WEBVTT

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User research
is a crucial part of the design process.

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It helps to bridge the gap

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between what we think users need
and what users actually need.

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User research is a systematic process
of gathering and analyzing information

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about the target audience
or users of a product, service or system.

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Researchers use a variety of methods
to understand users, including surveys,

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interviews,
observational studies, usability testing,

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contextual inquiry, card
sorting and tree testing, eye tracking

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studies, A-B testing,
ethnographic research and diary studies.

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By doing user research from the start,
we get a much better

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product,
a product that is useful and sells better.

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In the product development cycle,

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at each stage, you’ll
different answers from user research.

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Let's go through the main points.

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What should we build?

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Before you even

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begin to design
you need to validate your product idea.

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Will my users need this?

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Will they want to use it?

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If not this, what else should we build?

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To answer these basic questions,
you need to understand your users

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everyday lives, their motivations,
habits, and environment.

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That way your design
a product relevant to them.

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The best methods for this stage are
qualitative interviews and observations.

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Your visit users at their homes at work,
wherever you plan for them

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to use your product.

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Sometimes this stage reveals opportunities
no one in

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the design team would ever have imagined.

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How should we build this

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further in the design process?

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You will test
the usability of your design.

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Is it easy to use
and what can you do to improve it?

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Is it intuitive or do people struggle
to achieve basic tasks?

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At this stage you'll get to observe
people using your product,

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even if it is still a crude prototype.

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Start doing this early so your users don't
get distracted by the esthetics.

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Focus on functionality and usability.

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Did we succeed?

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Finally, after the product is released,
you can evaluate the impact of the design.

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How much does it
improve the efficiency of your users work?

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How well does the product sell?
Do people like to use it?

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As you can see, user research is something

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that design teams must do all the time

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to create useful, usable
and delightful products.