Interaction 20 talk - Using hypotheses to hold together your learning, thinking and making
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This document discusses using hypotheses to guide learning, thinking, and making improvements. It provides examples of how to structure hypotheses by stating research findings, a proposed improvement idea, the desired outcome, and how to measure success. It also outlines some practices that should be in place before introducing hypotheses, such as having clear outcomes, producing solid research findings, and allowing space for different improvement ideas. Introducing hypotheses can help organize work, but other practices around defining outcomes and conducting user research need to be strong as well.
![Hypothesis
Because [research findings]
we believe [improvement idea]
will achieve [desired outcome]
measured by [performance indicator]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/20200207-talk-usinghypothesestoholdtogetheryourlearningthinkingandmaking-200207133044/85/Interaction-20-talk-Using-hypotheses-to-hold-together-your-learning-thinking-and-making-4-320.jpg)
![Hypothesis
Because [research findings]
we believe [improvement idea]
will achieve [desired outcome]
measured by [performance indicator]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/20200207-talk-usinghypothesestoholdtogetheryourlearningthinkingandmaking-200207133044/85/Interaction-20-talk-Using-hypotheses-to-hold-together-your-learning-thinking-and-making-9-320.jpg)
![Hypothesis
Because [research findings]
we believe [improvement idea]
will achieve [desired outcome]
measured by [performance indicator]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/20200207-talk-usinghypothesestoholdtogetheryourlearningthinkingandmaking-200207133044/85/Interaction-20-talk-Using-hypotheses-to-hold-together-your-learning-thinking-and-making-26-320.jpg)
![Hypothesis
Because [research findings]
we believe [improvement idea]
will achieve [desired outcome]
measured by [performance indicator]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/20200207-talk-usinghypothesestoholdtogetheryourlearningthinkingandmaking-200207133044/85/Interaction-20-talk-Using-hypotheses-to-hold-together-your-learning-thinking-and-making-40-320.jpg)
Interaction 20 talk - Using hypotheses to hold together your learning, thinking and making
- 1. Using hypotheses to hold together your learning, thinking and making Interaction 20, Milan Friday 7 February 2020
- 2. John Waterworth Head of User Research @jwaterworth
- 4. Hypothesis Because [research findings] we believe [improvement idea] will achieve [desired outcome] measured by [performance indicator]
- 5. Hypotheses can be the glue that holds together our learning, thinking and making
- 6. Good hypotheses depend on several other practices Practices that organisations can be struggling to do well
- 7. If you want to introduce hypotheses you need to get those other practices working well first
- 8. Problem Work starts without clear, agreed outcomes
- 9. Hypothesis Because [research findings] we believe [improvement idea] will achieve [desired outcome] measured by [performance indicator]
- 10. Example brief We need an online portal for people to fill in feedback surveys
- 11. Solution Ask questions in a structured way to reshape poorly defined briefs into clear and valuable outcomes
- 12. Example outcome More and better feedback that we can use to improve our services
- 13. Possible performance indicators Proportion of users giving feedback Proportion of feedback that’s useful to improve services
- 14. How to Re-Shape Projects (without antagonising people) Kate Tarling 2018.nuxconf.uk
- 15. Problem Outcomes are too big for any practical hypothesis
- 17. Solution Break down the long term outcome into a number of achievable and measurable short term outcomes
- 19. Example long term outcome More and better feedback that we can use to improve our services
- 20. Possible short term outcome Make it easier to give feedback so fewer people dropout
- 21. Theory of change “… description and illustration of how and why a desired change is expected to happen …” www.theoryofchange.org/what-is-theory-of-change/
- 22. Here There
- 23. Center for Theory of Change theoryofchange.org
- 24. Problem Most user research is rapid usability testing
- 26. Hypothesis Because [research findings] we believe [improvement idea] will achieve [desired outcome] measured by [performance indicator]
- 27. Research findings Distilled statements of the important things we've learned
- 28. Research findings (insights) “... a provocative statement of truth about human behavior ...” “.. ‘big rocks’ of innovation: statements about the future to hang your design hat on.” Jon Kolko, Trusting the Design Process www.jonkolko.com/writingProcess.php
- 29. Solution Agree the most important things the team needs to learn, then look for the simplest ways to get good answers
- 30. Might be Starting usability test sessions with more open interviews Visiting your users’ homes and workplaces to run tests in context
- 32. Problem Weak analysis means research produces observations not findings
- 33. What did we see? What do we do next? What does that mean for us? Observations Findings Decisions and actions
- 34. Solution Researchers run good, regular analysis sessions with the team that produce useful findings
- 35. Examples People are motivated to give feedback to improve the service The current registration step is a significant barrier It’s important to everyone that feedback is from real users Other services have good lightweight authentication We have good contact details for users
- 38. Problem Only one idea allowed (and no failures)
- 40. Hypothesis Because [research findings] we believe [improvement idea] will achieve [desired outcome] measured by [performance indicator]
- 41. Solution Open up some space to create and try out lots of improvement ideas
- 45. Example opportunity Replace the problematic registration with a lighter weight authentication
- 46. Possible improvement ideas Generate and send a unique code in the feedback invitation Confirm contact details and check against records
- 47. All the ingredients for a good hypothesis
- 48. Example long term outcome More and better feedback that we can use to improve our services
- 49. Possible hypothesis It’s important to everyone that feedback is from real users but the current registration step is a significant barrier We believe that replacing the problematic registration step with a simple confirmation of contact details Will make it easier for people to give us feedback Which we’ll measure by the numbers of dropouts in the feedback process
- 50. Theory of change for introducing hypotheses
- 51. Before adopting hypotheses … Does work start with clear and valuable outcomes? Are outcomes an actionable size? Are teams producing solid and useful research findings? Do teams have the space to create and try out different improvement ideas?