Goodbye research ruts, you won't be missed

This week from People Nerds: We get advice on UX creative blocks, break down concept testing, and advocate for your first UX hire.

Climbing out of a research rut Research ruts: They feel like a lifetime, but often happen on the brink of a "eureka!" moment. We talked to an all-star group of researchers to learn (and steal) their tactics for sparking creativity, creating knowledge banks or "Halls of Fame" and leading effective brainstorming sessions.   STARING AT THE BLANK PAGE Streamline a million ideas: Try concept testing Some of the most exciting research involves tackling large, thorny questions. On the other hand, it's hard to design a study that'll provide such fundamental strategic direction. Solution? Concept testing. Explore common ways to tackle this type of research project.    TIME TO DISCOVER Results from last week's community poll (n = 79) If forced to pick one, which output resonates most with your stakeholders? 39% - Videos/highlight reels  |   35% - Stats/numbers    |   19% - Quotes    |   6% - Photos/collages   Set your first research hire up for success Before you embark on a tedious recruitment journey, take a look at these steps for creating an efficient UX hiring process. Crafting a transparent job description, establishing a set interview schedule, and setting clear expectations can ensure that both your candidate and team are on the same page.   YOU'RE HIRED More we're discussing: Experiment beyond usability testing for your next content test. We walk through three strategies to uncover and solve content issues. ABC = Always be creating. Become a more creative user researcher with three exercises for generating compelling insights. Support your research initiatives while keeping your bandwidth and budget on track. Call on your perfect sidekick, secondary research. What we're hearing: Brainstorming sessions have been some of the most challenging meetings to host virtually, but Kacy Boone knows how these can be more effective. It may be time to make a product ops hire. Here's how to convince your stakeholders to take action. Let's get scrappy. See how you can use your research, designs, or content to its maximum potential and how to stay sane while doing it. dscout is a company composed of People Nerds working to make context-rich human insight an everyday habit across organizations. The dscout platform—Diary, Live, Recruit, and Express—enables remote qualitative research that brings researchers into the moments experienced and shared by real people. Curious about the platform or working with dscout? Talk to an account executive.  dscout, 222 North LaSalle St. Suite 650, Chicago, Illinois 60601, (312) 880-9715 Unsubscribe Manage preferences