Quality time with the user
2 likes770 views
The document discusses strategies for effective user interviews, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and empathy in research. It outlines the challenges researchers face, the necessity for active listening, and the need for a calm demeanor during interviews. Additionally, it highlights the significance of asking open-ended questions and building trust with participants to gather meaningful insights.
![Learn something profoundly new
„Uncovering a new way of looking at the
world, of understanding the beliefs and
desires of a group of people represents a
change in ourselves.
Being changed, we advocate for that
understanding, ... so that they [the team]
can bring new things into the world that
will better support others.“
From „Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries – User Research War
Stories“, New York 2016
The value of user interviews
Steve Portigal](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/qualitytimewiththeuserv28-170730180232/85/Quality-time-with-the-user-11-320.jpg)
Quality time with the user
- 1. Quality Time with the User Hamburg (UX Camp), 29.07.2017 How to make interviews count Shared under Creative Commons (CC-BY-ND).
- 2. I am a shy person 2 Foto Foto
- 4. Interesting combination. 4 Social anxiety Strong interest in people
- 5. My survival script* 5 Violent Outbursts Helpless Desperation Social Anxiety Emphatic Curiosity Experiencing as a child in my family. *= See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_analysis
- 6. My survival script has set me up 6 User Researcher Life Coach Teacher Trainer
- 7. Empathy and a strong drive to please They define what comes natural to me and what are fields of growth My STRENGTHs §Active Listening §Reading expressions §Curious / non-judgemental My CHALLENGEs §Neutral/non-supportive attitude §Silence §Making people „suffer“ §Resolutely taking control 7
- 8. 8That brings to my first piece of advice: https://flic.kr/p/LoMXs
- 9. Know yourself, before you know others
- 10. 10 Probably your most important research project: What kind of person are you? https://flic.kr/p/3gtnCj What is your “UX”? § Receive feedback (a lot!) from colleagues, participants, friends and strangers § Watch yourself while interviewing § Watch yourself while watching yourself interviewing ;-) § What are your scripts, drivers, triggers (transactional analysis)?
- 11. Learn something profoundly new „Uncovering a new way of looking at the world, of understanding the beliefs and desires of a group of people represents a change in ourselves. Being changed, we advocate for that understanding, ... so that they [the team] can bring new things into the world that will better support others.“ From „Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries – User Research War Stories“, New York 2016 The value of user interviews Steve Portigal
- 12. Quality Time with the user? § 30–60 min. § Ideally in “context” § Semi-structured https://www.shutterstock.com/de/image-photo/young-man-categorically-against-giving-interview-606511394
- 13. Value the obvious not so obvious Your obvious is totally wrong.
- 14. Be humble! 14 §Your are attempting to enter somebody else‘s world. §They are the masters of their world. §Don’t assume, don’t judge. §Ask obvious questions! Bildnachweis: https://flic.kr/p/4WtVKR Nothing is your obvious here!
- 15. 15
- 16. Calm? – Interviews are a strain! 16 Listening My next Question? Time left? Remaining Topics? Overall Interview Structure! My notes? Did I start the recording? My posture?
- 17. Yes, calm. (Deliberately control your cognitive strain*) 17 Listening Watching Feeling Time left? My notes? Overall Interview Structure! * = Practice will make this easier ;-)
- 18. You can practice “Knowing nothing“ 18 Mindfulness through Meditation §Better control of thoughts and feelings. §Practices an open, non- judging attitude.
- 19. 19 Every day when I get up … Humans are not well suited for averaging their lives. https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/2mr1xo/every_morning/ (from the movie „Groundhog Day“, Columbia Pictures 1993)
- 20. Stories, not generalizations There is no every day.
- 21. Aim for concrete experiences 21 When you wake up in the morning, how do you start your day? Please remember waking up today (yesterday, last Sunday): What were your first thoughts and actions? §When was the last time, that you ...? §Can you remember a concrete situation where you ...? §What was your happiest/worst experience with ...?
- 22. Work towards the tipping point* 22* = Again, Steve Portigal’s words (and model). Question StoryQuestion Answer Question Answer Tipping Point
- 23. 23 When as a researcher entering somebody else ‘s world, it normally starts out awkward. https://flic.kr/p/6rxa3H
- 24. Admit the awkwardness Be O.K. with being not O.K.
- 25. This is not love §An “awkward” start is completely normal §Do not compensate by over-comforting the participant. §Relax: If you are not at ease, they are not at ease. https://flic.kr/p/SJdeBz Aim for trust not for love.
- 26. A proper invitation Always practice your „Rahmungskompetenz“ § Who are you? § Why are you doing this? § Brief overview of what is to expect § How long will it take? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Astaire,_Fred_-_Never_Get_Rich.jpg
- 27. Of course, there is awkward. And then there is
- 28. When you are called from a young woman’s bedroom.
- 29. Use every opportunity to Sharpen the saw Life is research
- 30. The easy stuff §You can meditate § Interviewing Users, Steve Portigal § Validating Product Ideas, Tomer Sharon § Just enough research, Erika Hall Read BooksPractice Mindfulness More books on research: https://www.goodreads.com/list/created/68146420-hans- joachim-belz (WORK IN PROGRESS) https://flic.kr/p/aht7Wt
- 31. Slightly more challenging: Practice deep listening in real life 31
- 32. 32 Earth is strangely gripping. Explore! – Nano, nano! :-) Mork and Mindy: Putting the Ork back in Mork, ABC 1980
- 33. You still got questions? 33 @minutefforts / @Anstrengungslos hans-joachim.belz@anstrengungslos.de www.anstrengungslos.de
- 34. Beratung,Training, Coaching und Transformation Innovativ, digital und kundenzentriert – wir helfen Ihnen ihr Potential auszuschöpfen