Data + Empathy
How to do user research to build a better experience.
1. Why do user research
1. How to do good research
1. How to turn insights into action
Data tells you what is happening.- What are they doing?- Which users are taking them?- How many and often?
User research can tell you why.- What is their motivation?- What were their expectations?- What were the biggest barriers?
What is user research?
We do user research to build empathy and get to insights.
Why empathy?
Empathy changes your brain.
Empathy helps us gain intuition for our customers.
Why insights?
Problem reported by customers directly via
Slack
PM sees a pattern in analytics, follows up with customers to investigate
Product feedback summary sent by success
team
Marketing interviews sales to find out customer
sentiment
Team observes customers on site
Design reaches out to user test a solution with
customers
Insights help us
- Gain clarity - Think about a problem differently - Align x-functional teams
Myths, busted...
- There is a right way to do research.- Adding research means adding time.
Research “how tos”
3 things to do before you start
1. Define goal & questions2. Define your audience3. Define your methods
1. Defining your goalResearch goal- Why are you doing this?
Research questions- What do you want answered by the end ?
Research Planning
2. Defining your audienceConsider the following criteria
1. Demographics and firmographicsExample: developer at a startup vs. CIO at enterprise
2. ContextExample: first time visitor to Segment website or non-customer
3. BehaviorsExample: customers who have visited the catalog 5+ times
Research Planning
3. Defining your methods
Research Planning
Method: Interviews1:1 interviews asking customers questions via a discussion guide.
Qualitative x Attitudinal
Great for
- Hearing customer stories- Understanding why - Understanding mental model- Getting their input
Pro-tip: The 5 whys, even if you think you know the answer.
Research Methods
Example use cases:
Understanding the biggest challenges of being an Enterprise
Understanding how people think about their audiences
Understanding the biggest gaps in tracking plan functionality
Method: Observation1:1 sessions with customers observing a specific task.
Qualitative x Behavioral
Great for
- Building empathy for the problem- Understanding workarounds- Understanding usability
Pro-tip: Ask permission for photos and screenshots! Having that documentation can be valuable down the line.
Research Methods
Example use cases:
Understanding what’s broken in our connections workflow
Understanding what consideration looks like on segment.com
Understanding the biggest barriers partners have when building integrations
Method: Concept testingA structured exercise with prototypes or cards to represent multiple concepts.
Qualitative x Attitudinal
Great for
- Low fidelity feedback- Comparing pros and cons of
different directions- Evaluating value of new features
Pro-tip: design your concepts for your test, not the other way around.
Research Methods
Example use cases:
Understanding which Personas features do Enterprise customers care about
Understanding how people pick their package on our website.
Understanding the biggest barriers partners have when building integrations
Create a research plan and share with team & stakeholders
Capture the intangibles
Turning insights into action
So you talked to customers. Now what?
Time to synthesize!
Synthesis helps us
- Spend time talking about the problem- Look for patterns- Get to insights & opportunity areas- Align as a team
How to get started?
DebriefCustomer by customerResearch questions
Look for insights
Understand the journey
Prioritizeproblems
But how to translate that into action?
Start with opportunity areas
How might we...
Insight
Planning the commute is just as painful as the commute itself.
Opportunity
How might we provide commuters with flexible transit options that require minimal planning and commitment?
Example
In an ideal world...
Customer problems
Before I got to bed, I have to check my calendar and the train schedule.
In the morning I check traffic to see if I should drive instead.
If i am running late and miss my train, I have to make a new plan from scratch.
Opportunity
In an ideal world, I can make it to my end destination without making a single decision.
Example
Go broad on solutions
How might we provide commuters with flexible transit options that require minimal planning and commitment?
Solution #1: Personal chauffeur
Solution #2: On-demand scooter drop
Solution #3: “No commute” benefit
...and more
EXAMPLE
Narrowbased on the right criteria
Impact to customer x Can solve with current functionalityImpact to customer x Solves for manyImpact to customer x Increases deal size
Summing it up
Data tells you what is happening.- What are they doing?- Which users are taking them?- How many and often?
User research can tell you why.- What is their motivation?- What were their expectations?- What were the biggest barriers?
1. Try different research methods to look at the problem from different angles.
1. Synthesize the patterns and look for true insight.
1. Turn your insights into action by framing the opportunity areas.