UX Research Methods
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UX research is a critical step in the product design process, as it helps to ensure that the end product meets the needs and expectations of the target user. There are many different methods that can be used to conduct UX research, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most common methods include:
- Surveys: Surveys are a quick and easy way to gather feedback from a large number of users. They can be administered online, by phone, or in person, and can be used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.
- User interviews: User interviews are a more in-depth way to gather information about users’ needs, desires, and pain points. They can be conducted one-on-one or in small groups, and can be used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data.
- Usability testing: Usability testing involves observing users as they complete specific tasks using a product or prototype. It is a great way to gather data on how easy or difficult it is for users to complete specific tasks, and can be used to identify areas of improvement.
- A/B testing: A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a product or design to see which one performs better. It can be used to test everything from the color of a button to the layout of a website.
- Analytics: Analyzing data from user interactions with a product or website can provide valuable insights into how users interact with it. This can be done through tools like Google Analytics.
Ultimately, the choice of method will depend on the specific goals of the research, the resources available, and the target user population. A combination of methods is often the best approach, as it allows for a more complete understanding of the user experience.
Some more complex research methods
Cognitive Walkthrough
Cognitive walkthroughs are used to assess a product’s usability. They are made to determine if a new user can do tasks inside a certain system with ease. It uses a usability strategy that is task-specific (in contrast to heuristic evaluation which is a more holistic usability inspection). The premise is that, given the option, most people would rather experiment with a product than read a handbook or adhere to a set of instructions.
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/how-to-conduct-a-cognitive-walkthrough
CTA (Cognitive Task Analysis)
The study of what individuals know, how they think, how they organise and arrange knowledge, and how they learn when pursuing a goal is known as cognitive task analysis (CTA). The analysis stage comprises identifying the performance-related abilities.
https://www.globalcognition.org/cognitive-task-analysis/
HTA (Hierarchal Task Analysis)
The core task analysis that Human Factors practitioners are so familiar with is expanded upon in hierarchical task analysis (HTA). Both analyses provide in-depth descriptions of tasks and subtasks and enable designers to depict many possible task sequences that could take place during an engagement with a system.
https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2010/02/hierarchical-task-analysis.php
Heuristic Analysis
Heuristic analysis is an expert-based study that uses a variety of decision rules or weighting techniques to assess how vulnerable a system is to a certain hazard or risk. The multicriteria analysis (MCA) method of weighting is one of the methods.
Competitor Analysis
An evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of present and future rivals is known as competitor analysis in marketing and strategic management. In order to recognise possibilities and risks, this analysis gives both an offensive and a defensive strategic perspective.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/competitive-analysis-kit
SHERPA (Systemic Human Error Reduction & Prediction Approach)
An HEI technique called the System Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach (SHERPA, Embrey 1986) tries to evaluate system performance and spot faults brought on by human operators and/or system design. … The foundation of SHERPA is the idea that errors are predictable (Embrey 1986).
https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.5098207
TAP (Think Aloud Protocol)
A think-aloud procedure is a technique used to collect information during usability assessment in psychology, a variety of social sciences, product design, and development. Participants in think-aloud protocols speak their thoughts out loud as they carry out a series of predetermined activities.
https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/using-think-aloud-protocols-taps-teaching-translation
SUS (System Usability Scale)
The system usability scale in systems engineering is a straightforward, ten-item attitude Likert scale that provides a broad overview of subjective ratings of usability.
https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/system-usability-scale.html
NASA TLX (Task Load Index)
The NASA Job Load Index (NASA-TLX) is a popular, subjective, multidimensional evaluation instrument that measures perceived workload to evaluate the efficiency of a task, system, or team, among other performance-related factors. It has been used to a number of complicated socio-technical fields, including as aviation, healthcare, and others.
https://humansystems.arc.nasa.gov/groups/TLX/downloads/TLXScale.pdf
GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods & Selection)
By detecting and removing pointless user activities, the GOMS family of predictive models of human performance may be utilised to increase the effectiveness of human-machine interaction. GOMS is short for (Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection).
KLM (Keystroke-Level Model) — [Part of GOMS]
The keystroke-level model (KLM), used in human-computer interaction, forecasts how long it would take a skilled user to complete a normal job without making a mistake using an interactive computer system.
https://sites.google.com/site/436goms/gomsmodel/klm
More to be updated…
