Unanswered Questions of User Research

Elyse Sanchez, Tuesday, June 6, 2006 @ 9:23 pm

Luckily, formal usability testing offers us the opportunity of conducting a near-scientific study of stimulus and response. We're able to cull prospective users from a pool of particpants, and screen them against  a carefully chosen list of attributes, including gender, age, computer literacy, and other specific qualifications--much more discrimination than the "real world" of users and links and happenstance allows.

When it comes to initial requirements gathering, though, we often (in the words of Tennessee Williams), "depend upon the kindness of strangers." There are at least three types of early user researh/requirements gathering whose success often depends upon the enthusiasm or engagement of the client. It follows that this pool of resources must be evaluated through the filter of operative agendas. Here are three examples of user research that can be potentially valuable if all factors are considered.

1.  Subject matter experts - an incredibly valuable asset for building site or application content. Always keep in mind that the SME's time is constrained. Keep your questions open-ended, but focused on the task.

2. Stakeholder interviews - keep in mind that the client probably has an incentive to obtain "buy in" with these interviews. While much independent data can be garnered from these interviews, pay close attention to the client's needs and goals with these interviews.

3. "User" interviews - at an early stage in the project, these people are probably anticipated or target users. Don't lose track of capturing data to build personas and actual user scenarios.

user experience design

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