The Fuzzy Front End Gets Demystified in This Next-Generation User Research Guide
The first phase of the design thinking process is arguably the most crucial, as this is when human insights are leveraged to define value for customers. Yet this so-called "empathize" phase is often deemed optional or is executed poorly. This degrades the entire innovation process that follows by permitting preexisting biases and guesswork that make value creation a precarious bet.
In User Experience Research: Discover What Customers Really Want, a human factors psychologist and an industrial designer have devised a foolproof first phase that addresses the shortcomings of the design thinking process. Based on their forty years of generative research experience in multiple industries, this is the definitive guide to user experience research. This repeatable approach is grounded in six key principles that connects users’ desired emotional states to an actionable articulation of an experience. It also provides guidance on creating ideal experience frameworks that communicate clearly with all stakeholders, from business leaders to design practitioners.
User Experience Research: Discover What Customers Really Want is an indispensable, fully illustrated, step-by-step manual for anyone seeking a more predictable pathway to the design of new or improved experiences that users truly desire and would find valuable.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Design Thinking Process 10
The Six Key Principles for 12
Successful User Research 14
How to Use This Book
Making Experiences Actionable 1
A User-Driven Perspective on Design Thinking 18
Defining Value: What People Really Want 20
Ideal Experience Research 22
Choosing a Research Approach 2
Define Your Research Objectives 40
Select a Research Approach 44
Consider the End Deliverable 52
Finding Your Target User 3
Identify Participation Criteria 62
Create a Screener 64
Find Your Participants 68
Having Effective Conversations Conducting Research 4
Formulate Your Questions 76
Create a Discussion Guide 80
Conduct Interviews 84
Capturing Clear Data 5
Structure Your Data 98
Use a Spreadsheet Tool 104
Take Good Notes 106
Describing Experiences With Stimuli 6
Understand the Applications of Collaging 114
Prepare Collage Exercises 118
Conduct Collage Exercises 142
Understanding the Situations of Use 7
Approaches to Contextual Inquiry 160
Know Your Documentation Options 164
Conduct an Efficient & Effective Inquiry 170
Conducting Research 8
Prepare for the Study 182
Finalize Your Setup 184
Solidify the Approach 188
Finding the Big Ideas 9
Code the Data 196
Identify Themes 206
Synthesize Themes 216
Telling the Story of the Future 10
Model Experiences 228
Design Sourcebooks 236
Create Storyboards 244
Appendix 252
Index 260
