How to match research inquiries to methods

This week from People Nerds: We tackle difficult research inquiries, becoming your user, and breaking down SUS and SEQ metrics

Compartmentalize your research inquiries Every so often, we're presented with a rogue research question—one that we're not sure how to tackle (if it can be answered with research at all!). To ensure you're able to identify these rogue requests and match them with the right method, we've put together a strategy for categorizing questions into qual, quant, mixed, or nixed.   BRING ON THE QUESTIONS Results from last week's community poll (n = 213) I'm most likely to _______ when I need more time for a research project. 31.9% | Put my head down and work harder to meet the deadline. 24.9% | Share progress and request more time as necessary. 18.3% | Share out a teaser or snack of the insights, buying me more time to finish 11.3% | "Pad" the initial timeline by scoping more time than necessary   7.0% | Educate stakeholders on the pros/cons of less time to work   6.6% | Find a shortcut like reducing scope or reprioritizing. Take a walk (or bike!) in your users' shoes Lead UX, Janelle Ward, became a bike courier to experience what her users do daily. She discusses the benefits of this technique, how to communicate your experience with stakeholders, and why it's critical to start with context.   START PEDALING Time to get SUS (and SEQ) The system usability scale (SUS) and single-ease questionnaire (SEQ) are two techniques designed to focus on the interaction between users and the product. Learn the pros of each tactic and some special considerations when applying them.   METRICS GALORE Researchers have a really hard time saying no. But it is important to remember that you're saying no because you're saying yes to something else; you have to have a reason, and research strategy defines that reason. CHRIS GEISON Senior Research Strategist at Workday READ MORE More we're discussing:  Executive design expert Emily Henlein shares advice for prioritizing your wellbeing and how future design will have a primary seat at the table.  Service designer Jaryn Miller explores three case studies on how anti-blackness shows itself in digital spaces and lessons we can learn from it. Explore three ways to use tagging: for bookmarking, quantifying qual data, and synthesizing your metrics. What we're hearing: It's incredibly easy to fall into some sort of cognitive bias. Jennifer Clinehens breaks down 10 common ones and how to avoid them. Create a clear divide between feedback and criticism. Kevin Bui offers some advice on giving better feedback and receiving it more professionally.  Jakob Nielsen explains how to combat stakeholder statements like, "It's too dangerous to release a new design" and why it's important to push back. 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