The ‘So & So What’ of research findings

We all want our research findings to have a positive impact. We tend to tailor how we communicate the research insights to the audience we’re presenting to.

I see user research as ‘science’ rather than ‘arts’. A clear and structured approach helps in delivering your research findings effectively.

And here’s how.

Know the impact that your audience is looking for

A c-suite executive might be interested in high level findings and their implications to the business, but perhaps not the finer details on where participants clicked on a prototype. The answers executives are looking for is the impact on the business.

• How do the research findings affect the business goal? [customer retention/ customer conversion/ revenue]

Product teams, on the other hand, are more likely to focus on detailed participants’ interactions. The answers product teams are looking for is how the insights can improve the product.

• How can we use the findings to improve this feature/ product?
• How can we use the findings to identify new product features?
• How can we use the findings to increase/ decrease a user’s behaviour?

A formula that works: ‘So & So What’

The ‘so & so what’ formula has served me well — whether presenting to a c-suite executive or a product team.

What is the ‘so & so what’ formula?

• ‘So’ is the research insight that you wanted to communicate. What did you learn from your research study?
• ‘So what’ is the implication of the finding. What does this finding mean for the product team and the wider business”

Let’s put it in practice: “So participants found the security features lacking. So what this means is participants won’t be signing up with us.”

This example highlights what you learned and the impact on the business — customer sign up rate, or even customer retention.

I founded Melon Experience Design to help clients understand their users to design and build better products and services that works for them, so get in touch if you would like to work with us.