:: Don't try to quantify qualitative responses

Nothing is more confusing than a qualitative research study that tries to incorporate quantitative measurement. Prior to conducting a usability test, for example, my client questioned why I wasn't planning to record how fast it would take my participants to complete key tasks. There are several reasons why I feel this measurement would not yield useful information:

1. In a test environment, the speed in which a user completes a task is inherently biased due to the fact that the participant knows he/she is conducting a test.

2. The time in which it takes a user to complete a task changes based on the user's familiarity with the system or website. Therefore, "time to task completion" will decrease as the user gains familiarity with the website.

3. (most importantly) I am interested in the participant's "qualitative reaction" when completing the task. I am listening to their words and watching their facial expressions to understand how frustrating the experience is. Finally, I am looking for trends in behavior, rather than trying to quantify participants' speed to task completion.

Qualitative research is meant to uncover trends in behavior, which will yield rich insights to inform interaction design. Behavioral research is conducted with limited numbers of participants, so the data uncovered in this type of research is difficult to quantify. Quantifying behavior (e.g. - "calculating time to task completion") is less informative to design than identifying common behaviors and negative behaviors, anyway.

:: Information Architects Drive Brands Too!

The word "brand" is naturally associated with concepts such as "look and feel," "graphic design," "logo," "images," and "copy." While it is true that Creative Directors and Brand Managers are the architects and guardians of business brands,Information Architects play a vital role in how digital brands are articulated to the end-user.

It all starts with customer research -
It is generally the Information Architect's responsibility to perform customer investigation to uncover insights that drive asset taxonomies and interaction design. However, the valuable time that IAs have with end-users can provide important insights to the Creative team in charge of defining digital brands, as well. Strict behavioral research often has IAs putting "blinders" on when attitudes and perceptions can also be collected and analyzed. Maximize time spent with end-users. Collect as much data as possible. Do NOT restrict data collection to behavioral data.

Influencing Short and Long-Term Brand Perceptions -
If the brand in question is mature then end-users probably have some preconceptions and feelings that influence their behavior related to the brand. Brand objectives range from reinforcing these perceptions to changing them. While visual design stimulates immediate and emotional responses that form perceptions, lasting brand impressions result from interaction and long-term satisfaction with brand experiences. If this is true, then IA plays a vital role in reducing end-user frustrations. Minimizing frustration often results in greater end-user brand loyalty and trust.


Interaction Design Creates and Influences Brand Perceptions -
As mentioned earlier, the user experience on web sites influences end-users' perceptions of business brands. Therefore, interaction design is the conduit for direct end-user interaction with a brand...and the criteria upon which the brand experience will be judged. Interaction design decisions made by Information Architects will drive these perceptions. It requires an in-depth understanding of what current brand perceptions are, related to a specific business brand, and how Brand Managers want the current brand perception to shift.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Social Networks and Our Need to Belong

As social networks compete for popularity amongst web users looking to do whatever, the question remains…what are users looking to do? Over the past three years we’ve seen MySpace and Facebook try out applications ranging from uploading music, videos, and photos to giving virtual gifts and becoming fans of celebrities…heck, you can even become a fan of a consumer product! So, what’s the point? Are we that bored?

While the draw to social networks for consumers is, at times, ambiguous, the value proposition for advertisers is obvious. Social networks are a gold mine of consumer eyeballs and personal, behavioral, and demographic data. The holy grail of 1-1 marketing based on behavior and direct communication with consumers is easily achieved on these platforms.

Again, I ask, why do we so readily give up our personal information?

I think the answer is rooted in the very nature of our species. We are a social animal. In fact, the need to belong to a group is magnified when others ASK us to belong to their groups. It is viral. Another reason we are drawn to these networks is our desire to recapture our past. Users are lured by the prospect of reconnecting with past friends, flings, and memories. It is low-impact interaction with the past and a way to relive the “good times.” The clear winner, therefore, will be the network that is best able to provide us that access.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Information Architects Like to Stereotype

My job is to conduct research on a relatively small sample of a target population and make design decisions based on observed behavioral trends. Thought leaders proclaim that I only need 4-8 representatives of a specific group, and then I can stop conducting research...but, is that enough?

In most cases, "8 is enough" when measuring trends in behavior. The idea is that any new trends observed after that are few and far between...and not worth charging the client for. But, if you want to measure attitudes, brand perceptions, and environmental factors, then larger, more traditional market research sample sizes may be necessary. Otherwise, your stereotype will not be representative of a random sample of the entire population.

The analogue of a stereotype in the world of Information Architecture is called the "persona." A persona is one profile that represents a group of people that behave a certain way, within a population. It is necessary to work from this "stereotype" because Information Architects cannot design for every individual that may stumble across the website. We must prioritize information, elements of design, and interface based on our clients' target audiences as well as the users that are "most likely" to visit the website.

Thus, our mission is to create the best generalizations and stereotypes that our limited exposure to a given population can produce.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Driving an Experience in a Non-Linear Medium

It is often suggested by Usability professionals that you cannot control who visits your website, and that you cannot force them to have an experience that they did not come to the website to have. It is true that, as a web designer, it is important to design an experience that anticipates and satisfies the informational needs and tasks of end-users, but that does not prevent you from also designing an experience that satisfies the objectives of the business.

Target an Audience that will be Receptive to Your Brand
You can increase the likelihood that a specific population of people visit your website. Doing so, requires a multi-channel marketing strategy that begins by identifying where your target audience spends most of their time. To find out, recruit and interview representative samples of this population. Piece together their daily routines and habits. Understand what TV programs they watch, periodicals they read, and websites they visit. These resources become possible platforms for smart website marketing and sponsorships. Use cross-channel marketing tactics to drive the right traffic to your website.

Create Website Pathways that Satisfy Business Objectives
The second suggestion by "user-advocates," claims that you cannot, and should not, control what end-users do on a website because of the non-linear nature of the web. The fallacy and danger of such statements lies in the premise that business objectives and user objectives are mutually exclusive. I propose that business objectives are generally met when end-user objectives are met. A healthy business is dependent on satisfied customers. Understanding what customers are coming to the website to do enables web designers to create pathways for customers to satisfy their needs. Prioritize navigational elements and elevate contextual links accordingly.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: "Quants and Quals"

Researchers have a variety of research techniques to choose from when achieving online objectives. Each technique includes a specific methodology, guidelines for population size, and techniques for soliciting feedback from participants.

Qualitative research calls for open-ended responses to questions with a limited sample size. Researchers use this technique when multiple-choice and close-ended questions don't yield data that is precise enough to achieve research goals. Qualitative research works well when objectives require 1st-hand observation of user behavior and contextual inquiry (live, 1-on-1 interviews in end-user environment).

Quantitative research solicits close-ended responses from end-users, such as on a multiple-choice survey, or requires observation of usage statistics, such as in an Omniture report, to understand and document data trends. Researchers use this technique when the quantity of the data is more important than the data detail, and the range of responses/observable phenomena are limited (a web analytics report merely documents trends of specific data points moving up or down; increasing or decreasing over time). Quantitative research generally results in studies that are deployed via survey, or by observing click-stream data via analytics reporting tools.

Depending on online business objectives, study types can also be combined. Quantitative studies can be used to support observed, qualitative research trends. Conversely, theories made to justify quantitative data trends may be proven or disproven during qualitative research interviews. It is most important to understand what problems you, as a researcher, are solving for, in order to select the right technique to yield the proper insights.

Jonathan Lupo VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab

:: Converting user research participants into brand evangelists

User research has many benefits. Obviously, qualitative behavioral research is intended to yield insights to aid design of intuitive applications. However, many overlook the possible marketing applications of user research studies. Consider, your client is paying you to learn about the brand so that you can effectively market the brand. These two objectives do not have to be siloed. As long as research studies are unbiased, positive results can be turned into marketing opportunities for your client. Research provides opportunities and a platform to reach customers and potential customers. Here are three ways to maximize this reach to convert participants into "brand evangelists:"

1. Carefully screen and target research participants - In order to ensure reliable research studies, participants must be screened to be relevant to client business objectives and likely consumers of your client's business and services. If participants meet target demographics, and are particularly receptive to client brand messages, there is potential to convert these participants into customers. (Note: ethical boundaries should prohibit researchers from biasing or disguising a study as a marketing ploy...however, researchers often hear enthusiastic responses to the brand in conducted studies, and may pursue opportunities to market to participants after studies have concluded)

2. Create a "Beta Test" population for community applications - One effective means of observing user behavior is watching actual community interaction over time. When testing
and launching a "community" it is possible to use research dollars to recruit a "beta community." In essence, you are paying participant to "jump-start" a community (for observational study, at first). Community "uptake" generally starts "grassroots." If you create a compelling and intuitive suite of tools, and community makes sense for your client's brand and business, your beta test population (of carefully screened and targeted test participants) may help the community to succeed.

3. Always ask study participants about their impressions of the brand- It is important to observe how a participant's impressions of a client's brand change pre and post-exposure to the application being tested. A research study provides you, the researcher, a valuable audience to proposed ideas and expression of your client's brand. You must use this platform to inspire your participants to give thoughtful consideration of the brand. This act of "putting brand X into mind" may have the effect of shifting your participant's thinking and changing your participant's behavior "outside of the laboratory."

Jonathan Lupo
VP / Information Architecture - Empathy Lab