I would like to introduce a quick approach to UX research interviews or product research activities in this article. I have developed this approach and used it while conducting interviews with users for my Ph.D. study. My goal is to draw a framework for new user researchers who are planning to conduct interviews about users’ experiences.
If you are a researcher who aims to use qualitative research methods, you have encountered some works of Blumer, Corbin & Strauss, Glaser, Saldana, and Patton. If you have not met these works yet, it may be better to choose not to say “I am using a qualitative research method”. I recommend you to read these works before starting qualitative research.
The proposed technique was highly based on previous methods and methodologies presented in the qualitative research context, and it aims to draw a framework for UX research interviews.
And…
Here is P-A-L-O-R-A-A!
It consists of 7 steps Plan, Ask, Listen, Observe, Refine, Ask again and Analyze. Now let’s look at these steps briefly:
Plan Your Research
Each step of a research activity should directly contribute to the research questions. Similar to many research methodologies, the order and quality of the research steps should be planned in qualitative research. It is essential to develop an “Interview Guide” that includes every step of an interview of the research. It is better to list research questions, interview questions, follow-up questions, interview methods, selection of interviewees, interview place, recording type, analysis method, etc in an interview guide. Such a plan increases both the quality and validity of the interview.
Ask Everything
Ask everything! If you do not ask, you cannot get answers. Make sure that your questions are not biased and not directed. Let the interviewee tell his/her own story. Use lots of gold words like “why”, “how”, “what” and “tell me” What you’re doing is not a yes-no competition, so your goal is just to discover the knowledge hidden in the users’ mind. Be aware that confirmation of what you already know will not add any value to your work. Your voice tone, facial expression, and even a glance may become more valuable than many words while conducting interviews.
Listen to the interviewee using all your senses.
Not only the words but also the gazes, facial expressions, and body language of the interviewee are important things to be captured for detailed analysis. The real reasons behind the acts such as “looking at the top left corner” or “keeping silent for a moment” should be understood deeply.
Observe the World
What the participants say and do may not match each other. There can be several reasons for these behaviors. He/she may not trust you, he/she may feel pressure, or something else. For these reasons, be curious about what he/she is saying and not saying. To overcome such situations, participate in the users’ world, and spend a few days together.
At this point, I recommend you to read the magnificent “Ganz unten” work by German researcher journalist and writer Hans-Günter Wallraff in Turkish clothing and writing what he experienced in Germany.
Refine Your Notes
At some point in your research, you are likely to discover that some parts of your research plan are no longer functional and therefore do not add value to your research. At this point, it is inevitable to refine and/or improve your method or questions. Please do not postpone it. The refining process will allow collecting more data during your research and verification of the data you have previously collected. If you are using the interview method, you can review your questions after the 6th or 7th interview. It will improve the quality of your research.
Ask Again
After refining the research plan, go back to users and keep asking. Reaching new participants and obtaining new information will increase the number of findings of your study directly and postpone the saturation of the research. Therefore you will have the opportunity to make new trips to the areas you haven’t discovered yet.
Analyze Your Research
The most important step is analysis. Lack of quality of analysis will bring the wrong findings. Therefore, each word, phrase, mimic, observation notes, field notes, and any type of information should be analyzed in detail. It is better to choose a software tool during your analysis. nVivo, MaxQDA, QDA Miner are some of the good alternatives for qualitative analysis.
I hope PALORAA will bring a simple framework and guidelines for your user interviews, particularly in user (experience) research activities. As I mentioned previously, it is better to overview some resources such as Blumer, Corbin & Strauss, Glaser, Saldana, and Patton’s works before conducting such interviews.
Regards.
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