Experiencing the Real User Needs
“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” It’s a quote that’s been attributed to many great minds over the years, but when it comes to researching the user experience, it’s key to getting in the user’s shoes and uncovering relatable, data-driven insights (e.g. What tools users actually want to use, what solutions will remain relevant and beneficial through their whole lifecycle). At Karcher, learning about these user needs, assets, and opportunities was the first step to kick-off any new project.
The Challenge:
Research the customer needs and how using a product or service gets them closer to their goals
The Outcome:
20+ Findings reports that included information such as personas, competitive analysis, journey maps, service blueprints, and development action plans
The Impact:
Three new, customer-centric products; 30+ unearthed business opportunities; and an overall more useful picture of key target audiences for improved marketing
My Process:
Asking the right questions.
Writing the question guide is an important first step for any survey, focus-group, or interview. Can anyone provide insights, or does there need to be a vetting system? Do stakeholders need concrete results or inspirational ideas? Are you confirming a hypothesis, or exploring what could be? In many cases, the best questions get framed to discuss outcome goals rather than output restraints.
Mixing methods.
Researching users comes in many forms: qualitative and quantitative, behavioral and attitudinal. It is important to understand what data is going to make a difference to the development team before deciding on any methods, or more usually mix of methods. For example, if field or ethnographic research is required, it needs to feel natural and personal, while in-lab testing and focus-groups should be well scripted.
Going with the flow.
Expressing true curiosity for the user process means considering their motivations at every step and the impact each has on the user, by-standers, environment, and (whenever possible!) our world at large
Taking note of everything.
Observing and recording reactions is one example of this, because it may provide insights into the things people say vs. the things they actually do. Another example would be cataloging a list of improvement suggestions or saving all emails and correspondence to build-on later.
Testing internal hypotheses.
Adding metrics to the research plan means the ability to share and vet concepts against business objectives to 1) inform design decisions, 2) validate assumptions, and 3) reduce the overall cost of development success
Going on safari.
When available, pretending to be the end customer and trying to complete the process steps as they would is an enlightening research step—sometimes it goes off flawlessly, and sometimes whole, new animals get discovered
Mapping feelings and behaviors.
Providing the optimal user experience means meeting people where they are at. Tools like empathy maps and mental modeling are helpful for building a story around a “normal” user experience and determining where stronger solutions need to exist in the future.
Sorting cards.
Organizing ideas into categories with labels can make future searching and use easier because it comes from an intuitive place, a place where both big and small ideas got heard
Framing (and reframing) solutions.
Using clear, visual prototypes and statistically-focused questions to understand the value a system supplies, whether physical or digital, to 1) identify problem areas, 2) narrow engagement issues, and 3) measure what improvements come with improved designs
Delivering action-oriented results.
Presenting findings in a report or project kick-off to ensure cross-functional teams have everything they need to build user-centered solutions (e.g. Personas, competitive analysis, journey maps, service blueprints, action plans). The goal is always to build in little pieces of customized information that can travel on their own through different departments, while still carrying the single core message: how to provide the best user experience.
*This example report contains no true information. It is for your visual reference and enjoyment only.