Building a user research practice in the Home Office
at UX Brighton 2018
Type
talk
The Home Office is responsible for delivering some of the most challenging and complex services in government. So it seems fitting that we have a team of 100 researchers and user centred designers helping us modernise how we work. But it wasn't always this way. This talk showed how it is possible to advance user research in large organisations even when they're not used to this way of working. Katy shared the steps they took to create space for people to do their best work, and how they built a vibrant user research practice in one of the great departments of state.
People
Katy Arnold
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.
Research RepositoryCentralised storage, tagging, and synthesis of research insights
Participant RecruitmentParticipant recruitment finds people whose experience can answer the study’s research questions. Define the relevant user groups and screening criteria before choosing channels such as existing customers, specialist organisations or recruitment agencies. Include people with different access needs, and arrange suitable communication, locations and support. Explain the study, obtain informed consent and schedule participation without pressure. Use recruitment planning before interviews, observation or testing; selecting convenient colleagues can produce findings that poorly represent the people a service must support.