User problem? Meet solution

This week from People Nerds: We share tips for avoiding false insights and leverage user research to make career decisions.

The unmet need? Oh yes indeed Marketers often say, "People don't buy products. They buy solutions to their problems." But what if people don't realize something is a problem? To uncover these needs, start by identifying current workarounds, pain points, and even some of their wants.   THE ONE THAT I WANT NEED Results from last week's community poll (n = 164) What's your take on focus groups or group interviews?   40.2% | I don't like them, but they can be useful sometimes 23.2% | They're OK, but I prefer other methods 17.1% | I love them and use them a lot 10.4% | I hate them   9.1% | No opinion Stop, triangulate and listen "You only interviewed seven people?!" It's important to remember that a smaller study can still be substantively important—especially if you triangulate your data. Learn more about this technique and explore a variety of combinations you can utilize to feel more confident with your findings.   ISOSCELES OR SCALENE? Do you like (or even like like) the People Nerds brand? Join us! We're searching for a Director of Brand & Content Marketing, someone who thrives in creative, collaborative environments and has experience cultivating colleagues' competencies. Sound like you? Learn about the role here. I help people make smarter decisions. And, to me, that's the value of user research." Gregg Bernstein Author and Speaker READ MORE More we're discussing:  Lenovo recently ran a study to learn more about the visually impaired community. Check out their case study to explore how it came together. dscout's Laurel Brown breaks down how she used a group interview to learn about player dynamics/obstacles for a vintage co-op video game. What we're hearing: Applying for UX designer roles? Yan Grinshtein reviewed over 300 applications and has some advice for job-seekers. UX writers can have much more impact than "just" creating copy. Patrick Stafford outlines ways UXWs can participate in the design process. 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

This may be controversial

This week from People Nerds: We walk through a use case for group interviews and Lenovo breaks down their DEI strategy.

Hear us out, there are scenarios for group interviews Group interviews (sometimes referred to as focus groups) tend to get a bad rap. If they're being used to save time and interview participants all at once—your data will likely suffer. But, if you're exploring real-world group activities like co-op video games, group interviews can be the perfect setting for an exploratory study.   PRESS START TO SEE HOW This week's community poll Answer with a click this week, see the results in next week's newsletter.   What's your take on focus groups or group interviews?   1. I love them and use them a lot 2. They're OK, but I prefer other methods 3. I don't like them, but they can be useful sometimes 4. I hate them 5. No opinion Who might we be missing? How do we put principles like diversity, access, and inclusion into practice? Lenovo created a central office to weave these into research and product workflows. Check out this case study focused on the visually impaired community. BETTER ANTICIPATE THEIR NEEDS Not everything has to be aesthetically pleasing, because aesthetically pleasing doesn't mean easy to use. ABBY HOY BAYLEN User Experience Research Lead, Later READ MORE More we're discussing: Are you SURE that's a true insight? These strategies can help you avoid common research mistakes and decrease the likelihood of false insights. "Well, as long as this offer is better than my current role…" It's so easy to choose a job out of fear, see how user research can help you decide objectively. What we're hearing: Building a research team? Have you determined which questions it will (and will not) tackle? Jonathan Richardson has you covered with a breakdown. Are your designs fostering respect between user and experience? Noreen Whysel outlines ways to create a safer, ongoing relationship. 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