When considering enhancements, optimizations, or planning new content development, a business should aim to better understand the informational needs, tasks, and behaviors of its consumers across all digital channels. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind when designing a behavioral research study.

1. 10 Tips for Conducting Better User Research Jonathan Lupo VP/Information Architecture Empathy Lab http://empathylab.blogspot.com

2. End-User Research is Important When considering enhancements, optimizations, or planning new content development, a business should aim to better understand the informational needs, tasks, and behaviors of its consumers across all digital channels. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind when designing a behavioral research study.

3. 1. Recruit active information-seekers Launch a Google cost-per-click advertisement that solicits participation when relevant keywords queries to the research topic are used. A list of customers who have opted into receiving email communications is also a great platform for recruiting participants to a research study.

4. 2. Analyze existing consumer research Look to the marketing or the customer service department of a business to understand what is already known about target consumer segments. Identify gaps in knowledge about consumers, or seek to update outdated research.

5. 3. Formulate hypotheses Business stakeholders will volunteer hypotheses about their target customer segments. Secondary research may also suggest certain motivations, tasks, and behaviors. Design a study with some informed hypotheses to help make lines of questioning more relevant from the get-go.

6. 4. Develop a comprehensive list of questions Think through and document every possible line-of-questioning and probing follow-up question. The study guide isn't a script but it should assist the research facilitator in case a line of questioning reaches a dead-end. The idea is to keep the subject talking about the subject and maintaining a calm and natural atmosphere

7. 5. Ask open-ended questions Questions that naturally result in a "yes" or "no" response do not lend themselves to a dialogue. Ask questions that require subjects to be descriptive and engage in a conversation.

8. 6. Do not ask participants to speculate The goal of behavioral research is to understand and observe behavior. Asking a participant what they might do in a given situation or what they think they might want on a web site leads them to speculate on their behavior. Speculation leads to false and biased data.

9. 7. Perform research in context Behavior is best observed in the context of where it naturally occurs. Performing a study in the context of which a task is normally performed aids end-user recall of the task in question. B L

10. 8. Videotape participants and environment ¹ Nothing proves a point like a video clip of participants performing relevant tasks. Obtain participants' consent prior to videotaping them.

11. 9. Bring a research assistant Facilitating a research study requires concentration and focus. The interviewer must make sure that all important lines-of-questioning are brought up in the interview, the conversation is natural, and questions are not "leading" the participant to a biased result. The facilitator should not be the one taking notes or handling the technical equipment (such as a video camera or audio recording device). B

12. 10. Have a designer, copywriter, or strategist assist with the research True collaboration in Design requires the Information Architect and Visual Designer to both understand and empathize with end-user needs. The right research partner depends on the type of project for which the research is being conducted.

14. VP/Information Architecture

15. Empathy Lab

16. http://empathylab.blogspot.com