It's Our ResearchResearch Projects discusses frameworks, strategies, and techniques for working with stakeholders of user experience (UX) research in a way that ensures their buy-in. This book consists of six chapters arranged according to the different stages of research projects. Topics discussed include the different roles of business, engineering, and user-experience stakeholders; identification of research opportunities by developing empathy with stakeholders; and planning UX research with stakeholders. The book also offers ways of teaming up with stakeholders; strategies to improve the communication of research results to stakeholders; and the nine signs that indicate that research is making an impact on stakeholders, teams, and organizations. This book is meant for UX people engaged in usability and UX research. Written from the perspective of an in-house UX researcher, it is also relevant for self-employed practitioners and consultants who work in agencies. It is especially directed at UX teams that face no-time-no-money-for-research situations.* Named a 2012 Notable Computer Book for Information Systems by Computing Reviews* Features a series of video interviews with UX practitioners and researchers* Provides dozens of case studies and visuals from international research practitioners* Provides a toolset that will help you justify your work to stakeholders, deal with office politics, and hone your client skills* Presents tried and tested techniques for working to reach positive, useful, and fruitful outcomes
Foreword
Prologue: The Usable Planet
Introduction
If a study has run, with no one around to hear about it, did it still happen?
1 If Life Gives You Limes, Make Mojitos!
Identifying stakeholders, selling user experience research, and dealing with difficult people and situations
Introduction
Types of stakeholders
Business stakeholders
Engineering stakeholders
User experience stakeholders
Users
The perspectives of UX research stakeholders
Difficult people, teams, and organizations: Fight or flight?
Selling the value of research
The Lean Startup movement
Accept the fact that it might not work and that it’s okay
References
Takeaways
2 Mmm . . . Interesting; So What Exactly Is It That You Want To Learn?
Implementing your great participant interviewing skills on stakeholders; asking good questions, listening, saying the right things, and identifying research opportunities
Introduction
Initiation of a study
The most important questions to ask your stakeholders
What is the product?
Who are the users of the product?
What do you want to know? Why?
When do you need the results?
What will you do with the research results?
Bonus question: What do you know now?
Delay any discussion about methodologies
Become the voice of reason
Listening and sowing seeds
Takeaways
3 If You Pick a Methodology First, Something Must Be Wrong
Strategies for planning studies with stakeholders and techniques for developing the right research questions
Introduction
Research plans
Users and purposes of study plans
Long plans
No plans
The plan stakeholders love: The one-page plan
Study goals
Why have goals? Who needs goals?
Nongoals
The difference between goals and questions
Research questions
Good and bad questions
The questions stakeholders ask and the ones they do not
How many questions?
Prioritizing questions
Selecting a methodology and describing it
The magic of injecting quantitative data into qualitative findings
References
Takeaways
4 What’s Gonna Work? Teamwork!
Hands-on techniques for collaborating and involving stakeholders in research planning, execution, analysis, and reporting
Introduction
Why collaborate?
Plan together
The meetings you need to have
A simple planning artifact
Agreement and buy-in per study
Recruit participants together
Who can help and when
Why bother? I can do without them!
How to ask for help
Salespeople are very busy people
Interact with users together
Stakeholders in field studies
Stakeholders in lab studies
Help stakeholders interview users and launch surveys
Analyze together
Color the experience
The field visit debrief is a huge opportunity
Use the KJ technique
Conduct workshops
Do not report recommendations
Report results together
The joint report
The joint presentation
Maintain an internal blog
Provide appropriate credits
References
Takeaways
5 The Single Biggest Problem In Communication Is The Illusion That It Has Taken Place
Strategies and tools to effectively communicate research results by using reports, presentations, and more cool stuff
Introduction
Reports
Avoid the report-which-is-actually-a-presentation
Share key findings before your report is ready
Report structures
Report only the most severe findings
The executive summary
How long should a report be?
Don’t start fires
Use the report as a live communication tool
Presentations
Learn the art of presenting
Present to multiple teams
Other communication tools and techniques
Videos
Visualize and design posters
Run a research expo
Combine quantitative and qualitative data
Develop top ten lists
Soft communication skills
ALWAYS communicate what works well
Become immersed in your team
Communicate bad news
Never use an escalation mandate
Proxy designers
References
Takeaways
6 You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure
Signs that indicate research is being used well and how you can systematically track success (or failure)
Introduction
Signs that research is being used well
Research is consumed
Budget is allocated for more research
Findings are long and lasting
Trust is established
Skeptical stakeholders become believers
Business is changed
Staffing is changed
Repeated requests are made for UX research training
Researchers are recognized
How to track the impact of research
Have a buy-in tracking strategy
Before and after screenshots
Screenshots with callouts
Spreadsheets
Quotes and videos
Research analytics
References
Takeaways
Epilogue
Index
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