UX Research

Chapter 4. Qualitative Research Methods

Objectivity requires taking subjectivity into account.

—Lorraine Code

Quantitative research is the foundation of research. The stories from Chapter 1 illustrate how numbers impact efficiency and worker flow creates an opportunity to innovate product design. As efficiencies in technology reach a predictable flow, designers seek to do more than streamline tasks. They ask what drives people to do the work they do and what makes it enjoyable. Enter qualitative research.

Qualitative Research: Can You Feel It?

Qualitative research is the study of anything that is subjective, notably the personal stories and challenges of our customers. Where quantitative research focuses on what can be measured, such as the time to complete a task, qualitative research looks at why customers are completing the task in the first place. Qualitative research seeks to understand customers’ motivations and desires by focusing on comprehension and accessibility that might not be numerically measured, but can nevertheless impact usability and desirability of systems.

Some common measures of qualitative research include:

• Pleasures or challenges of a task

• Preferences for different tools

• Comprehension of content

• Comfort with system or task

• Workarounds, hacks, and “MacGyvered” solutions

This list differs dramatically from the one in Chapter 3. These factors cannot be statistically measured. At the same time, qualitative research provides insights and can use smaller data sets.

Where Do ...