The UX Life Chose Me Newsletter #41
March 2024
Hello
This months newsletter starts off with a reflection on receiving negative feedback, especially on things you’ve worked hard on.
The articles cover everything from the science of why people adopt new features or tools, how to write better stories and how to measure the users experience in a way that inspires your stakeholders.
This months book has a time management focus, we have two interesting events, and a final story looking at how research principles can link to every day life.
Thank you for subscribing. Don’t forget to share with colleagues and friends if you find it interesting or useful.
I hope you enjoy it.
Penny
From the Editors Keyboard
Last month I ran a series of usability tests on our website.
Nothing unusual there, however after 3 long years we have relaunched our website and this was our first proper test on the new pages.
As always I told my participants, quite truthfully, how I’d had nothing to do with the design of the website and that I just wanted to hear their honest thoughts.
But I have to say it did feel like a punch to the stomach as the first participant on day two ripped it to shreds. It took all my training and experience not to defend the designs or question their expertise and just take my notes and ask appropriate questions about what they were doing as we ran through the tasks.
As I said I’ve had nothing to do with the designs, but I’ve been sitting on the sidelines giving feedback and supporting the team over the past 3 years as they’ve built a new design system from scratch and put together a new site, which really is so much better than the old one, but probably could do with some more work.
I know how much work has gone into getting to this point, and I wanted to say to that participant, ‘hang on a sec, don’t you know how much better these pages are!’
But I didn’t and I took down their comments and I reported back, because some of those comments were valid and will make the pages even better.
But it does remind me why we advise designers not to test their own designs. And how painful feedback can be when the person has no idea how close you are to the designs and just tells it like it is with none of the politeness that British social norms might normally expect.
I will be better prepared as we go forward testing other parts of the relaunched site, but I still expect to feel a little conflicted if negative feedback is given.
How do you deal with negative feedback? How can we help designers test their work without it making them defensive?
Interesting Stuff
What Makes Users Adopt A New Feature Or Tool?
Lawton Pybus, January 2024, 6 mins read
I’ve often worked with teams who are wondering if the thing they are building will actually be used. Lawton shares some tools to help answer this very reasonable question.
16 Best UX Research Tools in 2024: Gather Faster & Better Insights
Michael W, January 2024, 7 mins read
This is an interesting list, which includes some old favourites, Hello Calendly, Hello Hotjar, and a few I’ve not come across before, but will be checking out.
The 9 Principles of Better Stories
Jeremy Connell-Waite, 2024, 10 mins read
If we want our stakeholders to really understand our customers then we need to be able to share their stories in the best possible way. These 9 principles will get you started.
Measuring Experiences, Not Product Use
Jared Spool, January 2024, 17 mins read
This might be a long read, but if you are looking for ways to convince stakeholders to do more UX research, measuring the right thing is going to help.
Immersion And Influence — The Work Of The Modern UX Research
Nick Stiles, January 2024, 9 mins read
An interesting reminder of what our job as UX researchers is:”(1) to immerse oneself in the product domain and user’s world until it’s second nature and
(2) to influence the minds and behavior of stakeholders in the service of business and user.”
49 UX Metrics, Methods, & Measurement Articles from 2023
Jim Lewis, PhD and Jeff Sauro, PhD, January 2024, 12 mins read
Wow there is a lot here! But there are some real nuggets of information in this list, including does thinking aloud affect task metrics? And does including images in card sorts make them easier? Fascinating reading.
Qualitative Sample Size Calculator
UserInterviews, February 2024, 8 mins read
The team at UserInterviews have just released this calculator to help you work out how many participants you need for a particular studies. This would be really useful if you are working on something a little more unusual.
Book of the Month
This months book is Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. Suggested by Tim Kotyuk (we got chatting at a UX conference) it was a fascinating read looking at time management from a very different perspective than most of the time management books out there. Spoiler: The key is to learn to say no to things you can’t or don’t want to do.
Events
World Information Architecture Day
GDS and UXPA UK, 5 March
Not strictly a research event, it doesn’t hurt to widen our horizons sometimes, and I’m under the impression it’s at the GDS offices! Who wouldn’t want to go and have a nose?
Getting Creative with UX Research
uxinsight, 21 & 28 March 2024
This course is all about getting out of your comfort zone and exploring unconventional and innovative approaches to user research. Perfect if you’re feeling a bit stuck.
And Finally
The UXR lens: Applying research principles to everyday life
Cristal Reyes, 8 December 2023, 3 mins read
Anyone who works in UX knows it starts to take over your life a bit. You start to notice issues everywhere, and not just in digital. Cristal shows how we can take these super powers to the next level. 🍹
Seen something out in the wild you think other UX Researchers would be interested in or a new research related book perhaps? Send me the link and maybe I’ll include it in my next newsletter.
