What emerging methods are advancing UX research [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series] (Videoconference)
Four of your research colleagues discussed and defended their respective positions on what emerging methods are advancing UX research. Participants engaged with them in a discussion and Q&A, facilitated by Victor Udoewa.
“Thanks to online culture, we have all become savvy content creators, alert to meanings. But while the user can tell you what they like, semiotics unlocks the system of imagery, narratives and environments that makes them think that way, showing brands how to be distinctive and credible.”
– Soma Ghosh & Rob Thomas
“Using AI for the “science” of user research (data collection, analysis) leaves you with more time to devote to the “art” of it—drawing connections only you could draw, telling stories that resonate in a way only you can.”
– Savina Hawkins
“The value of User Research is easily missed (dismissed) if our colleagues don’t come out from behind their computers or down from their 47th-floor office, and join us in talking to the people using their products or experiencing their services. There is no such thing as second-hand empathy.”
– Dave Hoffer
Communities of Practice for Civic Design (Videoconference)
At the April Civic Design Community call, hear from new community curator Kara Kane. She shares her experience scaling and leading the UK government’s user-centered design (UCD) communities and International Design in Government community while working at the Government Digital Service.
Kara talks about how communities of practice are central to the transformation of public services. The communities she developed built design capability, aimed to create a culture of equity and inclusion and were core to developing and delivering standards and guidance for government.
When UX Research and Institutional Racism Collide: A Case Study
Our recent UX engagement on a federal grant focused on a challenge in Alzheimer’s research: Black, Hispanic, and/or Latinx people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease more frequently than their white counterparts, yet participate in clinical trials, particularly prevention trials, at a lower rate. We were tasked with solving “usability issues” that prevented underrepresented populations from participating in research. Predictably, we surfaced more about inequality than usability. In this talk, we will share some of the mistakes we made and lessons we learned about broadening the definition of usability. Additionally, we will discuss how we articulated systemic inequality as part of our usability findings, and how this experience continues to influence our thinking about usability, inclusivity and anti-racism in our present research endeavours.
The Real Point of Research: a Chat with Erika Hall, author of Just Enough Research
Erika Hall wants us to get one thing straight: getting research right isn’t about the method you choose. It’s about gathering research to make the right design decisions for your business. Hear Erika’s ideas for how to bake research into the product design process. And why every organization needs a “team philosopher.”
Complex Problem? Add Clarity by Combining Research and Systems Thinking
Enterprises are increasingly complex. Workers are faced with more information, more tools, more demands, and research needs to keep up. The field of Systems Thinking can help researchers uncover the models behind this complexity. This talk covers practical techniques for illuminating how models are interconnected, where feedback loops exist, and how we might transform these complex systems to drive innovation. It highlights how we can understand these systems without losing sight of the workers themselves… their ideas, concerns, motivations, and needs. Marrying systems clarity with this human perspective is critical, and is something researchers are uniquely positioned to do.
Making a Classic Even Better with Leah Buley and Joe Natoli
Leah Buley and Joe Natoli have teamed up to make something great (check out the reviews on Amazon!) even greater. How? Well, considering that The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide was written more than a decade ago, it was time to revisit the content and make it even more relevant for today’s UX teams. After all, times have changed.
But the fundamental principles of the original book haven’t changed. They are as solid today as they were 11 years ago. What has changed is that the methods have been adapted for the speed of change in today’s businesses.
Joe says it best: “These methods are shorter. They’re simpler. They’re more direct in a lot of ways, and they cut to the chase in a way that longer processes don’t. I’ve met plenty of senior people who are throwing up their hands and going, ‘We’re doing all the things. Why isn’t this working?’ And the truth is, they’re kind of overworking and overthinking. Everything in this book is practical and direct and gets you from point A to B. I just don’t think there’s any better way to get there.”
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
- About Leah’s experience as a solo UX practitioner and the inspiration behind the first edition of UX Team of One
- How the UX field has changed over the past decade
- How the second edition aims to provide comprehensive yet practical UX methods that can be applied in various organizational settings
- About the shortcomings of UX boot camps and educational programs
- A perspective that balances UX advocacy with business objectives and the reality of corporate politics
- How to navigate and thrive in a UX career despite industry challenges, focusing on practical, adaptable methods and tools.
Quick Reference Guide:
0:46 – Introduction of Leah and Joe
1:33 – The User Experience Team of One, second edition
6:46 – Large or small team, Leah and Joe’s book is comprehensive without being overwhelming
8:58 – Righting wrongs
12:14 – What’s new in the second edition – striving to do more with less
15:58 – Break – plug for the Rosenverse
18:20 – The current shitstorm
21:39 – On speed
24:40 – On toolkits. Tools and methods are two different things.
28:16 – Who needs The User Experience Team of One?
30:45 – Leah and Joe’s gifts for the audience
The Roots of Inclusion with Victor Udoewa
We hear a lot about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but you probably haven’t heard it like this. Nigerian-born Victor Udoewa, service design lead at the Centers for Disease Control’s Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, brings a beautiful perspective that challenges current research methodologies.
Victor introduces the notion of the pluriverse, emphasizing that people inhabit different worlds with unique ways of being and knowing. He draws attention to the diverse perspectives that shape people’s beliefs and understanding, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and bridging these gaps.
He also uses a tree as a metaphor, in which the roots are ways of being, the trunk ways of knowing, and the branches and leaves are methodologies and methods. The metaphor suggests that inclusive research should not just focus on the green parts of the tree but what’s underneath the surface, getting to the very roots of being.
Recognizing the limitations of mainstream research toolkits and critiquing methodologies grounded in Western ways of being, Victor proposes that truly inclusive research goes far beyond having diverse teams study diverse audiences.
This episode is just a taste of Victor’s talk at the upcoming in-person Advancing Research Conference, “Beyond Methods and Diversity: The Roots of Inclusion.”
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
– The Pluriverse Concept: The idea that the world comprises multiple realities, ways of being, and existences
– Standpoint Theory: The idea that individuals at the bottom of a social hierarchy possess a knowledge that is inaccessible to those at higher levels
– Victor’s Tree Metaphor: Roots symbolize ways of being, the trunk represents ways of knowing, and branches and leaves denote methodologies and methods
– Radical Participatory Research: Allowing research to emerge organically from the ways of being of the community involved
Quick Reference Guide:
[00:10] Meet Victor Udoewa
[02:16] About Victor’s talk at Advancing Research
[04:26] The pluriverse and asymmetry of knowledge
[11:20] Social hierarchy, ways of being, and methodology
[12:52] The tree metaphor – getting to the roots
[22:20] Research starting with a way of being
[26:47] Cultural individualism on research
[33:02] Victor’s gift for listeners
Why Pharmaceutical’s Research Model Should Replace Design Thinking
In many organizations, design thinking dominates the research process with expansive research processes upfront during discovery. Pharmaceutical research gives us an alternative model that we can adapt based on a fail early and fail often (tech mantra) that should make discovery research an easier sell in any organization.
Takeaways:
- An alternative model to discovery research with reduced upfront costs
- Starting discovery research when buy-in is difficult
- Maintaining discovery research when funds tighten up
- An alternative model to measuring the value of research that takes into account savings
Erica Jorgensen on Tools and Techniques for Testing your Content
Erica Jorgensen is one of Rosenfeld Media’s newest authors with the publication of her book, Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX. With a background in journalism, her book draws on her experiences as a content designer with the likes of Chewy, Microsoft, Slack, Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, and Expedia.
Erica’s book is a toolkit of research techniques for anyone struggling to create content that makes an impact. Not all companies have dedicated research budgets or teams, yet research can save us from redos and yield more targeted, effective content.
Without research, you may be flying blind without even realizing it. We assume the words and phrases on our websites and apps are effective, and a little due diligence can confirm those assumptions or enlighten us about something that was previously completely outside our awareness.
Erica warns us to be prepared because content research will open proverbial cans of worms. False assumptions will be exposed, and what you learn may take your work in unexpected directions. Oftentimes, the whole company will need to get on board when language has to be changed or cleaned up.
In a nutshell, content research will expose problems. But it will help you make progress, and the payoff is worth it.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
• About Erica’s career journey in content design
• Case study: The impact of one company’s confusing language, and how content research came to the rescue
• How to incorporate content research into non-research roles
• How to prioritize and strategize content research
• How to harness content audits to highlight what needs attention
• Why it’s important to present your team’s work in the most flattering light possible
