The power behind user research
For many years data has driven the technological advances of business. We have most recently as a society leaned on user centered products. This has driven successful bridges between the business and the customer’s needs. Never before have we been in such a need to rely on our research methods and UX professionals to drive usable and effective products in various marketplaces.
What research methods?
We have found the the following are strong methods behind user experience testing:
Card Sorting- an organized and sinplistic way of gathering information from non involved testers. This works well in a multi initiative focused company pulling someone in to communicate open or closed strengths behind the design informative. These sorted cards could be driven from index cards, sticky notes, printed papers or connected online resources such as optimal sort.
Usability Testing- This is a format most familiar and commonly used by non specialized UX professionals unlike information architecture. This type of research comes in many forms and has many values.
Moderated Testing- Using a necessary environment focusing on in person Testing mainly. This helps to find out not just what is problematic about the design but also why it is a problem. The following
- Conducted live
- Facilitator asks what the participant is thinking
- Qualitative
- Finds what and why
Unmoderated- These tests still carry great value but focuses a non centric value toward quantitative data. The following
- May be automated
- Participant completed tasks without interruption
- Pretends to be quantitative
- Finds the what but not the why
Remote-Another type of usability testing is remote centered testing. We use tools such as usertesting.com to facilitate the remote focus. This helps cost effectiveness from travel expenses and variables that may occur given demographic and effect towards the tester. With remote testing the following takeaways are true:
- Across geographic locations
- No travel
- Extra technology
In person- this testing method usually is not as sexy of a solution but sometimes is necessary to produce the proper results in gathered data needed. It is most popular for proprietary reasons along with other variables that may effect an impactful outcome. With in person Testing the following takeaways are true:
- In the same room
- Requires travel
- Simple technology
Conclusion:
As a professional grows among industries it is important to communicate variables in research to complete an assuring and vital approach. Most will say they don’t need it in their company because they can read the analytics and other compiled data to tell what a user wants. If that be the case then why are so companies that don’t lean on a tech approach followed over user experience needs find themselves 40% more likely to fail as a company in customer care, customer experience and or user experience. You can draw the conclusions yourself but be sure to consider these methods to the importance of a company’s bottom line and success path.
