I bought a new TV - a UX exploration. Andy Curry uses a personal purchase journey to examine real-world UX friction (UX Leeds 2024 recording).
People
Andy Curry
Methods
Journey MappingJourney mapping brings research about people’s experiences into a shared visual account of stages, actions, thoughts and feelings. It is useful when a service spans multiple steps, teams, places or touchpoints and you need to see where those parts fail to connect. Collect accounts from several users before mapping. Arrange their experiences over time, identify common stages and highlight problems and dependencies. Work with the team so the map informs decisions. Preserve meaningful differences between journeys rather than forcing every participant into a single path; revise the map as further research changes your understanding.
Usability TestingUsability testing reveals where people struggle while attempting realistic tasks with a prototype or service. In a moderated session, a researcher observes the participant and may ask them to explain their thinking. Use it to investigate confusing language, layouts or interactions and identify improvements. Agree research questions, recruit likely users and prepare believable tasks that do not reveal the solution. Explain that the service is being tested, then mostly watch and listen rather than guiding participants. Record observations and follow up on unclear behaviour. Plan accessible sessions, including participants’ own assistive technology when appropriate.