Gaining UX Insights on a Budget

Leah Cunningham: Everyone’s been there. You need to deliver an important project, and no one on the team is dedicated to UX research. So by default, you’re now the expert. Congratulations. Not to worry, any research is better than no research. And no matter what your job title is, you’re already more of an expert than you think.

Hi. My name is Leah Cunningham. In this tutorial, you will learn practical approaches for incorporating current user research into projects when faced with limitations on time, budget, and team members.

Big Idea: When it comes to research, a little goes a long way when you know how to leverage existing tools and audiences.

Here are the topics I’ll be covering at a high level:

1. Guerrilla testing
2. Online user surveys
3. Remote user testing
4. Leveraging proxy users

Keep in mind that any one of these techniques can get advanced pretty quickly. But the main thing I want you to take away is this. UX research doesn’t have to be complicated. To demonstrate this, let’s look at our first technique.

Guerrilla testing borrows its name from small groups of armed forces who make unexpected strikes on specific targets to compensate for their lack of numbers and resources. Guerrilla testing means using unconventional techniques that are effective and conveniently low-budget.

Best Practice: One specific method I recommend is to seek participation from people in public spaces to gather quick feedback on your designs.

For example, imagine you’re designing a mobile app for a fast-casual restaurant. You could prepare some simple paper prototypes or wireframes and have patrons who are entering or exiting the restaurant complete a few discrete tasks to get real-time feedback. Guerrilla testing can provide valuable insights and help identify major usability issues early on in the process.

Another cost-effective method are online surveys, which allow you to collect data from a large number of users. Here’s a high-level overview of how they work. SurveyMonkey or Google Forms are two examples of platforms which offer free or low-cost options for creating surveys.

Big Idea: No matter which platform you use, the way you design the survey questions is the most important element.

Best Practice: This is an art form in itself, but the best advice I can give you is to ensure your survey has a clear research goal in mind and target the questions accordingly.

The next method I recommend is remote user testing, which allows you to gather valuable insights from users without the need for expensive in-person sessions. Although there are others, platforms like UserTesting or Lookback are reputable companies that offer affordable options for remote user testing.

So what happens in a remote user test? Typically, you need to choose between an unmoderated usability test versus a moderated one. An unmoderated test gives users a series of tasks that you have specified and then delivers the data once the tasks are complete. Moderated tests also specify tasks, but now the researcher is present and has the option to redirect or have conversations with the participant.

Best Practice: Create specific tasks or scenarios for participants to complete while recording their screens and gathering their feedback. This approach helps you identify usability issues early and gather user feedback on your designs with minimal investment.

Best Practice: Get creative with your recruiting and see what tools and networks you already have access to.

Another tip is to take advantage of the free trials that many remote testing companies provide. You might be able to get the job done in the limited time they give you.

Finally, identify and leverage proxy users.

Best Practice: Make use of customer service or call center employees. They often already have a lot of data on exactly what users are struggling with on a daily basis.

When I was working for a financial services company in their call center, I was able to sit with financial representatives and listen in live as they took calls. Not only was I able to assess in real time what the pain points of the customers were, I was simultaneously able to observe how the representative handled each call and where they also struggled with the process.

Recap: As I said at the beginning, when you have limited resources, it’s crucial to prioritize your research goals, be resourceful, and adapt approaches to fit your specific context. By combining multiple methods, you can maximize the benefits of user research within your constraints.

For more guidance on how to do this, check out the Resources section of this tutorial. Thanks for watching, and be sure to check out the rest of our Take 5 tutorials at thegymnasium.com.