Research Challenge洗蝦咪
就像在找ux designer實習和正職時需要面對whiteboard challenge一樣，找ux researcher相關職位時，通常也會有一關的面試題目是research challenge。大部分的公司會將research challenge放在面試的較後段（可能是第2–3 round），但也有些公司在履歷過了後的第一關就會先透過research challenge篩選出後續的面試者。一般來說，在research challenge的題目中，面試公司會給你1–2個簡短的prompt，然後請你設計出一個研究來說明你會如何解決這個問題。答案並沒有一定的對或錯，面試官著重於看你如何思考問題以及能否清楚表達自己的意見及背後的邏輯。在作答的過程中，通常可以自己為此研究做許多的假設，而最後的呈現形式，最常見的為繳交手寫報告或製作一個15分鐘左右的簡報。
這學期在Georgia Tech的必修課中，我們其中一個quiz就是要做一個research challenge。老師聯絡了hci系友，並請他們提供過去在面試實習和正職時所面臨到的prompt。範例如下
Slack’s mission is to make people’s working lives simpler, more pleasant and more productive. Think of some potential challenges Slack might face as we continue to grow and expand to more and more companies. Choose one and think through what research you would propose to address one of these challenges.
Plan a study that you would complete in 3 weeks. Assume you have access to 1 senior researcher, 1 junior researcher, and an intern to complete your plan of work. You also have money for domestic travel for researchers and can compensate research participants. Please state any assumptions you are making and any open questions you have.
Delta would like to improve the experience for booking flights on a mobile device. Decide how you might study user needs to understand how we can improve the experience.
Plan a study that you would complete in 2 months. Assume you have 1 senior researcher and 2 junior researchers to perform the work. You can easily travel around the world on Delta to do research work and can compensate research participants. Please state any assumptions you are making and any open questions you have.
You are working on an upcoming console Karaoke game. The game will include Karaoke software and a microphone controller that has gameplay features built in. The game will be released in multiple markets, including four key countries where karaoke is particularly popular — Japan, Germany, England, and the United States. It’s very early in development and the Design team wants to identify the key features they should build so the game appeals to their target audience as well as any other design considerations. Your job is to provide insights that will inform the team’s design direction.
You have 3 months before you need to report back to the team with your findings. Assume you have 1 senior researcher and an intern to do the work. You have a small travel budget, so you can only travel to one of your international locations. You also have a decent budget for subject compensation. Please state any assumptions you are making and any open questions you have.
在回答research challenge時，通常有幾個重點是一定要闡述到的，因此可以先大致想一下自己研究計畫的內容，再將內容歸類到各重點下。一個我認為不錯的outline如下：
- Problem Definition/Description
一個清楚的問題定義是非常重要的，因為它可以幫助讀者很快地理解這個研究存在的意義和其試圖解決的問題。我認爲在報告或簡報的一開始即開宗明義地解釋problem space的效果是相當好的。
- User Profiles and Stakeholders
清楚地說明你研究的目標使用者是誰，若有主要的使用者和次要的使用者族群也可以在此加以闡述，我個人的習慣是將使用者的criteria已列點式的方式表達。同時，除了使用者外，有哪些與此研究相關的stakeholders也要記得提到，若stakeholders與此研究的相關性並不太顯而易見可以用文字加以說明。
- Timeline
製作一個清楚的時間表來說明研究各個步驟的進行順序及各活動的時間分配比重為何。
- Research Activity
Goal/Objective
說明進行此研究活動的目的為何，希望獲得怎麼樣的資訊，以及獲得此資訊將有什麼樣的助益。
User/Subjects: Sample Size,Rrecruitment Techniques, Recruitment Limitations
說明此研究活動會透過何種方式找到其所需的使用者，以及此方式的限制和缺點為何。同時，說明將找的使用者數量，以及解釋選擇此數量的原因。
Study Design: Location, measures or variables, tasks to perform
說明研究活動實際上將會如何進行，步驟和流程為何。研究者將會如何與使用者互動、給他們完成哪些任務、要測量的變項為何以及將會如何測量。
Data Analysis
在此研究活動中所搜集到的資料將以何種方式進行分析。可以先將資料分作質性和量化兩個類別（假若適用），再針對各類別說明。
- Potential Findings/Implications, Final Deliverable
在研究計劃的最後，說明所預期得到的發現以及這些發現對其他team （e.g., design, development etc)和產品、公司的助益為何。若在前面的階段進行了不只一個的research activity，這邊也是一個很好作總結並將各研究活動連結起來的地方。另外，也記得說明這些發現將會以何種方式呈現給其他的stakeholders (e.g., presentation, spreadsheet etc)。
小結：
以上的outline只是個參考，有興趣的人也可以發展出更適合自己的重點整理方式。若有機會和時間，平時也可以和朋友一起練習research challenge然後互相給feedback，替找實習和工作做好更充足的準備。
