Human behavior fascinates me and I love to learn. This is exactly why design research is where I'm meant to be. I enjoy interviewing and observing people, especially in context. I welcome the challenge of finding my way through and making sense of the data, and depending on the project, I create the following:
Behavioral archetypes and Personas are tools to think with that are the result of the research performed. On the back of this research, archetypes were crafted based on behaviors and motivations, as opposed to demographics. They may include general practices, pain points, needs, scales of motivation, awareness and action, as well as the layers of who and what influence/surround the individual. They can also highlight specific engagement opportunities.
At the start of any interaction project, I always perform competitor analysis to get a feel for how the competition is positioning itself. I sometimes include the competition in the initial rounds of user research when appropriate, to use as a prompt to understand the 'why's.'
For full website redesigns, I audit the existing site's content and IA to wrap my head around everything on my plate. If needed for development, I also map this to the new IA at the end of the project.
I have facilitated customer co-creation workshops and research sessions with stakeholders, designers, customers, and non-customers to generate ideas, collect feedback, and conceptualize designs. These sessions have included any combination of initial discussions around 'How might we...' statements, journey mapping, sketching, converging/diverging activities, and idea pitches and critiques.
Every project needs a design wall - it's my favorite tool to use throughout a project. I use it for showcases, as a location for meetings, to highlight progress, to display wireframes and visual designs, and constantly point to it while discussing.
For this project the engagement opportunities were crafted while bearing in mind the Fogg Behavior Model, B=MAP (Behavior happens when there is Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt). This informed and shaped the project's engagement opportunities so that they were crafted to effect behavior change, this particular project's ultimate goal. The opportunities were then highlighted and listed alongside each behavioral archetype.
Experience or design principles help align people about what really matters, and steer decision making throughout a project. Once complete, we print and hang these principles on our design wall so that they are loud and clear, and easily referenced.
When I have access to Google analytics, I review where traffic is coming from/going to, which devices are being used, and pay special attention to the search terms to inform the future designs.
Journey maps communicate a person's story, showing what they're doing, thinking, and feeling, identifying pain points as well as highlighting opportunity areas. Based on research in the form of contextual inquiry, observation, data mining, etc., I have created these maps to capture the current state, and highlight opportunities to craft the ideal future.
The most difficult map I've worked on thus far is one that didn't involve a linear path. There is no start or end to the process necessarily, and generally the person on the journey wasn't interested in reaching any particular goal. If you're interested, I'd love to tell you more about how the final map came together.
I use the KJ-technique to draw out the variation in individual expectations, establish priorities, and come to a consensus as a group. This allows everyone's voice to be heard and the group to decide by the end of the session where we will be focusing as well as what will happen next.
I have used metaphor elicitation on projects to surface sub-conscious thoughts and feelings about a topic. Although almost everyone resists the activity of drawing itself, what they draw and the why behind it always add a new angle to the research.
To help identify project risks, a pre-mortem exercise may be conducted at project kickoffs. The group is asked to imagine it's 5 years in the future and the current project has failed - why did it fail? Each individual is asked to anonymously document the reasons so that these risks can be analysed and preventative action can be taken.
To communicate design interactions with the team and clients, as well as save on time and budget, I have pulled together a number of prototypes using Axure. Some have solely been used as communication tools, while others I've added in visual designs to use in one-on-one usability test sessions. Being able to click through a prototype when discussing designs has proved invaluable as it ensures everyone is on the same page.
I have found Justinmind to be a useful tool for prototyping and testing on touch devices. For this particular client, I used Justinmind to simulate a web-based application on an iPad, incorporating detailed designs for feedback in usability test sessions.
Although there is a push to move away from documentation in favor of rapid design, some projects benefit from the extra time needed to pull user test reports together. The example here is of a highly detailed report which includes screen grabs, quotes, specific recommendations, SUS/NPS scores, and appendices, however I have also written one page bullet pointed reports, detailed 100 page reports with multi-level summary details, and CIF reports when appropriate. In my experience, the more stakeholders involved in a project, the more beneficial it is to document what you've tested and socialize the results to gather further buy-in for the project.
My favorite thing to do is head out into the field to interview and observe. Whenever possible, I conduct semi-structured interviews in context - at an individual's home, place of work, etc. - so that I can learn more about the artifacts around them. I always record the audio of my research (with the participant's consent of course!) to ensure I can accurately reflect on the session.
I constantly communicate progress as well as present research insights and findings to stakeholders and company executives. When possible, I 'walk' my design wall to get everyone involved and highlight work in progress.
Although recently we have been moving away from detailed wireframes, some clients and projects still call for them. Visio, Axure, and good old Pen and Paper are the tools that I have used to communicate the details of the design, for websites, mobile apps, responsive layouts, etc.
I have organised and facilitated numerous stakeholder workshops to collect information and/or requirements, generate ideas, and engage with everyone involved. Some techniques I've used include the KJ technique, Design studio, Mission statement creation, and pre-mortems, among others.
I often craft these as a communication tool to help flesh out and define exactly what we're building, and how users will be able to navigate from one area to the next. These diagrams often evolve throughout the lifespan of the project as well, but allow for everyone to be on the same page regarding what we're designing. I keep the latest copy in a dedicated space on the design wall.
