Tag
#UX Research
đź’#4
“Any understanding of the world is incomplete. Be open to new interpretations and perspectives as it can help you to move beyond existing solutions.”
Philosophers are well aware that any understanding of the world is incomplete. As a product designer, I like to remind myself of this simple truth about our world, especially when reviewing older research findings or design solutions.
We need to embrace change and adapt as new information and perspectives emerge. We should question the key decisions from the past and challenge the existing solutions when they stop making sense. It could be that circumstances have changed, and what was a sensible solution before is no longer the one.Â
đź’¬ UXD Quote #5
“You don’t truly understand something until you quantified it. But you understand nothing at all if all you do is quantify.”
Unknown Author
The limitation of quantitative data is that it describes what happened but not why or how it happened. As design researchers, we should seek answers to the questions of why by talking to our customers or stakeholders.
Combining quantitative and qualitative research methods is a good rule of thumb. Remember, quantitative and qualitative methods complement one another; they are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Â
📚 Source: 101 Things I Learned® in Engineering School by John Kuprenas & Matthew Frederick
🔎 Science is our remarkable but imperfect attempt to explain reality
Science is a system of understanding created by humans, and as such it is contained within reality. Reality doesn’t follow science, but itself only.
“Science is our remarkable but imperfect attempt to explain reality. Quantification is exact not into reality, but into itself.”
When we observe or measure something, the very act of doing so alters the observed reality. In some ways, our measurements and observations, even when conducted scientifically, are nothing but our “imperfect” attempts to quantify reality.
📚 Source: 101 Things I Learned® in Engineering School by John Kuprenas & Matthew Frederick
đź’¬ UXD Quote #3
“Customer service is where actual, individual human needs and expectations crash headfirst into reality.”
Erika Hall
My favourite shortcut to “first-hand” insights from customers is talking to customer-support frontline workers. If you’re looking for great research insights, and don’t have budget for talking to your customers directly, try talking to your customer support teams who directly deals with customer issues. If a customer needed to reach out to your support team it’s a great indicator of an opportunity that exists in your product.
đź“š Source: Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
đź’#3
“Pride comes before the fall. Remember, the lack of confidence is your enemy, but so is overconfidence.”
The best way to design amazing product is to stay curious and keep your ego at bay. Always ask questions when unsure, be inquisitive, and don’t assume that you know everything that needs to be known because most likely you don’t.
đź’¬ UXD Quote #1
“All it takes to turn potential hindsight into happy foresight is keeping your eyes open and asking the right questions. Failing isn’t the only way to learn.”
Erika Hall
Data can be inaccurate and misleading. It is better to assume that not all data you get is always 100% accurate. And also be aware of the possibility of biased interpretation of your data. Data can often be intentionally skewed by those presenting it to us.
đź“š Source: Just Enough Research by Erika Hall