New Media Research Methods- Part 1

Planning stage:Using Methods, Data and Tools to explore User’s Experience.

How methods relate to research questions?Gosia Kwiatkowska gosia@uel.ac.uk

Outcomes

• Research question ?• Variables ?• Tools , Methods, Data ?

Research question

General

Focused

Refined

VariablesIndependent IV – cause Dependent DV – effect, response – that you

measure

What is your research question?

General

Focused

Refined

- Is it clear and specific?

- Is it feasible in the time allowed?

- Clear, specific, feasible and relevant for the target audience

Check point…

• I am studying…• because I want to know…• in order to help my readers to understand…

Good question

“Well-crafted questions guide the systematic planning of research. Formulating your questions precisely enables you to design a study with a good chance of answering them.”

Light, Singer, Willett (1990)

Research terminology

• Method – the process of gathering and analysing data about a user experience.

! It is also how you approach the relation between IV and DV.

Research terminology

• Data – refers to factual or sensory information taken from your tests, observations, surveys etc.

Research terminology

• Tools – ‘instruments’ you use to ask your research question.

Think about the stages of your method!

• Logic• Choice of tools• How the data

captured feeds into the next phase of testing?

New Media Research process

Beginning the process of UX research

• Brainstorming ideas• Who are the users? And what are

their needs?– Tools: • Observations• Questionnaires• Interviews• Focus groups• Ethnography• Personas

Observations

• Interactions• Human dynamics• Patterns• Full picture

• but can be subjective

Questionnaires

• Cheap and quick• Easy• Q’s and A’s

standardised• Mainly quantitative• Cross-sectional• Replicable

Interviews

• Meanings• Perceptions• Understanding• Interpretations• Experiences• Qualitative

Focus groups

• Perceptions• Opinions• Concepts• Experiences• Qualitative• Larger groups

Ethnography

• Participation• Observation• Experience• Natural settings• Why, how, who,

where…

• Netnography (Robert V. Kozinets)

Personas

• Made up• User

friendly• Used for

testing

http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/personas.shtml

UX research – what are you looking for?

• What data?• How are you going to capture it?• How will this data inform the next

phase?

User’s mental model vs your initial design?

• Conceptual design model:– Walkthroughs– Scenarios– Card sorts– PrototypesSet up a design phase to include early

paper prototypes to confirm what you have designed corresponds with the user’s mental model.

Walkthroughs

• Task specific• Learning through

experiences• Usability issues

Scenarios

• Questions • Tasks or goals• Stories• Reasons • Focus on the user• Test personas

Card sorts

• Grouping• Organising• Renaming groups

UX research – what are you looking for?

• What data?• How are you going to capture it?• How will this data inform the next

phase?

UX research – functionality and aesthetics

• From paper prototype to beta versions- testing basic functionality and design aesthetic.

• What aspects do you need/want to understand more about?

UX research – emotional design

• Tasks • Levels of frustration/satisfaction• Errors• Specific responses to your

aesthetics

UX research – what tools?

• Observations• Think aloud• Post test questionnaire• Heuristic testing• Task based tests

Observations

• Tasks • Levels of

frustration/satisfaction

• Errors• Specific responses to

your aesthetics

Think aloud

• Tasks • Levels of

frustration/satisfaction• Errors• Specific responses to

your aesthetics

Post test questionnaires

• Tasks • Levels of

frustration/satisfaction• Errors• Specific responses to

your aesthetics

Heuristics – Nielson’s ‘Rules of Thumb’

1. Visibility of system status2. Match between system and the real world3. User control and freedom4. Consistency and standards5. Error prevention6. Recognition rather than recall7. Flexibility and efficiency of use8. Aesthetic and minimalist design9. Help users recognise, diagnose, and recover from

errors10. Help and documentation

Task based questionnaires

UX research – what are you looking for?

• What data?• How are you going to capture it?• How will this data inform the next

phase?

Research process

Research Question?

“Well-crafted questions guide the systematic planning of research. Formulating your questions precisely enables you to design a study with a good chance of answering them.”

Light, Singer, Willett (1990)

Activity• Refine your research question:– Is your question clear and relevant to your goal?– What is your target audience?– What is your independent variable?– What is your dependent variable?– What kind of research methods you might need to

use?– What can impact or influence your findings?– What you will need to use to collect data?– Will your research influence users? How?

References

• Light, Singer, Willett, By Design (1990)• http://www.nnyman.com/personal/2005/11/

18/the-user-experience-equation/• Kozinets, Robert V. (2010), “Netnography: The

Marketer’s Secret Weapon”; White Paper.