UX Field Study

[melissamurphy]

Overview

We need to review the sites gathered during the comparative analysis to find opportunities to improve user experience of data literacy programs.

What is a field study

Especially suitable for big-picture insights at the start of the design process, a field study tracks a user's natural course of interaction with existing data sites. Observations based on a user's spontaneous experience help define what users holistically notice, need, and want; the results will inform branding, personas, and early designs.

Action Items

Pre-study

• List sites (see comparative analysis )
  • BetaNYC
  • NDSE
  • BallotNav
  • LA Mayor's
  • Data Literacy Project
  • EmpowerLA.org
  • Data LA
  • Coursera
  • LinkedIn Learning
  • Skill Share
  • ArcGIS
• identify goals for your field study (after background reading in below Resources)
• choose an active or passive model of field study

Conducting the Study

• Note participant's context of use
• Introduction: introduce yourself, the purpose, and the procedure
• Obtain participant's expressed consent for recorded interview
• After 30 seconds with website, conduct impression test of branding and purpose (look away + describe their impression of the site)
• Take notes on key moments during their interaction--also note time stamps for later reference
• Observe user's interaction with site: highlights/lowlights may appear as user's comments ("say"), actions ("do"--may differ from what's said), reactions ("feel"), opinions ("think")
• Optional: contextual inquiry to actively interview user about their experience, impressions, choices during their interaction with the sites

Concluding the Study

• Summarize the experience with the user after the interaction experience has ended, allowing for last thoughts and clarifying questions
• Finish with subject's completion of our screener survey questions
• Make an immediate write-up of notes upon field study's end in order to capture observations as close to event as possible
• Present insights to team

Resources/Instructions

Recordings
NDSC and Data Literacy Project field study recordings

Documents of Findings
NDSC Field Study Notes by Andrew
BallotNav Field Study Notes by Elizabeth
Data Field Study Notes by Joanna

3 Steps to Contextual Inquiry and 4 Guiding Principles
Putting UX in Context with Contextual Inquiries

Reasons for Field Study
When to Leave the Lab for the Field

Relation to Design
Translating User Research into UX Design
A Comprehensive Guide to UX Research Methods

[mathhomework]

Field study for NDSC Participant: Elizabeth

[ElizabethWarninger]

Field study notes. For BallotNav with Andrew.

[abryant35]

@joanna-pham Please add update using this template (even if you have a pull request)

Progress: "What is the current status of your project? What have you completed and what is left to do?"
Blockers: "Difficulties or errors encountered."
Availability: "How much time will you have this week to work on this issue?"
ETA: "When do you expect this issue to be completed?"
Pictures: "Add any pictures of the visual changes made to the site so far."

If you need help, be sure to either: 1) ask for help at your next meeting, 2) put a "Status: Help Wanted" label on your issue and pull request, or 3) put up a request for assistance on the #access-the-data channel.

[abryant35]

@joanna-pham Please add update using this template (even if you have a pull request)

Progress: "What is the current status of your project? What have you completed and what is left to do?"
Blockers: "Difficulties or errors encountered."
Availability: "How much time will you have this week to work on this issue?"
ETA: "When do you expect this issue to be completed?"
Pictures: "Add any pictures of the visual changes made to the site so far."

If you need help, be sure to either: 1) ask for help at your next meeting, 2) put a "Status: Help Wanted" label on your issue and pull request, or 3) put up a request for assistance on the #access-the-data channel.

[joanna-pham]

Progress: Notes are typed. Need to do tasks for concluding study.
Blockers: Time
Availability: Maybe 2-3 hours
ETA: By next week's meeting.

[ExperimentsInHonesty]

@joanna-pham Please add update using this template (even if you have a pull request)

Progress: "What is the current status of your project? What have you completed and what is left to do?"
Blockers: "Difficulties or errors encountered."
Availability: "How much time will you have this week to work on this issue?"
ETA: "When do you expect this issue to be completed?"
Pictures: "Add any pictures of the visual changes made to the site so far."

If you need help, be sure to either: 1) ask for help at your next meeting, 2) put a "Status: Help Wanted" label on your issue and pull request, or 3) put up a request for assistance on the #access-the-data channel.

[joanna-pham]

Materials for the field study were previously added under Recordings and Documents of Findings. Moving issue to prioritized backlog - need to split studies into separate issues.