Lesson 2: User Research
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Workshop Scenario:
Please think of yourself in the following scenario as you complete this workshop:
You are a student who is interested in pursuing a career in technology. You have always been fascinated by the way technology impacts our daily lives and want to learn more about how software and apps are designed to make our interactions with technology more seamless and intuitive.
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the differences between UX and UI design, you want to get a better understanding of your users. Your next step is to try and put yourself in your users’ shoes and develop their personas.
By the end of this lesson, you will understand the importance of user research in design.
As you work your way through this workshop, you’ll be applying the skills you learn to present your ideas for a hypothetical app that incorporates elements of UX/UI design. Please take notes throughout this lesson; you will need to refer to them for your final project.
Lesson Objective:
Your objective today is to discover how user research methods are used to develop user personas and scenarios.
As you read, please consider the following questions:
How can user research help designers anticipate and avoid potential design problems?
What are the benefits of creating a user persona for a digital product design?
Lesson 2: User Research
Do you ever find yourself frustrated with a product or app that doesn't seem to meet your needs? Perhaps you struggle to navigate the interface, or you can't find the feature you need. These frustrations can often be traced back to a lack of user research in the design process. User research is crucial for understanding the needs and goals of the people using a product.
2.1 User Research in Design
Understanding the User's Needs and Goals
Think about the last time you interacted with a product or app that felt like it was designed specifically for you. Maybe it was a website that made it easy to find the information you were looking for or an app that felt intuitive and effortless. What made that experience so great? Chances are, the designers of that product invested time and resources into understanding the needs and goals of their users through user research.
User research is all about understanding the people using a product. What motivates them? What frustrates them? What do they need to accomplish? By answering these questions, designers can create products that genuinely meet the needs of their users.
Meeting User Expectations
Now think about the last time you used a product that left you feeling underwhelmed or frustrated. Perhaps it was an app that promised to simplify your life but ended up confusing you with a cluttered interface. Or maybe it was a website you found challenging to navigate, leaving you with a negative impression of the company. As a designer, you want to create a product that meets and exceeds user expectations.
Product failure to meet user expectations can lead to various adverse outcomes, including low user adoption rates, poor reviews, and, ultimately, lost revenue. On the other hand, when products exceed user expectations, it can lead to increased engagement, positive word-of-mouth, and, finally, loyal customers.
2.2 Methods for Conducting User Research
Types of User Research
Companies that understand user needs and goals create products that people love and keep coming back to. But how do they do it? Through qualitative and quantitative user research methods.
Qualitative research involves getting up close and personal with users through interviews, focus groups, and observation. It allows designers to gain deep insights into users' motivations and behaviors.
Quantitative research involves gathering numerical data through surveys and analytics to measure user preferences and behavior patterns. These insights help designers make informed decisions and create products that meet users' needs effectively.
Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods is the ideal way for designers to gather rich insights from users and create products that are not only visually appealing but also functional and engaging.
Data Collection Techniques
When it comes to conducting user research, there are a variety of data collection techniques:
Surveys: involves asking a series of questions to a group of users. They can be conducted online or in person and can provide designers with quantitative data that can be analyzed to gain insights into user demographics, preferences, and opinions.
Interviews: involves asking open-ended questions to individual users. This can provide designers with qualitative data revealing more in-depth information about user behavior and motivation.
Focus groups: involves bringing together a group of users to discuss their experiences with a product or service, providing insights into pain points and areas for improvement.
Observation: involves watching users interact with a product or service in real-time, providing insights into user behavior and areas of frustration.
Each data collection technique has its strengths and weaknesses, and designers may use a combination of them to gain a complete picture of user needs and preferences.
2.3 Creating User Personas and Scenarios
In this section, we will explore the different components of a user persona and how to develop them to create realistic user scenarios.
Understanding User Personas
User personas are fictional representations of users based on research data and insights and are essential in design for several reasons. They help designers empathize by putting themselves in the shoes of the user.
Using user personas has many benefits, including:
A better understanding of the user's needs and goals
Increased empathy for the user
More effective design decisions
Improved communication with stakeholders
Let's say a UX designer is working on a new mobile app for a fitness brand. Click below for an example of what that user persona might look like:
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Name: Emily
Age: 28
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Location: New York City
Background: Emily is a busy marketing manager who lives in New York City. She is health-conscious and enjoys working out, but struggles to find time to exercise regularly. She is looking for a mobile app that can help her to stay motivated and track her fitness progress.
Goals: Emily's primary goal is to get in shape and improve her fitness level. She wants to be able to track her workouts, set goals, and see progress over time. She also wants a mobile app that fits into her busy lifestyle and can be used on-the-go.
Challenges: Emily struggles to find time to exercise regularly due to her busy work schedule. She is also easily discouraged when she doesn't see results quickly.
Motivations: Emily is motivated by the idea of being able to improve her fitness level and feel healthier. She is also motivated by the convenience of a mobile app that can be used anytime, anywhere.
Behaviors: Emily typically exercises on the weekends and occasionally after work during the week. She is open to trying new workout routines and enjoys taking classes. She is also interested in healthy eating and likes to track her nutrition.
Designing Scenarios
A scenario is a hypothetical situation that represents a user's real-life experience with a digital product. Designing scenarios helps designers better understand how users interact with their digital products in different contexts.
When designing scenarios, it's essential to keep in mind your target audience and the goals of your digital product. You can conduct research to identify common user behaviors and needs, then use this information to create realistic scenarios.
Click below for an example of what a user-centered scenario might look like
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Scenario:
Emily wakes up early in the morning, knowing that she has a busy day ahead of her. As she gets ready for work, she checks her phone and opens a new fitness mobile app she recently downloaded. She wants to start tracking her progress to improve her fitness level, but she also wants to find a routine that fits into her busy schedule.
The app greets her with a personalized message and suggests a quick workout routine that she can do at home before heading to work. Emily is pleasantly surprised and decides to give it a try. The app guides her through the workout, showing her how to perform each exercise and how many reps she should aim for.
After completing the workout, Emily feels energized and motivated. She checks her progress on the app and is impressed with how easy it is to navigate and track her workouts. She decides to set a new goal for herself for the upcoming week.
Later in the day, Emily is at work and feeling stressed. She opens the app and finds a feature that allows her to choose a meditation routine. The app guides her through a quick meditation session, which helps her to relax and refocus.
At the end of the day, Emily opens the app again to log her workout and nutrition. She is pleased with the app's integration with other fitness and nutrition apps and how easy it is to keep track of everything in one place. She feels confident that she can continue to improve her fitness level and achieve her goals with the help of this app.
In Conclusion
User research is a crucial aspect of designing successful digital products. This lesson taught us various methods for conducting user research, creating user personas, and developing user scenarios. By understanding the needs, behaviors, and motivations of users, we can design digital products that are intuitive and user-friendly.
Closing Assessment:
Now that you have reached the end of this lesson, you should be able to answer the following:
How can user research help designers anticipate and avoid potential design problems?
What are the benefits of creating a user persona for a digital product design?
Participate in the 24/7 Discussion Forum
Please answer the following question in the comment section below and interact with learners from around the world:
You are thinking of creating a mobile app. You want to make sure that your app attracts the right users and meets their expectations.
Describe how you would design your user research study and analyze the data to develop effective user personas and scenarios.
Please read and reply to other learners’ answers in the forum.
Course created by: Sarah Moutaoukil & Samantha Nally
or try a prompt below!
