A good product starts with a deep understanding of its users. We want to know not only the age and gender of the people who will use our product, but also how they think they feel, what problems they face in everyday life. User research helps provide this information. Today we’ll talk in more detail about what they are and what benefits they bring to the designer in their work.
User research falls into two broad categories: quantitative and qualitative. Research that is qualitative in nature is based on direct observation and communication with the user. In this case, the designer looks at each specific case, analyzes the behavior of each specific person. Quantitative research collects user data indirectly by analyzing large amounts of data. With this method, the designer tries to find common patterns in the behavior of a group of people. Both ways are important and complement each other, so it is important to choose the right type of research based on the needs of the project.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is useful for two purposes: to segment the audience for further detailed needs analysis, or to collect data on how users use an existing product. In this case, we recreate their path on the site or in the application and analyze the conversion, behavioral statistics, etc.
Types of Quantitative Research
1. Questionnaires with closed and semi-open questions. They are used in particular when you need to quickly interview a large number of people in order to segment the audience for a more detailed analysis of each segment.
The questionnaire helps to see general trends.
For example, using a reading questionnaire, you can suddenly determine that young people aged 18–23 are more likely to download books than buy them. This method does not yet explain WHY they do this, but only helps to build hypotheses for further study: maybe young people do not buy, but download, because they are still studying; books are needed, but there is no budget for the purchase.
2. behavioral statistics. Here we analyze how a person behaves when using our product: for example, which fields they hover over with the mouse, which buttons they click on. This includes heatmaps, a/b testing, and more.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research helps answer the “why?” question. Why does a person behave this way and not otherwise? What motivates him? Moreover, these why may be of different types.
Example: The insurance company made an analysis of its clients and realized that among them there is almost no category of people aged 25-35 who are solvent and have little pain. And then we begin to analyze “Why aren’t there?” “Why don’t they take out insurance and how can I do to attract them?” or "Why are they insured by competitors, and not by us."
Personally, I like qualitative research more, because in this case you interact more with a person, you can directly follow his behavior.
Types of Qualitative Research
There are also several types of qualitative research, today we will consider four:
shadowing(observation).
In this case, we usually just observe the behavior of a person in the context of using the product and do not ask questions, although sometimes it is possible to do a mixed type of observation, that is, by asking.
Example: we made a new system for receiving luggage at the airport: the user checks in and checks in his suitcases not at the counter, as usual, but at the machine. And we observe in which hand he holds the suitcase, whether his hands are occupied, whether it is convenient for him to substitute a passport under the scanner. Recording observations.
Shadowing - the researcher observes the user while performing his daily tasks
Deep interview
Another effective method to get a lot of useful information for a future product is to conduct a detailed interview with each user segment separately. It’s worth going to such interviews prepared: before the session, make a list of approximate (open!) Questions and hone them in the first sessions and discard unnecessary ones. Usually, after interviewing 5-7 people from one segment, you can get 80% of insights.
In-depth user interview. There can be two interviewers in the room - one communicates with the user, and the second records his answers.
photojournal.
The user takes pictures of his day/week and along the way describes what he does, how long it takes him, what is difficult for him to do at this stage and what moments he would like to improve. The purpose of this method is to find out what problems the user faces during the day in order to understand in which direction to think about the product.
Focus groups.
Here, several potential users get together and discuss a product or topic. And we ask questions during their conversation and try to understand the pattern of behavior of people in the group: how they interact with each other or with the product.
Focus group
What research method to choose?
Before choosing a method, it is important to understand the purpose of the study. We need segmentation and a general analysis of the audience - choose a quantitative method, we need a deep understanding of the thoughts, actions, feelings and problems of users - choose a qualitative one.
How to apply user research now?
The next time you start working on a new task, take a day and talk to the users of the product. Ask about their tasks and problems, write it down and put it in a prominent place. Use this information when generating ideas and prototyping.
Once the prototype is ready,
Helped me write the articleTaya Shtol . She recorded my story about user research on a tape recorder, wrote the outline of the article and the text, which we edited together. Very happy with the result :)
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Study
Study(literally "following from within") in the broadest sense - the search for new knowledge or systematic investigation in order to establish facts. In a narrower sense study- the scientific method (process) of studying something.
Research constitutes the path of scientific knowledge of nature through experience and forms the basis of scientific methodology.
see also
Notes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .
Synonyms:See what "Research" is in other dictionaries:
See the book ... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. research study, search, analysis, examination, examination, inspection, research, search, probing, ... ... Synonym dictionary
study- Research, this word has two different meanings in which it behaves differently. If we are talking about the scientific study of any subject, then we say: the study of soils or the study of the atmosphere. If we use... Dictionary of Russian language errors
Scientific research- this is purposeful cognition, the results of which appear in the form of a system of concepts, laws and theories. When characterizing scientific research, the following distinguishing features are usually indicated:
This is necessarily a purposeful process, the achievement of a consciously set goal, clearly formulated tasks;
This is a process aimed at finding something new, at creativity, at discovering the unknown, at putting forward original ideas, at new coverage of the issues under consideration.
Under the research in the field of pedagogy, one can understand the process and result of scientific activity aimed at obtaining new knowledge about the patterns of the upbringing process, its structure and mechanism, the theory and methodology of organizing the educational process, its content, principles, organizational methods and techniques.
Characteristics of the main elements of the study: the purpose of the study; The relevance of research; object and subject of research; research hypothesis; research objectives; research methods.
First of all, it is necessary to start from the initial stage of scientific and pedagogical research, with theoretical erudition and training of the researcher. What this or that researcher knows and owns is a purely individual thing, despite the universality of the education received in educational institutions.
Object and subject of scientific and pedagogical research. The object of scientific and pedagogical research is a part of objective reality, which becomes an element of practical and theoretical human activity at this stage. The subject is the corresponding properties and relations of the object in scientific research, which are part of the process of practical activity.
The choice of methods is carried out taking into account the peculiarities tasks, set by the teacher, since the methodological position and tasks of researchers are different, which means that diversity is also possible here.
Empirical and theoretical methods researches characterize, respectively, the empirical and theoretical stages of pedagogical scientific research. Empirical methods include observation, experiment, survey, questioning, testing, conversation, interviewing, analysis of the content of documents, study of school documentation, measurement methods, statistical analysis, sociometric methods (these methods will be discussed in more detail in the next lecture).
Thus, the variety of empirical material, the variety of determined empirical criteria for study, and the variety in the creative formation of the method and means - all this indicates the presence of a diverse content, which is obtained by empirical methods.
theoretical methods, the essence of which is to determine the system of empirical and generalized material from the point of view of a certain scientific point of view, that is, it is necessary to formalize all the various empirical material obtained by theoretical methods into a single system of pedagogical knowledge.
Induction. This is a method in which the systematization of scientific knowledge obtained as a result of experimental practical actions takes place.
Deduction. This method of research, in which the definition of one main provision is singled out from the existing several provisions.
formalization method is a certain definition of the general form of phenomena that are different in content from scientific knowledge. The formalization method makes it possible to form a formal structure of the theory, which in its meaning already implies the plurality of the content of scientific research.
Comparative historical method is a way of comparing historical formations and phenomena as a result of historical development. Using this method, one should pay attention to the dialectical unity of the logical and historical principles.
A hypothesis is a scientific assumption, an assumption whose true value is uncertain. By formulating a hypothesis, the researcher builds an assumption about how he intends to achieve the goal. In the process of research, the hypothesis is corrected, undergoes changes. The hypothesis must naturally arise in the process of investigation, it may be an assumption that is only partially true. Familiarization with dissertations shows that the hypothesis is based on accurate knowledge of the final results and therefore loses its meaning.
In the broad sense of the word, research means the search for any new knowledge, the systematization and analysis of known data in order to establish new facts.
Research is also the method of science, the process of studying materials, and the scientific work itself.
What is scientific research?
This is a methodological way of analyzing data in order to find an original solution (and its possible application in practice). Scientific research can be characterized by an evidence base, objectivity, accuracy, and the ability to reproduce. They have several levels: empirical and theoretical. They are divided into applied and fundamental, qualitative and quantitative, complex and unique. Scientific research provides objective information, explains the properties of the surrounding world. Research of this kind can be funded by government agencies and private individuals (especially applied work).
What does it include?
Each study can be divided into several important stages. The first is the observation of the phenomenon, the collection of relevant information. Methods of observation and collection of information may vary: empirical, mediated, remote, and others. The second is the analytical stage, which includes a conceptual choice, as well as the construction of a hypothesis. This is followed by the development of methods, the substantiation of the evidence base, and the conduct of possible experiments. The final part is the conclusions and explanation of the results of the study.
In a broad sense
We can say that this process is one of the types of human cognitive activity in general. Without research, discoveries that drive science and art are impossible. Research reforms the life of each individual in particular and of the entire human society as a whole.
What is research? Why is it carried out, what information is needed, and where can it be obtained? All these questions should be answered in order, starting with the definition of the given word.
Definitions
What is research? Before analyzing this concept and its components in detail, one should refer to several dictionaries for clarification.
So, from the source "Big Encyclopedic Dictionary" it follows that this process, which includes the collection of new knowledge, is divided into two levels - empirical and theoretical.
Let's look at another source, the dictionary of D. N. Ushakov, in order to understand what research is. Here the term is presented in different directions. This is an analysis of the crisis in the economy, and in medicine, as well as a scientific essay, where some question or analysis of social development is on the agenda.
Research data
To obtain some information, which is further investigated, you need to have the necessary data. They are first collected, then processed and finally analyzed. All this is carried out in several stages:
- identifying a problem or situation;
- understanding where it came from, how it developed, what it consists of;
- establishing the place of existence of the problem in the knowledge system;
- search for a way, as well as means and opportunities, which will resolve the situation with the help of new knowledge.
To pass all stages, you need an object of study, methodology (includes goals, approach, benchmark and priorities) and resources. Ultimately, you need to get some kind of result, which is expressed in the development of a program or the launch of a project, in the creation of a recommendation or a model.
A striking example is laboratory research, where scientists study the disease that needs to be fought. Chemists are trying to create a cure, laboratory workers are experimenting on animals, etc., until an antiviral drug is obtained that can save many lives.
Classification
In any field of science, their studies are carried out, whether it be medicine, psychology, economics or marketing. But for each direction there is a classification of types of research.
There are fundamental ones, where the main goal is to obtain new knowledge, as well as applied ones, which are needed in order to solve a scientific problem.
You can study empirically, that is, to conduct an observation, or based on some experience, or on the basis of analysis and theoretical knowledge.
Further, there are such types as quantitative and qualitative. It all depends on what needs to be studied. For example, if you need to study the behavior of people in a given situation, and the result needs to be calculated, this is a quantitative method. A qualitative one is needed when it is important to understand why a person acted this way and not otherwise. Here you can add another category - point and repeated laboratory tests and others, based on the frequency of the conduct. There is not always enough information about the state of the object, therefore, after a certain period of time, the study of the subject is carried out again.
The next category is the use of different sources of information - secondary and primary. For example, a survey is conducted where the opinions of different people are found out, that is, this is data from the primary source. most often carried out when there is not enough information or some of them are outdated.
For example, the object is a group of people who eat the same product every day for some time, and scientists find out how this product affects the body.
Main characteristics
Having settled on a certain category of research or its type, the next step is to determine the goal, which is divided into three groups: descriptive, analytical and intelligence.
Most often, the descriptive view is used when you need to study people, as well as determine the characteristics by which they differ from each other. The reconnaissance method is needed for large-scale research, or rather, as a preliminary stage. The analytical view is the deepest, and, in addition to describing the object or phenomenon, it establishes the reasons that underlie the phenomenon under study.
After all the information received, it is easy to answer what research is and why it is needed. But it is worth remembering that a good study of any issue requires a lot of money in order to obtain reliable information, create a program, develop a method, or write a review.
