Today, UX design consultant Kelly met her client Mary at her office. Kelly invited Mary to join her user research workshops. However, Mary, who runs a startup, had hired Kelly for software consulting to develop a website and web application.
Unfamiliar with many software industry terms, Mary asked Kelly about the workshops. Kelly explained, “User research workshops are a key part of UI/UX design, typically conducted at the start of any software development project—whether it’s for a website, web application, or mobile app. They are essential in the initial stages of the process.
Refrain from Forcing User Research Workshops to Conduct Research
Expanding on her points, Kelly said, “In software design, user research is vital before any action. Understanding your target audience and business needs is the first step in development.”
She continued, “Both the Business Analytics (BA) team and the UX design team conduct user research, but they approach it from different angles while using similar methods and techniques to achieve their goals.”
“Many software design and development teams prioritize user research workshops and host brainstorming sessions for the client-side mentoring team and other stakeholders.”
She clarified, “These workshops don’t conduct user research themselves; instead, they equip stakeholders to perform real user research with effective methods and approaches.”
She added, “These sessions are informative and offer comprehensive guidance to clients, helping them carry out user research with genuine intent.
Significance of User Research
Kelly emphasized, “A lack of user research (UR) is a major reason for project failures. Relying on assumption-based user personas and needs often leads to disappointing outcomes for actual users.”
She added, “Without real user research, you create gaps that hinder your ability to achieve your goals effectively.
How Workshops Aid in User Research
According to Kelly, workshops contribute in several key ways:
- Cost and Timeline Estimation: UR workshops help you establish budgets and timelines for user research.
- Effective Planning: They facilitate detailed planning for conducting user research.
- Bias Reduction: Workshops prevent your team from making biased assumptions during the process.
- Comprehensive User Personas: You’ll develop complete user personas that align with your project requirements.
- Elimination of Assumptions: They help avoid misconceptions about user needs and behaviors.
- Skill Development: Workshops teach participants how to conduct user research by asking the right questions effectively.
- Technique Implementation: They provide guidance on applying appropriate techniques to achieve your research goals.
Possible Outcomes of User Research Workshops
Kelly outlined the benefits Mary will gain by attending the user research workshops organized during the UX design process.
User Persona
By conducting user research authentically, we can create user personas that accurately reflect actual users, highlighting the characteristics that define your true user base. At the end of the user research workshop, you’ll have a user persona that represents the perspectives of the client-side team, aligning closely with the persona derived from genuine user research.
User Journey
Once you’ve established an assumption-based user persona, you’ll have multiple options for mapping the user journey. In our user research workshops, we help you define various pathways for the user journey.
Problem Statement
During the workshop, we collaboratively develop a problem statement that clarifies concerns and directions for user research. This statement can be validated during user interviews and research.
Value Proposition Canvas
The Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) is a methodology that aligns our software product with the values and needs of our clients. It should include the following elements.
User Profiles:
| Gains | Pains | User Jobs |
| What benefits does the user gain after using the software product? | What tasks must a user accomplish using a software product? Functional Social Emotional | What tasks must a user accomplish using a software product? Functional Social-Emotional |
Value map:
| Gain Creators | Pain Relievers | Products & Services |
| How software products or services can create gains for users. | How can software products or services alleviate users’ pains? | What software solution alleviates users’ pains, and do you think of them as features and functionality? |
Finding the Scope
After attending the user research workshop, you’ll gain insights on:
- The knowledge needed to ensure your product meets user expectations.
- The distinctions between genuine user journeys and assumed ones.
- The pain points you can address related to user journeys and challenges.
Summary
User research workshops serve as brainstorming sessions for clients. We do not conduct user research during these workshops; instead, we prepare clients to embrace user research for their UX design. This approach makes projects more realistic and efficient for actual users, ultimately leading to greater success. This article aims to clarify misconceptions about user research workshops and highlight their significance in the UX design process.
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