Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research aims to bridge the gap between what digital companies think they know about their users and the actual user experience. Individuals engaged in digital product and service development often fail to conduct user research. The book presents concepts and techniques to provide an understanding of how people experience products and services. The techniques are drawn from the worlds of human-computer interaction, marketing, and social sciences.
The book is organized into three parts. Part I discusses the benefits of end-user research and the ways it fits into the development of useful, desirable, and successful products. Part II presents techniques for understanding people’s needs, desires, and abilities. Part III explains the communication and application of research results. It suggests ways to sell companies and explains how user-centered design can make companies more efficient and profitable. This book is meant for people involved with their products’ user experience, including program managers, designers, marketing managers, information architects, programmers, consultants, and investors.
Key Features
- Explains how to create usable products that are still original, creative, and unique
- A valuable resource for designers, developers, project managers - anyone in a position where their work comes in direct contact with the end user
- Provides a real-world perspective on research and provides advice about how user research can be done cheaply, quickly and how results can be presented persuasively
- Gives readers the tools and confidence to perform user research on their own designs and tune their software user experience to the unique needs of their product and its users
Biographies
Preface
PART I: Why Research Is Good and How It Fits into Product Development
Chapter 1. Introduction
Learning from LEGO
In Conclusion
Chapter 2. Do a Usability Test Now!
A Nano-usability Test
A Micro-usability Test
What Did You Learn?
What to Do Next
Chapter 3. Balancing Needs through Iterative Development
Success for End Users Is…
Success for the Company Is…
Success for Advertisers Is…
A System of Balance: Iterative Development
Where User Research Fits In
Example: A Scheduling Service
PART II: User Experience Research Techniques
Chapter 4. Research Planning
Setting Goals for Research
Integrating Research and Action
The Format of the Plan
Budgets
Example: Research Plan for Company X
Maintenance
Chapter 5. Competitive Research
When Competitive Research Is Effective
Competitive Research Methods
Analyzing Competitive Research
Example: A Quick Evaluation of Match.com
Acting on Competitive Research
Chapter 6. Universal Tools: Recruiting and Interviewing
Recruiting
Interviewing
Chapter 7. Focus Groups
When Focus Groups Are Appropriate
How to Conduct Focus Groups
Chapter 8. More Than Words: Object-Based Techniques
When to Use Them
Dialogic Techniques
Writing the Script
Generative Techniques: Making Things
Associative Techniques: Card Sorting
Chapter 9. Field Visits: Learning from Observation
What Are Field Visits?
How Are Field Visits Used?
The Field Visit Process
Note Taking
Why Can’t You Just Ask People?
Conclusion
Chapter 10. Diary Studies
When to Do a Diary Study
How to Do a Diary Study
Conclusion
Chapter 11. Usability Tests
When to Test
How to Do It
How to Analyze Usability Tests
Anatomy of a Usability Test Report
Appendix B
Conclusion
Chapter 12. Surveys
When to Conduct Surveys
How to Field a Survey
How to Analyze Survey Responses
Follow-up and Ongoing Research
Chapter 13. Global and Cross-Cultural Research
What Is Global and What Is Cross-Cultural?
Research Planning
Multilingual Research
Recruiting
Field Interviews and Observation
Global and Cross-Cultural Surveys
The Elephant in the Room
Tactical Challenges for Implementing Research Plans
Analyzing the Data
Course Corrections
Building Your Global Research Program
Chapter 14. Others’ Hard Work: Published Information and Consultants
Published Information
Hiring Specialists
Chapter 15. Analyzing Qualitative Data
This Is Not a Fishing Trip
An Ideal Process for Qualitative Analysis
Coding with Paper
Digital
Mixing Digital and Paper Coding
Typical Analysis Plans
Conclusion
Chapter 16. Automatically Gathered Information: Usage Data and Customer Feedback
Usage Data
Customer Feedback
Explore the Data, Then Go Observe!
PART III: Communicating Results
Chapter 17. Research into Action: Representing Insights as Deliverables
Choosing the Right Deliverables
Representing People: Personas
Representing Situations: Scenarios
Representing Activities and Processes
Representing Systems: Experience Models
Putting It All Together
A Final Warning
Chapter 18. Reports, Presentations, and Workshops
Informal Reporting
Preparing and Presenting Formal Reports
The Presentation
The Workshop
Extending the Reach of Research
Conclusion
Chapter 19. Creating a User-Centered Corporate Culture
Work with the Current Process
What If It’s Just Too Difficult?
Following and Leading
References
Index
Brinck: Usability for the Web ($49.95 ISBN: 1-55860-658-0, MK, 2001)
