the role of research in digital development (presentation to digital business unit heads)

Angela ObiasDBM

inUser Research RoleUX

Why do we need user research?

that doesn’t mean anything to us.We have so much data,1

The web isn’t the same as TV.

Data is inexpensive.There’s no official body.

Sample ofBBC

clickthroughbehavior

prior to redesign

Websites are massively complex, and although tools capture all that data, they don’t actually tell you what to do.

Most web analytics tools...spew out data.

...To solve these...you need an analyst... Otherwise, you are simply data rich and information poor.

Avinash Kaushik, Google

“”

TV Patrol Weekend?What was the best timeslot for

Time

TimeslotProgram

Minute-by-minute

1 2 3 4

Total Philippines 2 TV channels 8 areas10 demographic targets x

A sampling of patterns...

All this beautiful data.What could it do for our

content strategy?

through usability testing.Design efficiency improves2

Simple fact:Human beings are biasedtowards their own experience.

We can’t really assume account for pretend we knowhow another person will receive what we’re trying to say.

Usability Testing≠ More moneyBetter user experience

Site metrics can give us a general path.

Direct observation helps us see:

- Ease of navigation- Learnability and errors- Comprehension and findability* Spontaneous comments (branding, feel)

Usability testingis only part

of the research story.

Usability testingaids interface design.

through seeing market needs.User research lets us innovate3

We do no market research.- Steve Jobs, in Fortune Magazine

1. “Apple’s goal isn’t to make money.”2. Apple designs for themselves.

Very few companies have this luxury.

User ResearchPeople who will use the product

People crafting and planning the

product

To sniff out their needs,

...we would need to spend time with them

and see what their life is like.

What are their pain points when they use their mobile phone, or browse the web?

What are their “quick fixes” for things?

What happens when there’s one TV and one laptop in the home? Who gets to use what?

From the user stories and profiles,we create

personasuse casesuser flows

Varying news experiences on multiple touchpoints

May seem like common sense tweaks.

But until you hear or see user experiences, it’ll be harder to

imagine life in their shoes

and brainstorm creative ideas to solve their problems.

Still a learning process.Both in and around our team.

In a fast-paced industry

where differentiation and freedom

make it hard for anyone

to lead the pack

we need to know the pulse

of our usersbetter.