking to them face to face. By doing this, you start to understand their behaviors, their struggles, and how you can help them become better versions of themselves.

It might sound pretty easy, but this is one of the most challenging things in being a UX practitioner. When doing UX research, you have to set the proper atmosphere for them to open up, ask the right questions, and absorb everything they are saying whilst keeping the conversation alive.

This is why we have tools in our UX arsenal that help us become more effective UX researchers. Here are some tools that, in my opinion, can be very effective when doing UX research if used properly. Note that everything is context-based. One might not work the same way in a different scenario so always analyze the landscape before choosing what works best for you.

It’s Different Every Time - Whenever you go out there with the purpose of understanding your users better, you have to keep in mind that there are different ways of research depending on the goal at hand. An example would be conducting a usability test versus conducting an interview. The former often focuses on the user’s behavior while the latter focuses on their thoughts and feelings. Pen and paper can be very useful for interviews but may not necessarily work best in usability testing (since you’ll need other things because this often requires something concrete such as a wireframe, mock, or prototype).

Notebook

This is the most reliable tool that every UX person should always have in handy. Notebooks are very sleek, flexible, and easy to carry. It can be used for multiple purposes. When notetaking, you can easily doodle if you have to since there are times when you end up having to draw what the user is showing/saying.

If you feel like there will be a lot of drawings/ doodling in your research, this tool can be quite helpful due to its flexibility and all around freedom it gives people when taking notes.

Voice Recorder

Others might argue that their phones should be enough. It is true that it can support voice recording easily, but may not be the best choice when you’ll be recording for hours. Voice recorders can be quite helpful when conducting research that spans for several days. This little gadget proved to be useful when my team conducted usability studies that spanned for weeks. Each field day would take up the entire afternoon. Furthermore, the audio quality you get when using these things is significantly better than smartphones when tested in relatively noisy environments.

Devices like this that come in smaller sizes can also be very helpful to help make participants feel that this is a casual conversation and not as a strict experiment since you can keep it hidden and still get quality recordings. This creates an atmosphere that helps them act more like themselves since what we want are authentic and real insights.

Note: This goes without saying that users must always be informed that you are recording your session with them (be it via notetaking or video recording)

Screen Recorders

Whenever your research involves having people do something on a screen, it’s best to keep a recording of that. This provides an easy access to the test itself since there are things that the researchers might have missed the first time. There are alternatives to this that you can find on the internet but I personally use Lookback.

With what we currently use, Lookback helps the user see both the screen and the user’s facial reactions at the same time. This can significantly help users identify how the user’s face and body language connect to their behavior in the site.

My team can also sit in virtually with the feature of Lookback that lets others monitor the session through a different laptop. This creates a more unified understanding of our users on a larger scale that can help both in empathy and buy-in from upper management.

Sticky Notes

These things have been an all-time classic in the UX world for a reason. Sticky notes can be used for a wide range of UX methods from research all the way to design. Because of its portability, versatility, and overall convenience, sticky notes can be very useful for UX researchers. This can be particularly helpful when it comes to conducting user tests.

I’ve been using sticky notes in research primarily as a way for me to relay instructions to users without providing any kind of hints or clues regarding the product, the test, or task. This method also helps me focus on the user’s behavior and tone rather than acting as the facilitator in the session during those times when I’d be the only one conducting the research (which is a pretty common thing). They also come in handy when it comes to Card Sorting considering that they can be used on tables and on walls depending on what I have to work with.

360 Camera

The 360 camera is a tool that not a lot of UX researchers use but has ended up becoming a very effective tool whenever I use it. 360 cameras, as the name suggests, lets people record a 360 view of their surroundings. Whenever you look at the recording, there are various types of views that it can provide (spherical, panorama, etc.).

In terms of applications in UX research, this camera has been quite useful for recording interviews as well as observing the behavior of people on a larger scale. This camera works very well when you need to understand how people move and behave in a specific space (at a restaurant, store, etc.) which is relevant to a lot of service designers. When providing tasks for users, you don’t have to limit the user to a specific area (considering the constraints of normal stand-alone video recording devices). If placed in the proper spot, this device can really help cover a wide area for recording.

In Conclusion

These tools can be pretty effective only if used properly. It’s up to you how you’ll maximize the capabilities of each. One must always consider the context because one might be good in this scenario but not necessarily in the next one. Furthermore, keep in mind that these are merely tools to get the job done. At the end of the day, it’s what you make of what you’ve gathered that matters the most.

Effective tools for UX research on the field was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Oftentimes, UX Designers act as a bridge between user insights and business solutions. We go out of our way to understand our users, learn from them, and find ways to make our designs better.

A Brief Story

In a recent project that we had, the team underwent the typical cycle (very top-level): We get the client brief, UX goes into the field to get user insight, team brainstorms based on the findings, we come up with the big idea, everyone chimes in to make the idea come to life, prepare for pitch, present idea to client.

Given how we understood our users and the client brief, we decided to make an app as our core platform. I was the one who crafted the core design along with the main features and flow of the app. I had so many ideas that I thought would be great to have for our users and the rest of the design team seemed to support these features.

What about the back office?

It was only when I ran my app design by our business analyst (who’s in charge of costing out the entire app, providing timelines for development, etc.) that I realized all the implications that I hadn’t considered when I was drafting up the design. It was a simple question: “Who’s going to implement all of these features?”

I had completely overlooked how the back office will function. She does make a good point. With the app having a gamified points system, who’s going to update the scoring and prizes? With the app being able to deliver said prizes to customers, how do we handle fulfillment? Is there a Content Management System (CMS) that administrators can just go to for any changes in the app? What will it look like? The list goes on!

Furthermore, it’s not just designing how it will look like from the managing side, but also how the flow and interaction of that side will be. Going to the delivery aspect, how will the experience work if these are tangible products versus services? Do we just send them a voucher? How can we secure these voucher codes if ever? It becomes this complicated web of flows and interactions that you as a designer should consider.

Without considering the implications of our design, how are we supposed to ground our ideas into something actionable? Sure it’s great to have a convenient app that can do this and that. But is it something we can attain given our time and resources?

If you put for example a reviews feature in your design, have you considered the effects of that this will have? Because by simply adding a reviews feature, you then have to answer questions like: will we then have a user management system? should we have someone verify these reviews? how do we house this type of data? and many more.

Never Forget The Implications of Your Design

As UX practitioners, I believe that we have a responsibility not just towards our users, but also towards the people in the back office who make up the other half of our designs. So whenever you start designing a solution, always consider the implications of the design you’re making to all relevant stakeholders (development, operations, etc.). At the end of the day, UX practitioners shouldn’t focus solely on the front office, but also how the people in the back office work together.

One Thing UX Designers Often Overlook was originally published in Prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Doing UX research is all about seeing life through the lens of your user. It focuses on the stories, thoughts, and emotions that a person experiences. By understanding our users on a deeper level, we’re able to pick out nuggets of information that will help us improve the product/service we have for them.

Regardless of which country you’re from, I believe that every company will benefit significantly from talking directly to their users. In a UX conference that I attended here in the Philippines, I was lucky enough to meet other UX researchers who share the same passion. I was happy to hear that they too believe that doing UX research is something that should be done worldwide.

With the increase in demand for UX and the lack of supply, it would make sense for us UXers to go out into the world to help bring our UX understanding to other countries. Although companies do need people who will focus on doing UX research, I do believe that there is a big challenge that all UX researchers face when working abroad: Language & Culture.

The Case

Before diving deeper into why I say this, let me give a brief background of my personal experience. A month ago I was working on a project here in the Philippines with a client (fast food industry) that required me to go out into the field and talk to users and understand more about what they think of this new ordering interface they had launched. I prepared a classic UX questionnaire that even a UX designer from another country could use.

We talked to 60 people on site in a span of 2 weeks. During these interviews, I had to change my approach in asking the questions I had originally written down. Why is that? These were standard UX questions written in plain English. They worked quite well when I tested these questions on some of my officemates. It was during the interview proper that I learned how difficult things would be if you didn’t understand the local culture.

So through my experience, here are the reasons why I had to change my approach.

Most people express themselves better in their own language

Although people in the Philippines generally can keep up with the English language, the majority still prefer to speak in Filipino or Taglish (Tagalog + English). It’s more on because people are able to express themselves better rather than use English (although this isn’t always the case. Some prefer to speak English).

Some questions require some more explanation in their local language

A part of our study was the System Usability Scale (SUS) wherein we tell users a set of statements and they have to say whether they agree or disagree with varying degrees (5- Strongly Disagree, 4- Agree, 3- Neutral, etc.). Given that this is an established questionnaire, we simply had to follow what was written. But considering that some users have difficulty understanding the meaning of certain statements, we had to provide further explanation in the local context.

In the SUS, #2 was particularly challenging for particular users to understand. This is why as researchers, you have to be able to translate whatever you have into the local context for people to fully understand so that you don’t waste their time as well as get richer insights.

People tend to open up more when they trust you

Based on my experience, users who are able to be more like themselves are more relaxed and give more insights. By providing a calm atmosphere users can trust the researcher more and are able to say what they’re really thinking. This can mitigate some of the biases when researching such as the Hawthorne Effect.

In doing the research, I learned that I would be able to have a better connection with my participant when I would mirror how they spoke (Full English, Taglish, or Full Filipino). Because users were more open to the discussion, I was also able to gather insights that were beyond my initial expectations.

Some tips on how to go about it

To be clear, I’m only saying that UX researchers won’t be effective when doing UX research compared to if they were familiar with the cultural context. UX researchers can still flourish in an unfamiliar setting especially if they have other people who can help them in conducting the research.

Learn the language and culture

I do believe that this is the best way to become a more effective researcher. Most people don’t consider this as an option because it’s difficult and not worth their time. However, by learning the language, you’re not only becoming a more effective researcher, you’re also able to expand your knowledge and understanding of the industry itself.

You don’t need to learn the entire language, but just enough to understand it on a conversational level. There are many ways one can learn a language such as free websites, apps, and e-books. All you need is to be determined.

Pros: No need to depend on anyone, Long term solution

Cons: Takes time

Have someone else do the talking

Instead of doing the talking in the research, one can always be the one who creates the methodology and approach for the research itself. You may not be in the driver’s seat but you can also help in taking notes (when it comes to usability testing) and observe user behaviour.

It’s also important to keep recordings of the study so that people are able to refer to the session. People can also help out in understanding users better. It then becomes a team effort in getting significant, useful nuggets of information for everyone.

Pros: Can still get significant user insights, Owning other parts of the research

Cons: Needs other people to help out, Not doing the talking directly

Wrapping Up

Regardless of where you are, it is important to keep in mind culture and language. No country functions the same because everything is about the context. It may work here but perhaps it won’t work in a different place. Be open to learning about your local culture and experience it firsthand.

The foreign culture may hinder you from becoming an effective designer, but it doesn’t mean that’s the end of it. Strive to master your craft wherever you may be and know that there are always people there who can help you along the way.

The Biggest Challenge when doing UX Research Abroad was originally published in Prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Working in an agency as a UX designer has its differences from a product company when it comes to the environment, the pacing, and the work dynamics. Although both have their own pros and cons, I do believe that as someone who is starting out in UX, being in an agency setting will significantly help you have a strong start in your UX journey.

I’ve managed to work with both the client side and now the agency side. With that, I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned in my journey so far that I, in my opinion, will be of great help to people who are starting out. So here are 3 reasons why working in an agency is great for UX designers starting out.

1.) Opportunity to experience so many things

I do believe that one of the most important things a UX designer must do is to provide good ideas. Being able to give out good ideas is a skill in itself that one must constantly practice. If you think about it, ideas are simply an expression of thought based on one’s own experiences of the world we live in. The more experience we have about a certain topic, the more we are able to understand and express our thoughts about it. This is what working with an agency provides UX designers: a wide variety of experiences due to the wide variety of projects. By understanding different industries, you’re able to learn from them and apply those learnings in your other projects.

Over the past months, I was able to stretch my understanding of various industries from fast food brands all the way to real estate. Because I have a wide variety of projects, I’m able to provide better ideas that help the team move forward.

As UX Designers who are starting out, I believe it’s all about foundation building. It’s absorbing as much knowledge and experience as much as possible so that you’re able to use it in the future. Being in an agency will definitely expose you to a wide variety of projects and challenges that will inspire you and give you that rich experience you’ll need to succeed.

2.) Exposure to a fast-paced environment

Working in an agency, you never know how your day is going to end up. One minute you think you had your schedule set for the day, another minute you get a memo that you’re part of this big project and need you to do all these new deliverables. Unlike some product companies, it’s a very unpredictable and quite challenging environment.

Although there are days when you feel like the workload is too much to handle, its this level of intensity that you become better at what you do. I believe that being in an environment that consistently challenges you is important for growth. This is especially important if you’re still starting out because you will definitely face a lot of challenges and it’s important not to shy away from these problems. By creating a level of tolerance and conquering every challenge that hits you, you’re better equipped to handle whatever obstacle is on your way. But note that there is a difference between an environment that’s constructive and one that’s detrimental to your health.

3.) Collaborate with different types of people

Each project has a unique background with different people assigned to it. So this means that you get to interact with a wide variety of personalities. This is very helpful because you get to understand different perspectives and are able to learn more about others.

Starting out also means that you get to learn more about yourself as you dive deeper into adult life. By being exposed to different people, you’re able to know more about how they think and how you react to specific types of behavior. For example, you are able to learn if you are more straightforward or prefer to avoid confrontation.

It’s important to learn from your peers as much as you can. Given the variety of people, try talking to other experts in the company about a specific field you’re interested in. Especially since you work with all kinds of people in an agency, it’s best to get well acquainted with their line of work to be able to tie it all together in your own UX deliverables.

In conclusion

At the end of the day, you’re the one in charge of your experience. If you have an opportunity to work at an agency, go for it! Always keep in mind the impact that this decision will make in your life. Be it on the agency side or the client side, always make the most out of the opportunities that come your way. After all, this is only the beginning of your amazing journey.

3 Reasons Why Working in an Agency Is Great for UX Designers Starting Out was originally published in Prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Getting into User Experience(UX) as a fresh graduate is somewhat like the open ocean: you don’t know what to do and where to begin. It can be very intimidating knowing that anything can happen and not knowing how to best prepare yourself.

After months of struggling and intense learning, I finally got that UX job that I’ve always wanted. But how did I get here? Similar to many people out there, I didn’t have a degree that spelled out “User Experience” especially since the UX industry is still pretty young in the Philippines. You can imagine that I had to start from “square one” again. So what were the factors that helped me land that UX job?

I’ll be sharing 3 significant factors that I believe are vital for anyone who’s interested in a career in User Experience.

Learn by Doing

To talk about User Experience is completely different from doing User Experience. Yes, it’s still important to read up about on the basics, methods, and principles of UX design. But experiencing it firsthand will significantly help you understand User Experience better. There are just some things that reading a book can’t teach you. Take interviewing a user for example. You just ask the right questions, take good notes, and record your interviews for reference. It sounds easy enough right? But if you actually conduct an interview, you’d realize that there’s so much that goes into getting the right people, scheduling the appropriate time & place, finding ways to keep the conversation on track, being mindful of your tone and body language, and so much more.

I suggest making your own small projects. It’s ok if you don’t earn from them. You just need to start getting into the experience. Try asking friends or family who have their own businesses and offer to help them out for free. By doing this, you are forced to learn as you go along and get valuable insight from the mistakes you make. You then develop a mental checklist of things you have to learn which you can use to help guide you in your progress.

Find a Mentor

There were moments when I felt lost and unsure about what I was doing. Even now, I still have those moments. This is where having someone who understands where you’re coming from and what you’re going through helps. I was lucky to have my UX professor as one of those people who I can talk to. During my first months starting out, she would give me feedback on my progress and help me figure out where I should head to next. Thanks to her, I was able to decide on what things to prioritize in order to get to my goal and keep me in check whenever I feel like I have no idea what I should do

I suggest that you look for someone who is reachable and responsive. It’s also helpful if this person has a connection with you in one form or another in order to have a richer understanding of where you’re coming from. These people will serve as your compass to help you in being successful in this field.

Network Like Crazy

There are just some things that you can only talk about to fellow UX practitioners. Being a rare breed, its important to keep close ties with people who are on the same boat as you. Be it within your community or all over the world, it always helps to have a strong support network of like-minded individuals. This also helps you test out your knowledge and know what else you can improve on. I personally try to attend as much meetups as I can and be a part of as much online groups as possible. It’s in these connections that you can share experiences, best case practices, and advice that are hard to find.

Find ways to get in touch with your UX community. If there aren’t any events or any activity happening then don’t be afraid to initiate. It can be intimidating but you can always start reaching out to one person at a time. Even a simple email goes a long way. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and speak your mind out. Make sure to make the most out of every opportunity because oftentimes, its in these experiences that we get to meet people who may end up playing a significant role in our careers.

In Conclusion

User experience can be intimidating, but it’s a challenge worth taking. The most important thing aside from these three things would be perseverance. In a job that can get very demanding and difficult, it’s important to stay resilient. There will be times when you feel like you don’t know why you’re putting yourself through all this. There will be times when you’d start doubting whether or not you chose the right path. In the end once you get that job offer, you’ll look back at your journey and realize how far you’ve come.

Getting That First UX Job was originally published in Prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.