Ally Tutkaluk - When UX interview questions hit too close to home…

In UX interviews, it can be hard to get good-quality, unbiased insights (without acting like a heartless robot). With most FMCG and entertainment products, this isn’t too hard – but what if your product is related to health and personal issues? How do you remain objective and get valuable data from a user, while still being sensitive to the issues they’re going through – which you’re currently interrogating them about? The typical user story of asking participants to 'imagine' they have a cancer diagnosis just won't work for some projects.

This talk will cover tools and tips for running UX interviews to ensure vulnerable users are treated with dignity, respect, and empathy – while still being a source of valuable insights

Transcript

1. WHEN UX INTERVIEW QUESTIONS HIT TOO CLOSE TO HOME Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia August 2020
2. Ally Tutkaluk Digital Manager https://www.linkedin.com/in/ally-tutkaluk-b8b90715/
3. YOU MAY KNOW US FROM SUCH FUNDRAISING EVENTS AS.... Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
4. BUT WE ALSO... - provide free support services and information to people living with blood cancer - fund high-impact, innovative research into blood cancer - help unite the blood cancer community in pursuit of a shared goal: zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035.
5. The project Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020 Our website was ready for a redesign and restructure to reflect our new service offerings, and the needs of people living with blood cancer. July 2020: Early 2019: Mid 2019: Late 2019: Early 2020: live! research/discovery UX testing, content design development
6. Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
7. Phase 1 (Research/Discovery) - user interviews, Q & A style - who are our users? How do they currently use the site? What else do they use? Phase 2 (Prototyping) - testing with interactive wireframes - is our nav solid? Are page layouts ok? Are entry points making sense? Phase 3 (Home stretch) - usability testing pre-go live - have we majorly stuffed anything up? What can we action now, and later? TELL ME ABOUT THE UX! Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
8. So...? (i.e. Why am I here?) NATURE OF PRODUCT It ain't shoes! BACKGROUND OF USERS It's complex - they're at different stages on their journey WE NEEDED TO RE-THINK A TYPICAL APPROACH Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
9. HOMEWORK 1. RECRUIT LOOSELY...KINDA
10. People living with blood cancer are at all different stages - no two diagnoses and experiences are the same. No-go zone: - anyone recently diagnosed - anyone in the middle of intensive, active treatment. DO YOUR HOMEWORK Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND 3.1. UX PRACTITIONERS SHALL NOT EXPOSE PARTICIPANTS TO ANY UNREASONABLE PHYSICAL, MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL STRESS. -HTTPS://UXPA.ORG/UXPA-CODE-OF-PROFESSIONAL-CONDUCT/ UXPA CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Good to know: - are they a carer, a family member, or friend? - have they recently lost someone? - have they gone through other set backs recently? - are they up for it? Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
11. 2. TWEAK WRITE, REVISE, REVIEW
12. your homework what you want to test the hypotheses you want to prove. Take into account: 1. 2. 3. REVISE YOUR QUESTIONS Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
13. "YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A BLOOD CANCER. FIND INFORMATION ON HOW TO MANAGE WORK." Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Example 1: Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
14. "REFLECTING BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE FIRST DIAGNOSED. CAN YOU FIND INFORMATION ON HOW TO MANAGE WORK?" Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND - change the verb: reflecting, thinking - same question, but softer and acknowledges the obvious. Changed to: Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
15. Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND - introductions can be great tools, especially for questions that seem a little blunt - make it conversational - the intent and direction (and end goal - find information for newly diagnosed patients) is the same - we're just re-framing the back story. "I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF SOMEONE WHO HAS JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. HOW WOULD YOU FIND INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGING WORK?" For a non-patient: Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
16. "YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACT YOUR DIAGNOSIS WILL HAVE ON YOUR FINANCES. FIND INFORMATION ON HOW YOU'D MANAGE YOUR FINANCES." Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Example 2: Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
17. "CAN YOU SHOW ME WHERE YOU'D FIND INFORMATION ON MANAGING YOUR FINANCES?" "AS YOU KNOW, A DIAGNOSIS CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON FINANCES..." Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Changed to: - avoids redundant wording - simplifies it and avoids stating the obvious - can also acknowledge their experience and build rapport. Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020 or
18. "YOU ARE LOOKING AFTER YOUR PARTNER, WHO HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A BLOOD CANCER. FIND OUT IF THERE IS ANY SUPPORT FOR YOU." DEIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Example 3: Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
19. "AS YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO CARE FOR A LOVED ONE..." Presentations are communication tools that can be demonstrations, lectures, reports, and more. DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Changed to: - injects a little emotion - acknowledges their experience, builds rapport - this is their reality, there's no need to reiterate - homework comes into play here! Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
20. 3. VIEW THINGS WITH A DIFFERENT EYE LOOK AT YOUR PROTOTYPE DIFFERENTLY
21. Once your prototype/wireframes are done, look at them one last time from the viewpoint of your user. Checklist: - any triggering copy? - any confronting images? - have any interviewees expressed particular worries? PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
22. 4. BE A GOOD HUMAN ENOUGH SAID!
23. - build a rapport with interviewees prior to the sessions - can you have the same point of contact throughout? - if you're working with an agency, can someone from your organisation sit in on interviews and do introductions? - be flexible: offer breaks, allow lots of time - reassure interviewees, consider trigger warnings - check in with interviewees the day before - make at least one incidence of contact a phone call. BE A GOOD HUMAN DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
24. 5. BONUS ROUND LUCKY YOU
25. - use your colleagues. Do you work with health professionals? Run your questions by them, get their feedback! - close that loop. Thank your interviewees, give them updates - give interviewees a 'sneak peek' or let them be the 'first to know' when the site/app is live. PLUS... DESIGN WITH USERS IN MIND Ally Tutkaluk - UX Australia 2020
26. THANK YOU