Process
Research
Questionnaire Pre-survey & Persona Building
We designed questionnaire asking users' level of computer knowledge, habits of installing software...etc., and according to these characteristics, we build persona for different role in a family with our product installed.
Design
Brainstorming Workshop & Ideation
From the market surveys and specific user interviews, we found insights and organized the idea by affinity diagram.
During the workshop, we engaged the Design Team including UI Designers, Visual Designers and UX Researchers to brainstorming together about the features of the management system and how the structure would look like.
Building Concept Story
After sorting the ideas from workshop, my teammates and I started setting up the scenario that we can effectively deliver the value from the hypothetic features.
We listed the main concepts and insights from the ideation, and set up various stories for each concepts.
In this stage, we also make an initial version of prototype to match the scenarios in the concept stories. These materials would be used in the following user interview.
Validation
User Interview
The main purpose of this user interview is to validate the concepts we ideated.
Before the interview, we made the questionnaire and interview guide for preparation. The questionnaire is created for quantifying their experience after the interview.
We also did some pilot interview with PMs before the formal one.
As an interviewer, I tried to ask why more and follow the answer to ask deeper. Not only following the interview guide, there is always unpredictable issues needed to be dealt with during the interview.
I always keep in mind that I should make them think aloud and not interrupt them when they are willing to share more. But once the participants went too far, I tried to guide them back in the right direction we wanted to focus.
Not only being an interviewer, for the note takers and other teammates, we switched between different roles and observed remotely when others were interviewing.
For the note taking, it is important to capture the points clear and quickly. In addition, when observing interview from the remote room, sometimes we can see from an objective perspectives and even discovered details interviewer might dismiss.
After the interview, we then synthesized the point notes everyone took and analyzed the quantitative feedback from the questionnaire.
During this process, considering qualitative and quantitive feedback are equally important. We integrated and matched both to find insights.
Takeaway
Questionnaire Design
- Keep the questionnaire user-friendly. For instance, provide options and instructions unless they have others to define
- Minimize open-end question: it may be better to ask open-end question directly from interviewer in person
- Make sure the flow is smooth, even can guide the user review and organize their experience
User interview
- Make sure the participants understand the questions and scenarios: let them repeat and speak out the paragraph loud
- Keep participants think aloud
- Following the answer and ask deeper to guide participants describe their experience
- Try not to interrupt them when they are willing to share, only if they went too far.
- Observe the gestures, emotions and behaviors participants perform, no matter in person or remotely.