I believed that a designer can create a great user experience, given their familiarity with the latest tools and knowledge of design theory. But I realize that without talking to users and understanding their domain, my ‘best designs’ may never be used. Before I delve into the ‘whys’ of Research, let me quickly highlight what UX Research entails.
Researching users implies interviewing in-depth the ‘actual’ users, not their managers or their fellow countrymen or their business partners. There is so much lost in translation that one needs to have direct access to users without any filters. What seems obvious is actually not always practiced for a variety of reasons. In one of my projects, I was not even allowed to speak to the client, leave alone the user, for some petty political reasons. However, in my most recent project, I insisted on speaking firsthand to the client and the users. Consequently, I was able to come up with designs that delighted both my client and the users.
Researching domain is equally important. Without understanding the lingua-franca of and context around a business, it’s very hard to establish rapport with the users, who may not feel comfortable sharing their user journey candidly. In my most recent project, our users were African distributors, who are arguably more visual than digital. So, we had to design our website accordingly. What made heuristic sense for a tech-savvy Californian would not have cut any ice with our users in Africa.
Let’s now understand why Research is a must
Firstly, without understanding the pain points of users, and their likes and dislikes, it’s hard to ‘invent’ features. Design theory can guide and improve something but not create something out of nothing. For example, after researching the vaccine distributors in Africa, I realized that they wanted a search functionality for poultry vaccines, something I couldn’t have imagined on my own just because I understand design theory. Similarly, I learned that they would like updates on the latest training programs offered by my client. I was able to add that feature on the home page with confidence because I knew it mattered.
Secondly, authentic research helps build a connection with users, something you would need for usability testing after prototype design. Only then, they are able to relate better to the final product. For example, in my design for African distributors, I added many pictures featuring African farmers, which made complete sense only after my usability testing.
Lastly, when we know what’s really important for the users, we can advocate for them at all levels. Often, there is a negotiation with the development team on what can or cannot be built in a given time frame. An in-depth understanding of users helps you negotiate for the most optimal design solution. In my last assignment, I championed a widget-based search functionality amid resistance from the development team because I knew that users were not that formally educated and wouldn’t appreciate anything complicated.
Only when one is able to delight the clients and users with an experience that is based on solid research, one can truly attain job satisfaction.
