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Plus: We share tips for day in the life studies, discuss ecosystem maps, highlight some new job opportunities, and touch base with Brooks.

Ready or not, it's retail season!   Shoppers are gearing up for back-to-back holidays and the season of giving. So we thought it was the perfect time to share our knowledge on media-rich studies (we can't help you with your gift list, though).   Whether it's a day-in-the-life or walk-the-store scenario, putting yourself in customers' shoes is an excellent way to gain insights into competitors and the shopping experience.   Not focused on retail? Not a problem. Our tips around unmoderated, remote research are still sure to hone your skills. - The People Nerds Team   Complete with best practices and templates, this tactical guide shows you how to approach your next media-rich research project with confidence and ease. WHEN IN DOUBT, SHOP IT OUT KEEP READING - MORE ON THIS TOPIC Immerse yourself in a Day in the Life for keen insights. Show (don't tell) to see your product from the participants' perspective. Elevate your practice with our remote research crash course.   How many tools do you use to recruit, field, analyze, and socialize one remote research project?   1. One 2. Two 3. Three 4. Four 5. Five or more We'll post the results next Thursday in our Slack community! Beyond the well-tread personas customer journey, ecosystem maps paint a more complex picture with moving pieces. UXARRRGGHH! Microsoft has a variety of user research and design roles available, check them out. IBM has a handful of open UX design and ops roles, see if one is a good fit.  Amazon has a list of user research and UX design roles available, take a look.    "While we were all remote, we decided to create a weekly newsletter to send out to the whole company. It gave people a very real look at the things we were learning.   The feedback we got ended up being consistently positive because one of the main sources of joy that people were able to consistently reach into was running. It ended up being a really uplifting resource." Connor Skutches Senior Manager, Consumer Insights Research at Brooks Running   READ MORE from his field report: "A Change of Pace with Brooks Running" Ready to scale your research program? Successfully scaling research requires effective stakeholder collaboration, flexible methods, and insights designed for impact.   See how dscout can help you with all three. dscout, 222 North LaSalle St, Chicago, IL Unsubscribe Manage preferences

Assembling the participant dream team

Plus: We discuss task writing for usability tests, share a few new job listings, and thoughts from Michael Youngblood.

This week, we're all about participant recruitment and quality!   Planning and scoping your research plants the seeds for a successful project, but selecting the right participants is where things really start to take root.   Screen participants with strategic questions and set clear expectations from the start. From there, you can expect invaluable data that will blossom into perceptive insights.   We also dig into more complex questions—like when and how to navigate participants who are unengaged or too perfect.   - The People Nerds Team   Most of us have made mistakes in the recruiting stage at one point or another. Here's how to minimize those risks throughout the process. SOURCE OF STRENGTH KEEP READING - MORE ON THIS TOPIC How do you ensure participant management is ethical? 9 challenging participant types (plus how to get back on track). Use private research panels for ongoing customer feedback.   How much time needs to pass before you're comfortable speaking to a past research participant again?   1. I don't have any rules around this 2. 1 month 3. 3 months 4. 6 months 5. 12 months 6. More than 12 months or never We'll post the results next Thursday in our Slack community! First time conducting a usability test? No problem. This guide to task writing with examples will help you through. NO IMPOSSIBLE TASK The team at Verizon is looking to fill a variety of senior experience and experience design roles. Salesforce has a multitude of UX positions available across the globe, check them out. Dropbox is looking for lead and principal product designers, learn more about these roles.   "What then is human-centered design if it's failing most of the humans surrounding it?   We were trying to broaden the aperture and bring the lens further back to look more coherently at everything that goes on when inserting a product, service, or built environment. What happens when you create something and put it into a human system?" Michael Youngblood Co-Author of "Rethinking Users"   READ MORE from the group interview: "From 1:1 to 1:Many—Humans, Artefacts, & Ecosystems Thinking." Ready to scale your research program? Successfully scaling research requires effective stakeholder collaboration, flexible methods, and insights designed for impact.   See how dscout can help you with all three. dscout, 222 North LaSalle St, Chicago, IL Unsubscribe Manage preferences