Communicating data: Reporting user research

COMMUNICATING DATAReporting User Research Findings

Puja ParakhSr. UX Designer @ Avvo

Hello!I AM PUJA PARAKH

I am here because I like to give presentations and I like UX.

You can find me at:

@pujaparakhhttp://puja.rocks

“People react positively when things are clear and understandable.

- Dieter Rams, Industrial Designer @ Braun

Conveying findings so people can understand, believe, and

know how to act on your recommendations

Conveying user research findings so people can understand, believe, and know how to act on your recommendations can be challenging.

So why provide any deliverables at all?

Your brain will hurt

Don’t lose that knowledge when the researcher leaves

Ok...

So how to deliver research data & findings?

Consider two things...

Who’s the audience?

How soon do they need the reporting?

Ideally, you should tailor your deliverables to the needs and interests of your audience

But a common problem is that you often have to serve a variety of audiences.

Types of Research Deliverables

Types of Research Deliverables

● Quick findings

● Detailed reports

● Presentations

● Findings/recommendations matrix

● Other deliverables (scenario, workflow, etc)

Quick FindingsIf time is a consideration, the absolute quickest format is an email message or informal Word Doc with bullet points describing your

overall findings and proposed design changes

Quick FindingsAnother option is to annotate the designs, pointing to the

problems and describing recommended changes.

3 out of 5 participants were unable to find the phone number

All participants understood and appreciated this beautiful headshot

Detailed ReportsThis provides the freedom to describe recommendations

comprehensively and in as much detail as needed.

PresentationsGood for most audiences but you’ll walk the line between providing enough

explanatory info and overwhelming the audience with too much info

Findings & Recs MatrixAn additional deliverable that gathers all the recommendations together in a

table format with a brief summary of findings and issue severity rating

http://soun.io/works/werehearse/

Other deliverablesOther ways to visualize and bring life to your research, including customer

journey maps, task analysis diagrams, or personas.

No matter what delivery method...

It needs to be effective

No matter what delivery method...

It needs to be effectiveSo people can understand, believe, and know how to act on your recommendations

Effective WritingIt’s important to clearly describe your findings and accurately convey your

recommendations. Your audience needs to know what you’re talking about without getting bored by your providing too much information.

Screenshots, Diagrams, and ChartsIt’s difficult to convey findings through text alone.

Visualizations are great for breaking up the text, making the report more interesting and approachable.

Mockups and ExamplesWhen it is appropriate, illustrate recommendations with examples.

Recommendation: Try adding a headshot to the page.

PhotosGreat way of sharing the environment, docs, tools, signage, and other

aspects to provide context of the research.

QuotesQuotes from the participant are much more impactful than just describing the

problem or general user opinions.

Audio & Video ClipsEven more effective than reading a quote is hearing/seeing participants

making comments themselves.

https://benmelbourne.files.wordpress.com

While we are at it...

Don’t forget the obvious

Explain Your MethodsAlways give a brief summary of the goals of your research and the methods

you used.

From previous HCDE student research

Always Show the Positive Because our goal is to improve the UX, research tends to focus on the

negative and take the positive for granted.

Focus on Problem StatementsThis is our power. Storytelling requires good details and important for

engaging and sharing.

Good ExampleParticipant clicked on ‘Lawyer Directory’ link instead of ‘Talk to a Lawyer’

Bad ExampleParticipant clicked on the wrong link

Guide Audience on What To Do NextSome audiences become overwhelmed by seeing a long list of problems and

recommendations.

From previous HCDE student research

Let’s do this.

Quick Recap

Choose the right deliverable format based on your audience.

Ensure that your deliverables are well written.

Supplement with screenshots, diagrams, and other visualizations.

Use photos, audio and/or video clips to allow audience to experience directly.

Don’t forget to explain your methods, mention the positive aspects, and make sure the audience knows what to do next with findings.

THANKS!Any questions?

You can find me at:@pujaparakhhttp://puja.rocks

http://tinyurl.com/presentfindings