Learning about users: observation & interviewing

1. Learning about users: observation & interviewing UCD Hoorcollege blok 1 week 5

2. Learning goals • By the end of the colleges and reading (UCD reader chapter 2) you should: • Understand why interviewing and observing the user is an essential part of the UCD process • Understand some of the ways you can obtain information on user goals and needs • Be aware of the three user observation paradigms • Have learned a framework that will help you carry-out user observation • Be in a position to carry out user interviews

3. Agenda • Introduction: why bother looking at the user? • Techniques for obtaining user needs and goals • Observing the user • Interviewing the user • General guidelines • Summary

4. Users and (new) product development • Products are created to meet the need(s) and goals of a user • So logically in order to develop or change a product you need to know the user’s needs and goals • There are a number of techniques for finding out user goals and needs • Some rely on imagination and developing personas and scenarios • These can be useful in the early stages, but they are very unreliable • Other techniques involve the user • These can then be used to develop more reliable personas and scenarios • Involving the user can be risky • Users cannot always put their needs into words • They may even not be conscious of the need • Even so, if well managed, involving the user is rewarding

5. Techniques to obtain user needs and goals Adapted from: Rosenau, M.D., et. At, 1996. The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc., p. 158

6. Observing users

7. User observation paradigms Adapted from: Preece, J., Rogers, Y. and Sharp, H., Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, New York NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002, pp. 363 -364

8. User observation paradigms Adapted from: Preece, J., Rogers, Y. and Sharp, H., Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, New York NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002, pp. 363 -364

9. Data collection techniques Adapted from: Preece, J., Rogers, Y. and Sharp, H., Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, New York NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002, pp. 373 - 375

10. A framework for field observation Adapted from: Preece, J., Rogers, Y. and Sharp, H., Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, New York NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002, p. 368

11. Interviewing users

12. Stages of interview process

13. Identifying candidates • Develop a persona hypothesis by answering these questions: • What sort of persons might use this product or have this problem? • What might be their goals and needs? • What range of behaviours (gedrag) might these users have? • This will give you an idea of the type of candidates you should try to find • Note: this may have to be adapted after you begin the interviews

14. Example persona hypothesis:A cookbook • Sorts of people • Type A: Women with families (very sexist - sorry) • Type B: Single men who can’t cook (Me) • Goals and needs • Type A: Quick meal for a hungry family, more complex meal for a dinner party (kids at grandparents) • Type B: Easy to follow and shop for, quick, impress a date • Behaviours • Type A: Expert(?), adventurous, variety seeking • Type B: Amateur, nervous, constant checking

15. Planning the interviews • Find suitable candidates based on the persona hypothesis • Identify your goals - what do you want to find out • This will help you frame some basic questions and areas you want to explore • You should avoid having a fixed question list beyond the basics

16. Think of the interview as a (structured) conversation Avoid fixed question lists - keep your questions loose Use some basic questions as a warm-up Use your goals as the basis of further questions Be ready to explore things based on what the interviewee says Do not ask leading questions “Why do you like this product?” when it is not clear that they do Focus on the goals the user has not the the tasks they carry-out Not “what do you do?” but “what do you want to achieve?" Encourage the interviewee to tell stories “Tell me about your experiences with this product” Ask them to show and tell (if possible) Don’t make them the designer Interviewing guidelines (see also reading p.65 - 66)

17. Reviewing findings • This should happen between interviews and afterwards • Between interviews • Discuss the following questions with your partner • Are you achieving the goals you defined? • Is your persona hypothesis good or should it be modified? • How should we approach the next interview? • After the interviews • With your partner you should • Review all your notes to look for trends and patterns in the answers • Compare these with the results of your observations: is there evidence here that supports or contradicts your interviews? • Write up your own notes for the interviews as the basis for developing personas

18. General guidelines • Explain who you are and what your goals are • If they do not want to be observed and/or interviewed then find someone else • Respect the user • Ask permission if you photograph • No means no • The user is never stupid • Listen to what they are saying • Try not to let your personal views colour what they say • Ask questions do not give opinions • Don’t get in the way • Don’t over-stay your welcome

19. Summary • UCD relies on understanding the needs of the end user • This is achieved by observing and interviewing the user • Both user observation and interviewing require planning • To be effective both require an open and respectful approach to the user