UXD – Miri's Blog

User experience (UX) is a user centric approach that keeps users at the heart of the research and design process, enabling the end product or service to be the best it can that is tailored to fit their needs. It is important to do the research first before designing something that the public will be using. You need to ensure that you thoroughly understand why the product is needed and then this will help with the design process in creating the best outcome. ‘A system is usable when it provides a service and is of use to a person.’ (Rosenzweig, E. 2015). I will discuss different elements of acquiring data for UX and compare each with its counterpart to see how they differ. It will also delve into what research techniques I will use within my major project to achieve more insight into how the design of the website should be implemented so that the intended users benefit from it. This article will give an explanation into what UX research and design is, the best research methods to us, and what it entails. I will also talk about what was learned from the sessions with Steph Troeth and Chris How.

What is User Experience Research?

UX research begins with exploring common problems that users face when using a product or service. It makes you think about real people and real life scenarios that require a fix in order for the needs of these people to be fulfilled. UX research studies user interactions from a group of volunteers to gather information on how they might come up with different solutions to the same issue, or exploring all of the different pain points each individual has with the same product or service. This can be done using methods such as usability testing, diary studies, interviews, surveys and many more.

Qualitative vs Quantitative

Qualitative data is very subjective and the information that is received must be thought about and interpreted. An example is methods such as interviews and conversations with targeted user groups who would use the product or website. Quantitative data is something that can be counted and measured using numbers, such as large scale surveys or the analysis from analytics. The benefit of this is that it makes it objective, meaning it is more accurate and removes bias. ‘Interpreting your data and presenting those findings is straightforward and less open to error and subjectivity.’ (DeVault, G. 2020. liveabout.com) This creates a better user experience because there are no or less mistakes being made, also it isn’t based on opinions so it is able to remain neutral throughout.

Attitudinal vs Behavioural

Attitudinal research is ‘relating to, based on, or expressive of personal attitudes or feelings.’ (Merriam-Webster. 2022) An example of an attitudinal method would be to ask the participants what they think and what their opinions on a specific matter are. In contrast to this, behavioural research methods ask the user to observe what action has been taken and is a way to understand individual and social behaviour.

Generative vs Evaluation

Generative research is an open ended type method of how the research is conducted. These are much more vague and give more general detail from the user. For example, using diary studies is a method that would take place over a number of weeks or months as the prospective user or volunteer goes about their daily lives. In contrast, evaluative research is a close ended type of method. An example of this would be usability testing. This is where a small group of prospective users are asked to test the product or website and carry out certain assessments to see how well it functions, and how easy it is to use. This can also draw out any bad experiences, such as if it isn’t user friendly or works fine for one person but not another who has a specific need. This is a great way to test before the product goes live as it means adjustments can be made.

The session with Steph Troeth taught a good technique of doing a quick What I Learned analyses of data by using the roses, buds, and thorns method to sort the findings. This swiftly enables the answers to be grouped into 3 sections:

Roses – ‘Any positives and good experiences that the interviewee had.’

Buds – ‘Neutral areas, any opportunities for improvements that could be made.’

Thorns – ‘Anything negative or any pain points that the interviewee had.’ (Troeth, S. 2022)

This allows a much better visualisation of what the issues are, what is okay but could be improved, and what already works well that can continue to be used and possibly develop further. Something else that stood out from the session was the importance of sampling and how whilst there might be a specific group of people in mind, there will always be others outside of the intended target audience who want to use the website for many different reasons. It is important to keep this in mind when designing and ensure that the website is inclusive and user friendly for all no matter who the intended users are.

What is User Experience Design?

UX design helps frame the solution in a way that enables ease of use for users, giving them the confidence to continue using the website as they know that it functions well for their needs. This is known as user centred design, a process which focuses on the needs of the user throughout each design phase. This can include users in the design process to ensure that things are getting done correctly in each step and ensuring it is accessible for those (and others) who you intend to use the product.

‘Three main factors to keep at the forefront of your mind when designing a solution to a problem is the business, the user, and the technology.’ (How, C. 2022) This explores the viability of the business, whether or not it can achieve what it wants to set out to do. Such as is there something about the design that is too grandiose which might detract from the basic function of the product? How much the user needs or desires the product, such as why they need it and are there enough people who need it to make the cost worthwhile. What technology the company might use and how they set about achieving this goal, also how feasible it is for them to create it. For example how probable it is to succeed or not and if they have enough funding to see it through to the end.

The Double Diamond

The “double diamond” is a reflection of the design process. In the first

diamond the first two steps are:

1. Discover – ‘Discovering what the problems are and the issues that real life people face.’

2. Define – ‘Narrowing down the problems and looking at the ones you are able to manage and solve.’

In the second diamond, the continuing two steps are:

3. Develop – ‘Start developing the solutions, thinking outside of the box/keeping an open mind about how the problem might be solved.’

4. Deliver – ‘Pinpoint the solution that you think will work best and focus on delivering that idea.’ (Troeth, S. 2022.)

‘How Might We’ questions and statements allow for a more creative approach to problem solving whilst keeping focused on the issues at hand. To create a good ‘How Might We’ statement or question it is a good idea to first start with the problems that have been uncovered. They should avoid hinting at the solution within the statement as this is something that will be covered in detail later on in the design process. The questions and statements should be kept broad and comprehensive so that there is room for lots of different ideas. The more ideas there are, the easier it is to narrow down and tweak until it’s perfect. Whereas if there are only one or two ideas then there isn’t much room for improvement. The statements should also be focused on the desired outcome as opposed to just trying to solve the issue by ‘slapping a plaster on it’ and ignoring the root cause. Finally, the questions and statements should be phrased positively otherwise this will limit your creative abilities.

From the session with Chris How, it was important to note that no matter how bad somebody might be at sketching (and I learned that my skills were rather abysmal), it is best practice to still start the design by sketching out initial ideas. Sketching allows the designer to visualise the idea as a rough draft first and means that the parts that look like they could work well can be further developed and are then able to hone in on the good parts. In terms of designing websites this is a great approach because the visualisation comes to life on each page showing what it should vaguely look like. This makes it easier when it comes to coding and designing the website. Now there is a rough guide of how it should appear and function which works well as it can be followed along with and developed further.

Project Idea – Happy Citty

My project concept focuses on the life of pet cats in a city that are living in a flat with no garden and only so much space to use. The website will focus on how the owners can go about maximising the space that they do have in order to create the best quality of life for their cat. It will look at the cat’s behaviour when unhappy, the impact it can have on their health, and what can be done to improve their daily lives and put the owners minds at ease. The intended target users for the project are predominantly fairly young with an age grouping of between 20-40 years old, but it will be a website for everybody that will adhere to inclusivity no matter the reason for wanting to view the site.

Research Methods

Some research methods that will be used for the project to find out more about cat behaviours, and help identify the way in which specific users will interact with the website include:

User Profiles

Three user profiles will be created for the project to indicate who might use the website even if they don’t necessarily fall into the intended age group target or specific circumstances, such as living in a flat. Doing so will help visualise the types of user who will be using the website, remembering that users may be using it for reasons other than what was originally set out. This makes it easier to design for as it will be clear what their needs are and the reasons for them looking on the website in the first place.

User Persona 1: https://mjonesdesign.co.uk/uxd/User%20Profiles%20-%20Sabrina.pdf

User Persona 2: https://mjonesdesign.co.uk/uxd/User%20Profiles%20-%20Ruth.pdf

User Persona 3: https://mjonesdesign.co.uk/uxd/User%20Profiles%20-%20Josh.pdf

Empathy Mapping

Empathy mapping will be used after creating user personas as these specific ‘characters’ will be the centre focus of the empathy map. Therefore their specific qualities, traits and pain points will need to be kept in mind as it will represent what they say, think, do, and feel.

Empathy Map 1: https://mjonesdesign.co.uk/uxd/Empathy%20Map%20Sabrina.pdf

Empathy Map 2: https://mjonesdesign.co.uk/uxd/Empathy%20Map%20Ruth.pdf

Empathy Map 3: https://mjonesdesign.co.uk/uxd/Empathy%20Map%20Josh.pdf

User Testing

When certain phases are reached in the website progress, friends and family and the online community will be asked to test the website to see what opinions people have – where improvements can be made, if it makes sense to them, if it is user friendly and so on. ‘Involve real users, listen and respond to what they say, test your designs with a spectrum of different ages, abilities, and interests…’ (Lynch, P. 2019). There will be a form or questionnaire provided for them to fill out after testing where they will be able to express their opinions and any outside insights they may have that would be clouded from personal vue due to proximity to the project. An example of an open ended question could be ‘How easy did you find it to use this website, and what do you think could be improved?’. This will help to continuously improve the website at each point and enable vital feedback to be gathered from qualitative data.

Specific Behavioural and Dietary Information from Vet

A veterinarian will be contacted who has 9 cats, so she would be an excellent source of information for both scientific facts such as dietary requirements and behavioural patterns, both professionally and from personal experience as there will be first hand accounts of the cats and how they behave with one another.

Online Questionnaires and Surveys for Cat Owners (Quantitative)

Online forms or questionnaires will be created for people who have cats in order to gather research on behavioural patterns, and comparison between indoor and outdoor cats. They will be created using Surveyplanet where the data is handled and collected in the cloud. Firstly it will ask if the cat is an outdoor or indoor cat and will then ask different questions depending on if they answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The surveys and questionnaires will be completely anonymous as no personal details are needed and there is an option to enable this on Surveyplanet, ensuring that no identifying information will be captured such as IP addresses. It will also ensure that the research will follow the university’s guidance on the ethics practices and where needed will get ethical approval prior to beginning any research involving the participants. The surveys will have a mix of some specific close ended questions with multiple choice answers, and it will also have some open ended questions to give the users a chance to express their own opinion. The close ended questions will be constructed once relevant research has been done. An example of a question based on gathering cat behavioural research could be ‘How does your cat tend to play, such as favourite toys, and how often?’

Primary Sources & Secondary Sources

Primary sources for this project include spending time with cats via friends and family, cat sitting and visiting an array of cat cafés. Observing the cats behaviour and taking notes, interacting with them to attempt to garner a response and spot patterns. Taking photos of the cats as and when they are available to spend time with. Secondary sources for this project include watching documentaries, reading articles and books, and analysing data that is obtained from previous research such as public online questionnaires.

Conclusion

I think the biggest research method that will help me with my major project is creating user profiles and providing them with user journeys, and asking the online community to complete questionnaires. Whilst the other research techniques will also be invaluable, they are more on the side of specific research on cats so that I can ensure the content I am putting on my website remains factual and not just based on opinions. All of this research is important to give me the insight into what sort of content is necessary for the users of my website and what will be the most meaningful. I believe it is vital to get a firm understanding of the type of user who you are designing for, and what their needs and end goals are so that you don’t accidentally end up creating something that could be a major pain point for them. I have a specific target group of age 20-40 in mind but will ensure that I cater for everyone so that all needs are met, as well as ensuring my website is accessible for anyone with disabilities – such as difficulty reading due to impaired vision, which could be solved by both ensuring website design and layout is still legible when zoomed in, and by testing to see that the colour theme works well with font colours. It is also important to ensure code is semantically correct and adequately labelled for screen readers.