Understanding Your Users, 2nd Edition

Book description

This new and completely updated edition is a comprehensive, easy-to-read, "how-to" guide on user research methods. You'll learn about many distinct user research methods and also pre- and post-method considerations such as recruiting, facilitating activities or moderating, negotiating with product developments teams/customers, and getting your results incorporated into the product. For each method, you'll understand how to prepare for and conduct the activity, as well as analyze and present the data - all in a practical and hands-on way.

Each method presented provides different information about the users and their requirements (e.g., functional requirements, information architecture). The techniques can be used together to form a complete picture of the users' needs or they can be used separately throughout the product development lifecycle to address specific product questions. These techniques have helped product teams understand the value of user experience research by providing insight into how users behave and what they need to be successful. You will find brand new case studies from leaders in industry and academia that demonstrate each method in action.

This book has something to offer whether you are new to user experience or a seasoned UX professional. After reading this book, you'll be able to choose the right user research method for your research question and conduct a user research study. Then, you will be able to apply your findings to your own products.

  • Completely new and revised edition includes 30+% new content!
  • Discover the foundation you need to prepare for any user research activity and ensure that the results are incorporated into your products
  • Includes all new case studies for each method from leaders in industry and academia

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. In Praise of Understanding Your Users, Second Edition
  6. Preface
    1. What Is New in This Edition: Ten Years of Progress
    2. How to Use This Book
    3. Targeted Readers
  7. About the Authors
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Part 1: What You Need to Know Before Choosing an Activity
    1. Chapter 1: Introduction to User Experience
      1. What Is User Experience?
      2. User-Centered Design
      3. A Variety of Requirements
      4. Getting Stakeholder Buy-In for Your Activity
      5. What Is Next?
    2. Chapter 2: Before You Choose an Activity: Learning About Your Product Users
      1. Introduction
      2. Existing Research
      3. Learn About Your Product
      4. Learn About Your Users
      5. Special Populations
      6. Pulling It All Together
    3. Chapter 3: Ethical and Legal Considerations
      1. Introduction
      2. Policies vs. Laws vs. Ethics
      3. Ethical Considerations
      4. Legal Considerations
      5. Pulling It All Together
    4. Chapter 4: Setting Up Research Facilities
      1. Introduction
      2. Using Your Company’s Existing Facilities
      3. Renting a Marketing or Hotel Facility
      4. Building a Permanent Facility
      5. Pulling It All Together
    5. Chapter 5: Choosing a User Experience Research Activity
      1. Introduction
      2. What It Takes to Choose a Method
      3. The Methods
      4. Differences Among the Methods
      5. Choosing the Right Method
  10. Part 2: Get up and Running
    1. Chapter 6: Preparing for Your User Research Activity
      1. Introduction
      2. Creating a Proposal
      3. Deciding the Duration and Timing of Your Session
      4. Recruiting Participants
      5. Tracking Participants
      6. Creating a Protocol
      7. Piloting Your Activity
      8. Pulling It All Together
    2. Chapter 7: During Your User Research Activity
      1. Introduction
      2. Inviting Observers
      3. Welcoming Your Participants
      4. Moderating Your Activity
      5. Recording and Notetaking
      6. Dealing with Late and Absent Participants
      7. Dealing with Awkward Situations
      8. Concluding Your Activity
      9. Pulling It All Together
  11. Part 3: The Methods
    1. Chapter 8: Diary Studies
      1. Introduction
      2. Things to Be Aware of When Conducting Diary Studies
      3. Diary Study Formats to Choose from
      4. Sampling Frequency
      5. Preparing to Conduct a Diary Study
      6. Conducting a Diary Study
      7. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      8. Communicating the Findings
      9. Pulling It All Together
      10. The DIN Method
      11. Procedure
      12. Findings
      13. Lessons Learned
      14. Conclusion
    2. Chapter 9: Interviews
      1. Introduction
      2. Preparing to Conduct an Interview
      3. Conducting an Interview
      4. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      5. Communicating the Findings
      6. Pulling It All Together
      7. Interview Tips
    3. Chapter 10: Surveys
      1. Introduction
      2. When Should You Use a Survey?
      3. Things to Be Aware of When Using a Survey
      4. Creating and Distributing Your Survey
      5. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      6. Communicating the Findings
      7. Pulling It All Together
      8. Sampling and Invitation
      9. Questionnaire Instrument
      10. Applications and Insights
      11. Conclusion
    4. Chapter 11: Card Sorting
      1. Introduction
      2. Things to Be Aware of When Conducting a Card Sort
      3. Preparing to Conduct a Card Sort
      4. Conducting a Card Sort
      5. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      6. Communicating the Findings
      7. Pulling It All Together
      8. Appendix
    5. Chapter 12: Focus Groups
      1. Introduction
      2. Preparing to Conduct a Focus Group
      3. Conducting a Focus Group
      4. Modifications
      5. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      6. Communicating the Findings
      7. Lessons Learned
      8. Pulling It All Together
      9. Background
      10. Initial Planning
      11. Participant Recruiting
      12. Discussion Guide Development
      13. Housekeeping
      14. Incorporating UX into the Focus Group
      15. Logistics
      16. Analysis and Report
      17. Key Takeaways When Running Focus Groups
      18. Recruiting and Logistics
      19. Facilitation
      20. Analysis and Reporting
      21. General
    6. Chapter 13: Field Studies
      1. Introduction
      2. Things to Be Aware of When Conducting Field Research
      3. Field Study Methods
      4. Preparing for a Field Study
      5. Conducting a Field Study
      6. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      7. Communicating the Findings
      8. Lessons Learned
      9. Pulling It All Together
      10. Research Objectives and Methodology
      11. How AnswerLab Met the Research Objectives
      12. What Worked Well
      13. Challenges and Strategies
      14. How the Research Was Used for Decision Making
      15. Lessons Learned
      16. In Summary
    7. Chapter 14: Evaluation Methods
      1. Introduction
      2. Things to Be Aware of When Conducting Evaluations
      3. Evaluation Methods to Choose From
      4. Data Analysis and Interpretation
      5. Communicating the Findings
      6. Pulling It All Together
  12. Part 4: Wrapping up
    1. Chapter 15: Concluding Final
      1. Introduction
      2. Prioritization of Findings
      3. Presenting Your Findings
      4. Reporting Your Findings
      5. Ensuring the Incorporation of Your Findings
      6. Pulling It All Together
  13. Appendix A: Requirements for Creating a Participant Recruitment Database
    1. Develop a Questionnaire for Potential Participants
    2. Distribute Your Questionnaire
    3. Technical Requirements for a Participant Database
  14. Appendix B: Report Template
    1. Card Sort
    2. Executive Summary
    3. Background
    4. Method
    5. Materials
    6. Results
    7. Travel Card Sort Table of Recommendations
    8. Conclusion
    9. Appendix B1
    10. Appendix B2
    11. Appendix B3
    12. Appendix B4
  15. Appendix C: Glossary
  16. Appendix D: References
  17. Index

Product information

  • Title: Understanding Your Users, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Kathy Baxter, Catherine Courage, Kelly Caine
  • Release date: May 2015
  • Publisher(s): Morgan Kaufmann
  • ISBN: 9780128006092