In this case study, I will share some of my projects that show examples of user interviews, usability testing, and running a survey.
Well, I have been working in UX research and design for a few years now, and I have gained a lot of experience in a variety of areas. In this case study, I will share some of my projects that show examples of user interviews, usability testing, and running a survey. I will also discuss my experience in facilitating design thinking and design sprint workshops.
I believe that my experience in these areas has given me a strong foundation in UX research and design. I am confident that I can use my skills to help improve the user experience of products and services.
I hope you enjoy reading this case study!
User Interviews
I love conducting User Interviews. This is the best way to get much more insight and feedback from users. So how do I do it?
1. Setting a clear goal → 2. Defining target users → 3. Recruiting users → 4. Preparing the right questions → 5. Conducting interviews correctly → 6. Making a report
One of the most recent lessons I learned is not to prime your questions and answers while talking with users. For example, You may ask “What difficulties do you face while using this app?”. If you realize you’re priming your user “There is a difficulty”! So keep your questions general, then narrow down your process.
I typically use Zoom or Google Meets for Unmoderated User Interviews. However, I prefer moderated interviews, which I believe are more powerful than remote conversations. I recently discovered a tool called Lookback.io, which I really like using. It is very easy to use and provides a more immersive experience for both the interviewer and the interviewee.
#1 Project Example: How We Conducted User Interviews to Win a Nomination in the Hackathon.
A photo from teamwork
Aspiring entrepreneurs can experience startup life during a three-day program called Startup Weekend in countless cities all over the world. It happens too in Uzbekistan every year. In December 2022, I, therefore, joined the group as a designer. The Automated Parking System for Drivers was our project. I oversaw the moderated user interview process for six users. Drivers in urban areas were the group we were aiming for. Particularly, we were attempting to define their frustration and response when unable to locate a parking space.
We wanted to know how long it would take for drivers to find a parking space. Knowing how to reduce this time is the next step.
Because I had previous experience with them, I conducted the interviews myself. We talked to six drivers in this; one team member was helping me. Below, you can see photos from it. Pay attention to my hands: I hold a mobile phone for recording the interview (of course, I asked permission for it) and a notebook for questions.
Moreover, we divided the questions into two types: 1. Yes case: if the user responds to all questions in sequence; 2. No case: if the user doesn’t want to respond. In NO case did we try to ask a lot of “whys” to get more answers. Well, we mostly focused on Qualitative answers, which were more important for us.
Based on a report and insights, we worked on possible solutions and sketches.
Results:
Finding parking spaces typically takes 10 to 15 minutes.
It is almost impossible to find out in advance whether there is a place in the parking lots.
When a location is not found, there is a forced division to put it away, which causes time and excess nerves to go away.
We won “The Best Customer Validation” nomination in this hackathon!
Learnings:
Participating in hackathons is so much fun!
Knowing your user’s needs always essential for us.
Preparing right questions with your team is better than preparing yourself.
Usability Testing
You can't improve your product without iterations! In each iteration, it's important to identify what's working well and what's not. To do so, use analytics tools to track user interactions within the product. However, conducting usability testing can also be an effective way to learn about your users' motivations, struggles, and needs.
I always learn a lot from usability testing sessions. To improve your UX research experience, it's not enough to just talk and ask questions during the interview. You can also show prototypes, UI designs, or even a real product. I would suggest to show your process to your mentor or colleagues before diving into details and interviewing process.
1. Setting a clear goal → 2. Defining target users → 3. Recruiting users → 4. Preparing a device and recording tool → 5. Giving a right task → 6. Avoid guiding users too much → 7. Conducting interview properly → 8. Making a report
One of the most recent lessons I learned is to start with small changes in each iteration. If you make big changes, your target users may get stuck during the interview. Also, don't give more than two iterations to the same target group, as you may end up with incorrect or inconsistent insights.
I primarily use Maze for Unmoderated Usability Testing. I simply provide my Figma prototype to them, and then collect insights, heatmaps, drop-offs, and other metrics from their reporting feature.
#2 Project Example: LiveTalks.TV - How We Defined Possible Problems Using Usability Testing
LiveTalks.TV is a live streaming and broadcasting service for creators. As a Product Designer working on this product, I began by conducting Moderated Usability Testing to confirm certain hypotheses related to the product.
To do this, I gathered 5 users and asked them to create a live session in the product while recording with Loom. I also utilized the "Eye tracking" method to better understand their emotions during the task. This helped me to identify pain points in the user journey.
In creating the User Journey, I identified exact and possible problems and measured the "Task success" metric. If there was a problem, the goal was to decrease the time spent to complete the task. Finally, I created a report to share the results with the team.
Learnings
Make decisions based on real data;
Avoid telling solutions when users struggle doing a task in Usability Testing;
Pleasant UI is important for showing good solutions.
Running Surveys
Surveys are a great research method for collecting data from a group of people through a series of questions. I primarily use Typeform, an incredible tool, for gathering information from users.
The most important thing in surveys is to make them easy to complete. I also try to collect different types of information, such as rating scales, opinions, polls, and so on.
#3 Project Example: SIS Survey — How to Get More Insights from Users?
SIS stands for Student Information System, an internal platform for Czech students. I study at a Czech university, and I noticed that there are some technical issues with the platform that are significantly impacting the user experience. I decided to create a survey with my classmates to get their feedback. I wanted to know if others were experiencing the same issues like me, and if they thought it was a major problem.
So how we can get more insights from users? Well, there is only one possible answer for this - Giving right questions.
After some time, I realized that I had prepared the questions incorrectly. During a session with my mentor, he pointed out all the problems with my survey. I really appreciate his feedback. I should have started with more general questions and then moved on to more specific questions. Otherwise, the insights would have been skewed and inaccurate. However, the survey was still enough for me to get the necessary information.
A quote from one of the correspondents: “I think that it is hard to find certain information and navigating through the website is very stressful.”
Survey findings:
62% of correspondents found the system difficult to use, especially from the technical side.
85% of correspondents had negative thoughts about current system interface.
Almost all users mentioned mobile responsive issue.
