How to plan a UX Research Study

A template to help UX Designers and Researchers plan a UX Research study. Here I will be showcasing the Music sharing App, ' JamStorm', created during the Google UX Design Specialisation to provide an exemplar of a UX research study plan.

Template

1. Introduction

• Title: A few words about the focus of the study

• Author: Your full name, job title or role, and email address on one line

• Stakeholders: List the names of project stakeholders and their roles

• Date: Update the date listed every time you edit this plan

• Project background: What led you to conduct this research?

• Research goals: What design problems are you trying to solve for the user and/or the business? How will the results of the research affect your design decisions?

2. Research Questions

• What are the questions your research is trying to answer?

• Pro tip: 5 research questions is a solid place to start. Do not include more than 7-10 research questions.

3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• How can you measure progress toward the research goals?

• KPIs might include time on task, navigation vs search, user error rates, drop-o rates, conversion rates, system usability scale (SUS), etc.

4. Methodology

• How will you collect data? How will you analyse the data once you get it?

• The methodology should be detailed so that other researchers can understand what you did, the choices you made, and the limitations of the methods employed to decide if or when further research is needed.

5. Participants

• Who will you include in this study? What characteristics do the participants have? Why did you choose them?

• Note: If you're intentional in including specific populations (e.g., users with diverse abilities and perspectives), be clear about the needs of the study.

6. Script

• What questions will you ask study participants?

• Insert your full script here and some design mockups to provide context.

Exemplar

Wireframes of the Music Sharing app that were tested using the UX research plan

Following is an example of the UX Research Study Template using the example of the Music sharing app I created during the Google UX Design Specialisation.

1. Introduction:

• Title: Usability study for a music-sharing app

• Author: Deovrat Dwivedi, Product Designer, QS, deovratdwivedi14@gmail.com

• Stakeholders: Product, Business, Dev, UX

• Date: 19/06/2022

• Project background: We're creating a music-sharing app allowing users to upload, record and share music. The App will enable users to create music collaboratively and share it with other musicians and fans to get feedback. Through the App, users can add collaborators, listeners, and commenters on draft music/stem files on a dedicated music-sharing platform to engage with listeners to increase their audience/fan base. Previous user interviews with full-time and pa-time musicians depicted a need for dedicated collaborative music-creating and sharing platforms. The current pain point of users is to use a mix of 4 to 5 tools/products to create and share music which fellow musicians and fans.

• Research goals: Figure out if users can share music quickly and easily with other musicians and listeners through the App. We want to understand if collaborator feedback/comments are important and value-adding for users in their music-sharing journey. Also, check if interactions of the music editor confuse the user.

User Journey to be tested during the usability study

2. Research Questions

• How long does it take for a user to upload and share a song with listeners?

• How long does it take for a user to record, share with bandmates and get feedback?

• What can we learn from a user's journey while sharing music through the App?

• Do users want feedback from other musicians while composing? Do users engage with the 'Comment' feature in the editor?

• Are there parts where the user is getting stuck?

• Are there any aspects of the App which confuse the user?

• How desirable / value-adding is the App in the user's music-sharing journey?

3. KPIs

• Time on Task

• Conversion Rates

• User Error Rates

• System usability scale

4. Methodology

• Moderated Usability Study/Task Scenario testing

• Location: Bangalore, Remote ( Studies will be carried out over a 45 min long Zoom Meetings)

• Date: Sessions will take place on the 18th and 19th of June 2022

• Five Participants, each completing study on their own

• Each session will be 45 mins long. It will include a list of tasks for a user to complete, follow-up questions and a SUS survey.

5. Participants

• All participants are music creators/musicians who share/release music content on the internet. These participants generally have a high appetite for consuming music content too.

• All participants are music creators/musicians who have been pa of a band at some point in time or aspire to be. It includes professional and hobbyist musicians, music students and teachers with some context of music collaboration. They may or may not be tech-savvy.

• Two males, two females, and one non-binary individual between the ages of 18 and 75. One participant is a person with a visual impairment.

• The study is accessible for use with a screen reader and switch device.

• Incentive: INR 500 Amazon gift card for participants.

6. Script

Intro

• Before we begin, do I have your consent to take audio and video recordings of this interview?

• I want you to know that this isn't a test. There is no "right" answer, and none of your responses will be considered wrong.

• If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

• This data is being collected to help improve a music-sharing app for music creators/bands. Your answers will help us make the App easier for people to use.

Basic Questions

• What kind of city or town do you live in?

• Are you part of a band? Or do you collaboratively create/share music?

• What do you play? Or do you sing?

• What type of music do you listen to and play?

• How many times a week do you play/jam/share music?

• How easy/difficult do you and your music-sharing experience? How many software/tools do you use to share a music idea at the moment?

• How long does it take you to write a song and share it with bandmates or a larger audience?

• Can you walk me through your music-sharing/collaborative creation process?

Usability Testing Prompts:

• Prompt 1: Let's start with adding some new music to JamStorm. Do you prefer to record or upload a stem/music idea? Please talk me through your thought process. > Follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task to complete? Is there anything you would change about the process of adding new music? > Follow-up: Was there anything which confused you?
  

• Prompt 2: Next, try the other option (recording/uploading) of some music on JamStorm. Also, try saving/exporting and sharing your new music created on Jam storm. > Follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task to complete? Is there anything you would change?
  

• Prompt 3: Could you try adding collaborators/bandmates to the music we just recorded? Also, try adding new layers for your bandmates/collaborators. > Follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task to complete? Is there anything you would change? > Follow-up: Was there anything which confused you?
  

• Prompt 4: How would you view and reply to a comment from your bandmate/collaborator on the music idea you had shared? > Follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task to complete? > Follow-up: Would you use this feature? Does it add any value?
  

• Prompt 5: How did you feel about this music-sharing App overall? What did you like and dislike about it?

Link Prototype to be tested: Music Sharing app Lofi Prototype

After the unmoderated usability study, participants will complete the System Usability Scale. Participants will score the following ten statements by selecting one of five responses that range from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree."

• I think that I would use this feature frequently.

• I find the app/feature unnecessarily complex.

• I think the app/feature is easy to use.

• I need the support of a technical person in order to use this app/feature.

• I find the various functions in this feature to be well integrated.

• I think there is inconsistency in this app/feature.

• I imagine most people would learn to use this app/feature quickly.

• I feel confident using the app/feature.

• I need to learn a lot of things before I can use this app/feature.

• The primary user flow to record and share music is clear.

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'How to plan a UX Research Study' is the first blog of the series, 'Fail Fast', about running a successful usability study. It will cover topics from planning and running UX research studies to deriving and implementing actionable insights.

Thanks for reading. :)