UX Design and Research Lecture Notes

Overview of UX Designer Roles

• UX Designer roles vary by company size:
  • Large companies (e.g., Google): UX designers often have a dedicated UX research partner.
  • Small companies: UX designers might handle both UX research and design.
• Importance of learning both research and design for career opportunities.

Basics of UX Research

• Focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation and feedback.
• Goal: Prioritize user needs while ensuring business needs are met.
• Helps bridge the gap between perceived and actual user needs before product development.

UX Research in the Product Development Life Cycle

• Continuous part of the product development life cycle.
• Occurs before, during, and after design phase.

Types of UX Research

1. Foundational Research:

   • Conducted before product design; also known as strategic or generative research.
   • Answers "What should we build?"
   • Involves identifying user problems and potential solutions.

2. Design Research:

   • Conducted during the design phase.
   • Answers "How should we build it?"
   • Focuses on user interaction with prototypes to improve design.

3. Post-Launch Research:

   • Conducted after product launch.
   • Answers "Did we succeed?"
   • Evaluates user experience and product performance.

Key Qualities of UX Researchers

• Empathy: Understanding user feelings and thoughts.
• Pragmatism: Practical approach to problem-solving.
• Collaboration: Working effectively with diverse teams.

User Research Methods

Categorization by Who Conducts Research

• Primary Research: Conducted by researchers themselves (interviews, surveys, usability studies).
• Secondary Research: Uses existing data (books, articles, reports).

Categorization by Data Type

• Quantitative Research: Data is measurable or countable (surveys).
• Qualitative Research: Data is descriptive and observational (interviews).

Common Research Methods

• Interviews:

  • In-depth information on opinions and experiences.
  • Conducted in person with open-ended questions.

• Surveys:

  • Collects data from a large sample size.
  • Mix of quantitative and qualitative questions.

• Usability Studies:

  • Observes user interaction with products to identify pain points.
  • Conducted in a lab environment before product launch.

Bias in UX Research

• Confirmation Bias: Seeking evidence to confirm pre-existing beliefs.
• False Consensus Bias: Assuming others share the same views.
• Recency Bias: Remembering the most recent information more vividly.
• Primacy Bias: Strongest impression from the first participant.
• Implicit Bias: Unconscious stereotypes affecting judgment.
• Sunk Cost Fallacy: Continuing a project due to past investments.

Overcoming Bias

• Be aware of biases and strive to minimize their impact.
• Use diverse samples and ask open-ended questions in research.
• Break projects into phases to reassess progress and decisions.

Summary

• Understanding UX roles, research methods, and biases enhances design processes.
• Continuous learning and application of these skills are essential for professional growth in UX design.

End of Course: Google UX Design Certificate