Getting Effective Answers from Research Sessions

Chris How, Information Architect, Cogapp

@chrishow

Wednesday, 6 July 2011

How to get effective
and actionable
answers from
research sessions.
UPA International Conference 2011


@chrishow


I work at Cogapp, a digital
media and user experience
agency based in Brighton,
England.

I’ve worked with clients including:

/ Arts Council England
/ British Film Institute
/ The Children’s Society
/ Dorling Kingsley
/ Home Office
/ National Portrait Gallery
/ Social Care Institute for Excellence
/ Transport for London


Research is easy
I’d like to share an approach to thinking
about research, with some tips, tricks
and experiences gained from
running usability sessions.


A story about research


Right people Analyse Reflect

Purpose of Actionable
research answers

Right environment Right questions Report

Purpose > Prepare > Explore > Focus > Action >


Thinking about research


research answers




Purpose
Have a clear direction


Right people

Right environment Right questions


Prepare

Right people

Right environment Right questions


Recruit people who belong in the space you are researching

Credit: FotografiaBasica, istockphoto.com

Right People
Find & talk to the right people

Recruit people who belong in the space you are researching

Credit: FotografiaBasica, istockphoto.com

Shortcuts in recruiting lead to shortfall in insight


Right People

Shortcuts in recruiting lead to shortfall in insight


Try recruiting yourself. Recruit on behaviours above demographics


Right People

Try recruiting yourself. Recruit on behaviours above demographics


Right People Participants are your key ingredient,
Find & talk to the right people take time to source them.

Do the recruiting yourself.

Think hard about who will give you the
insight you need and where you can find
them.

Create a screener and selection criteria
led by behaviour and not demographics.


What question would you ask if you only had 45 seconds to get it answered?

Credit: diego_cervo, istockphoto.com

Right questions
What to ask? How to ask it?

What question would you ask if you only had 45 seconds to get it answered?

Credit: diego_cervo, istockphoto.com

People reveal so much more when asked to show you than when asked to tell you


Right questions
What to ask? How to ask it?

People reveal so much more when asked to show you than when asked to tell you


Right questions Find questions that get people to show
What to ask? How to ask it? you, where you can observe their
behaviour.

Get participants to undertake realistic
and natural tasks. Take time to discover
what these tasks are.

Ask yourself why am I asking this
question? What am I going to do with the
answer?

Be interested in the subject being
researched.


Credit: w-ings, istockphoto.com

Right environment
Where and how to do research?

Credit: w-ings, istockphoto.com

Right environment
Where and how to do research?


Right environment People don’t like being tested. Save the
Where and how to do research? talk of ‘user testing’, ‘lab based research’
and ‘testing facilities’ for your client.

People like to be helpful and have their
opinion listened to. Give participants
control and put them in the driving seat.

Use appropriate tools to collect the
evidence you need and include your
clients and colleagues in the back room
to add their observations.

Make research fun, be inventive.


Analyse Reflect

Report


Focus

Analyse Reflect

Report


Credit: beyhanyazar, istockphoto.com

Analyse
Making sense of your data

Credit: beyhanyazar, istockphoto.com

Analyse
Making sense of your data

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Analyse Revisit your statement on the purpose
Making sense of your data of the research.

Thinking tools free up thinking time.
What can you use to quickly see the
patterns in the data?

Give yourself time and space to view
the data from a range of perspectives
and segment it by a range of
behaviours.

Beware the compelling person and the
compelling quote.

Talk through your thinking, share your
thoughts and be challenged.


Reflect
Know the problem to find the solution


Reflect Only when you fully understand the
Know the problem problem can you start thinking about
to find the solution possible solutions.

What does it all mean? Look and look
again - this is the literal translation of
research.

As a consultant don’t just report what
you found but interpret the findings
and offer recommendations that your
client can implement.


Report
How to tell the story?


Report Make your report compelling, tell the
How to tell the story? story focussing on recommendations
that drive action.

Concentrate on the most vital findings
to communicate and employ a
presentation style appropriate for the
audience.

Think about what your client needs to
persuade their stakeholders.

Provide your evidence and share all
your data.


Research is only valuable if it drives action


research answers




Actionable answers result in ...


Actionable answers result in ...

Credit: Clotheyes, flickr.com

How to get effective
and actionable
answers from
research sessions.
Thank you for listening. Time for questions.


@chrishow


Getting Effective Answers from Research Sessions

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