Comments on: User Research: Look & Listen http://johnnyholland.org/2012/09/user-research-look-listen/ It's all about interaction Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:38:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Elley Jones http://johnnyholland.org/2012/09/user-research-look-listen/#comment-119349 Elley Jones Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:12:09 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=17177#comment-119349 Great post Christopher, especially the final point about not using a script. I personally believe this ability to throw away the script yet still cover off all the key research questions is what makes the difference between a good researcher and a great one. By throwing away ‘the script’ you’re turning the session from a test into a conversation between two people. This essentially forces you to improve your listening skills and naturally makes it much easier to quickly develop a good rapport with participants. Whilst it is more challenging to throw away the script and think on your feet, the quality of insights that you can gain from the session more than make up for it. Another perk is that its often much easier to gain constructive feedback and sign off from clients on a discussion guide when questions in it are phrased as a combination of research questions and business objectives rather than simply a linear script of pre-prescribed tasks and questions to ask participants. Great post Christopher, especially the final point about not using a script. I personally believe this ability to throw away the script yet still cover off all the key research questions is what makes the difference between a good researcher and a great one.

By throwing away ‘the script’ you’re turning the session from a test into a conversation between two people. This essentially forces you to improve your listening skills and naturally makes it much easier to quickly develop a good rapport with participants.

Whilst it is more challenging to throw away the script and think on your feet, the quality of insights that you can gain from the session more than make up for it.
Another perk is that its often much easier to gain constructive feedback and sign off from clients on a discussion guide when questions in it are phrased as a combination of research questions and business objectives rather than simply a linear script of pre-prescribed tasks and questions to ask participants.

]]> By: Rowan Zajkowski http://johnnyholland.org/2012/09/user-research-look-listen/#comment-119348 Rowan Zajkowski Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:06:44 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=17177#comment-119348 Great and very helpful post! I'll be adding it to my 'guerilla testing' class next week. Thanks! As an addition to number 4, I found out that having someone else test my designs is the best way to avoid the 'too much helping'. But of course this is not always possible. :) Great and very helpful post! I’ll be adding it to my ‘guerilla testing’ class next week. Thanks! As an addition to number 4, I found out that having someone else test my designs is the best way to avoid the ‘too much helping’. But of course this is not always possible. :)

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