Learn how to create a plan to collect insights. |
This article applies to: UserTesting
On this page:
- About collecting insights
- Focus on actions, not just opinions
- Choose the right method for your research questions
- Leverage multiple data sources for deeper insights
- Start small and plan for the future
About collecting insights
- Every project requires feedback from the people who will be using the product or service.
- Those involved with the project's success have various tools and tactics at their disposal.
- Everything from quantitative data (such as web analytics) to qualitative approaches (usability testing) can inform your strategy and design decisions.
- It’s difficult to know when and how to use each option, and sometimes, there is no single “right” answer.
Focus on actions, not just opinions
- Some methods that collect user feedback, such as focus groups and surveys, capture self-reported data.
- They capture what people say they like or don't like and whether or not they consider something useful, engaging, or well-designed.
- Unfortunately, we can’t use self-reported information as our only data source because what people say they do is often different from what they actually do.
- We have to consider how users may be prompted to respond.
- How a question is written may bias responses and, therefore, taint the data.
- A required feedback form during a website experience may yield less useful data since users are focused on completing their tasks and not providing feedback.
- What’s most useful is observing what users actually do.
- This can be done using methods that capture behavior:
- Web analytics can tell us what people do on a website.
- Usability testing can tell us why they behave that way.
- These approaches typically generate more meaningful insights than reviewing an average rating from a self-reported online survey.
Choose the right method for your research questions
- It’s important to keep in mind the options you have when approaching the questions that require insights from customers.
- Knowing the questions you need to answer can help you choose the best approach and provide you with the best data.
Example
- A customer asked our Professional Services team to run a usability study to test the structure of their site.
- They wanted to be sure users could find what they were looking for.
- We suggested that they run a tree test (a method for evaluating the findability of items within a site) with a larger group of participants and a usability test with a smaller number of people.
- Using both methodologies provided more insight than a standalone usability test would.
Leverage multiple data sources for deeper insights
- In an ideal scenario, you’ll have the option to combine more than one method or data source.
- For example, running a usability test to determine why a specific design performed better in an A/B test is the perfect marriage of methodologies.
- There is no single best option in your toolbox of methods or data sources.
- Every method and data source has its own set of strengths and weaknesses.
- The most successful plans are those that integrate both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Start small and plan for the future
Ask yourself these questions:
- What project is happening now?
- What questions do you need to answer?
- How can you answer those questions with research?
Plan for your next project
- What’s coming in the next quarter?
- What's coming next year?
- How can you start planning your research approach?
Notes
- Good research is thoughtful and planned ahead of time.
- If you spend the time to consider the big questions you’re trying to answer, you’ll be well on your way to a successful research plan.
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