Getting started in user research

User research plays an important role in assuring the quality of a web/mobile application. It involves getting to know the ideal user and having a deeper understanding of their needs. In this post, we’ll share insights on human-centered design that will help any aspiring designer be sure that they are designing for their users.

The most important thing is to come up with a persona poster that describes the ideal user under 4 key categories — basic demographic information, relevant goals and needs, behaviours and beliefs, representative quote and a persona drawing. Don’t worry, all these will be defined in detail and offer sample do’s and don’ts. Do note that a designer will have to conduct in-person interviews or focus group discussions to collect data.

Before we start, here is a blank persona poster to fill with the relevant details after your user study.

Basic Demographic Information

In this section, you want to be interested in demographic and statistical data about the person and have enough data points to be conclusive — age, gender, income, job, where they live, race, what devices they use, favorite mobile app etc. After collecting data, it is good to paint a picture of their lifestyle rather than describing the raw data.

YES: Our users are young african professionals (24–36 years old) living in London, who need to buy 3–4 pairs of personalized african hoodies/jackets per year to feel close to home. They’re also tech enthusiasts who love playing games on their high-end smartphones

NO: Male, 24–36 years, professional, 3–4 hoodies/jackets bought per year, iPhone or Samsung S series

Relevant Goals and Needs

It is important to know what your ideal users need that your digital product hopes to address and the challenges they are facing to satisfy those needs. This will help you identify the universe of things that you don’t need to focus on, guiding you to addressing the user’s problems. Some examples of questions to ask might be:

• What are their clothing needs that aren’t met?
• What are their aspirations?
• How big are the issues they are facing?
• If you could solve their problem, how would their lives change?

Behaviors and Beliefs

Here, aim to dig deep and determine the psycho-graphics of your target user ie a deep dive to find out why they do what they do. Explore cultural factors that come to play as well as their history in regards to what you’re researching on. Some questions ask might be:

How many times in a year do you buy clothes? What prompts the decision to buy a new garment? What’s your preference when buying clothes?

Representative Quote

Summarize who they are in a quote that personifies their aspirations and needs in one sentence. Sentences that start with “I want …” or “I wish …” work well

Example: “I want to buy African apparels online but available stores don’t offer individualization services in a tech-savvy manner”

Persona Drawing

It is always a good idea to put a face to your ideal user by drawing a picture or using an online photo. This helps you think in terms of real users, instead of groups like market segments.

If you would like some help with UX design / engineering, kindly get in touch with Klurdy Studios Ltd - info@klurdy.com