User-Centred Research Methods
User-centred research methods can be used to understand a user population.
Interviews
- One-on-one conversations with users
- Gather qualitative insights (opinions, stories)
- They can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, depending on the research goals.
- Structured Interviews: Predefined questions ensure consistency.
- Semi-Structured Interviews: Flexibility to explore new topics based on user responses.
- Unstructured Interviews: Open-ended conversations for exploratory research.
A design team conducts semi-structured interviews with elderly users to understand their challenges with a new mobile app.
Surveys
- Collect quantitative data from a large user population.
- They are useful for identifying trends and preferences.
- Closed-Ended Questions: Provide specific options for responses.
- Open-Ended Questions: Allow users to express their thoughts freely.
- Use Clear, Concise Language: Avoid jargon or complex terms.
- Include a Mix of Question Types: Use multiple-choice, Likert scales, and open-ended questions to capture diverse insights.
Field Research
Field Research
A first-hand observation of users conducted in their real environment.
- Collecting data in the natural environment where users interact with a product or service.
- Provides authentic insights into user behaviors and contextual factors.
- Observation: Watching users interact with a product in their environment.
- Contextual Inquiry: Engaging with users to understand their tasks and challenges.
- Ethnographic Studies: Immersing in the user's environment to gain a deep understanding of their culture and practices.
A design team observes nurses using medical equipment in a hospital to identify workflow inefficiencies and design improvements.
User Observation
User Observation
A research activity where the user is observed interacting with a product or
completing a task to find pain points in the process or interaction.
- Observations reveal unspoken behaviors and challenges that users may not articulate.
- Observations can take place in:
- Real-world environment (e.g. watching someone use a kettle in their kitchen) - this is known as field research and provides authentic insights into behaviour and contextual factors.
- Controlled setting (e.g. a user testing session in a classroom or lab).
- Observing users in the real world vs. a controlled setting is like observing animals in the wild vs. in a zoo.
- In the wild, you see natural behaviours in the real context, but it’s harder to control what happens.
- In a zoo, you can study more closely, but the behaviour may be influenced by the artificial environment.
- Designers must choose the setting that best suits what they’re trying to learn.
User observation is most effective when combined with other methods, such as interviews, to validate findings and gain deeper insights.
Observations can take direct or indirect:
- Direct Observation: Observing users in real-time.
- Indirect Observation: Using video recordings or screen captures for later analysis.
Focus Groups
- Focus groups involve guided discussions with a small group of users.
- They encourage interaction and idea generation.
- Moderator-led discussions guides the conversation to explore specific topics.
A focus group of gamers discusses their experiences with a new console, providing insights into usability and feature preferences.
Task Analysis
Task Analysis
Task analysis is the process of observing and studying a user as they perform a task, to understand how they interact with a product or system. The goal is to identify steps, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in the user experience.
- Task analysis involves breaking down user tasks into smaller steps to understand how users achieve their goals.
- This method helps identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Why These Methods Matter
- Help designers avoid assumptions and instead base decisions on actual user data.
- Lead to more accurate user personas and realistic design requirements.
- Improve empathy, inclusivity, and problem definition early in the process.
Reusable Water Bottle
- Observation: Students often drop bottles because they’re hard to grip.
- Task Analysis: Cleaning takes too many steps, especially around the cap.
- Interviews: Users express frustration about leaks in backpacks.
Leads to a redesign with textured sides, simpler cap mechanism, and leak-proof seal.
Outline one advantage of using field research rather than a usability lab in the development of a foldable electric scooter. [2]
Solution
Field research takes place in real urban riding conditions (e.g. varied pavement surfaces, traffic interactions) which reveals genuine user behaviours and environmental challenges, such as difficulties folding on the curb or stability over uneven ground, that a controlled lab cannot replicate.
Award [1] for identifying an advantage of field research and [1] for a brief explanation.
