At Industry Conf Newcastle (April 2015), Emma Boulton argues that becoming a better researcher helps you become a better designer. She covers who should do research, how to do good research, and practical ways to bring research into every stage of a project lifecycle — from clarifying woolly briefs to experimenting through research and design.
People
Emma Boulton
Methods
User InterviewsUser interviews explore people’s circumstances, experiences and needs through a guided conversation. Use them when you need to understand a problem in depth or learn how a service fits into someone’s life. Recruit current or likely users, prepare open questions and possible follow-ups, and ask for concrete examples rather than idealised accounts. Start with consent, listen carefully, and allow useful unexpected topics to emerge. A discussion guide keeps the research focused without turning it into a rigid questionnaire. Interviews can accompany usability tests when you also need to observe people using a service.