Knowing How To Research
When conducting interviews or surveys for a particular problem to arrive at a solution, proper research methods should be applied to the data found. It is not about what the methods of research are but also when to apply them and in what situations they are appropriate.
All projects should include multiple research methods to ensure that the data is being translated correctly. To make sure this can happen, there are 3 methods that help us do so:
- Attitudinal vs Behavioral
- Quantitative vs Qualitative
- Context of Use
Attitudinal vs Behavioral
Attitudinal Research is used to understand or measure change in a user’s belief and it is used in marketing departments. They are drawn by conducting surveys, focus groups and card sorting methods.
Behavioral research is used to find out how people interact or react with the product or service that they are introduced to. The results are found by conducting Usability testing, A/B testing and Eye Tracking.
Quantitative vs Qualitative
Quantitative research is usually done indirectly with the results in numbers. These numbers are drawn from surveys or analytical tools. These numbers can help find where the problems are but cannot tell you why or how to fix it.
Qualitative research is the direct observation of users interaction or behaviour with new or existing products and services. This data gives researchers the insights on what the problem is and sometimes shows how to fix it. Qualitative analysis can be done by conducting Contextual Inquiries, Focus Groups, Eye Tracking.
Context Of Use
Contextual studies are conducted with the usage of a product by an user in a natural environment. This study is done at all times even when the user is not actively using the product. This study helps finding the user’s habits of usage of the product but limits the researcher to the knowledge of what the user is doing. Data mining is an example of Contextual studies and is also a quantitative form of research for ethnographic purposes.
Scripted studies are conducted in unnatural circumstances where the user is measured to complete a given task using a product within a product outline. This helps in validating user flows and finding solutions to the product that may help redesign a better product. An example of Scripted studies is Usability Testing.
These are a few ways to improve on User Research and the techniques involved in accomplishing them. Every designer should be adept at these tools and techniques to gather and analyse data from targeted or random sources.
