could then be redirected to a video
conferencing platform, where they would now
be observed or monitored as they use and
navigate through the website, to complete a
particular task (Travis, 2020).
Remote studies and workshops may not be as
effective as on-ground studies, but
nevertheless, it offers things that field studies
couldn’t. Remote studies allow users to interact
from the comfort of their natural spaces,
reduces the time of travel, creates a flexibility in
the time and duration of interactions, and
allows a wider participant representation
without geographical barriers.
For the Not-So-Tech-Savvy
Tech savviness and the capability of engaging
with digital systems is a factor to be considered
not only from the perspective of the user
researcher but also the participants. A set of
the global population, mostly belonging to
generations before Gen Y or millennials (also
known as Digital Nomads) i.e Gen X and Baby
Boomers exhibit a lesser tech competency level
and hence are not completely comfortable
using the digital tools of this day. They may
express reluctance and may lack patience to
learn to use these digital platforms for an
isolated purpose. Certain users also feel quite
conscious about using Videocon platforms like
Skype and zoom. Even so, the participants’
capabilities and comfort have to be respected
and acknowledged, as every participant at this
time of the pandemic is a valuable asset to
creating optimal user experiences in their
design.
If the researcher or the participants prefer to
opt for the possibility of an interaction that
doesn’t involve learning new tools or high-end
tech usage, there are alternative ways;
Telephonic interviews- According to the
Hawthorne effect, users are more likely to be
more direct and expressive during a voice-only
telephonic interview as they are not being
observed, and hence are less conscious about
how they respond.
Vicinity and proximity-based research- A
potential ‘green zone’ locality or people existing
within the vicinity of the researcher’s
neighbourhood may be able to give valuable
information upon observation or interviews,
about their life and thought processes during the
pandemic (Gupta, 2020).
Conclusion
UX design industry and user research were
affected critically as the pandemic struck the
world for obvious reasons but there is also an
upside to every downfall, especially because
designers are problem-solvers. The key to good
UX research and design has always been to
find the actual problem, gain the deepest insight
to design feasible solutions for the users- the
mantra will always remain so even after the
pandemic.
References
1. What is design?. AIGA- the professional association for design.
Retrieved from https://www.aiga.org/what-is-design.
2. Merchant, R. (2018). The Meaning of Design. Medium. Retrieved from
https://medium.com/google-design/the-meaning-ofdesign-44f1a82129a8.
3. Joo, H. (2017). A Study on Understanding of UI and UX, and
Understanding of Design According to User Interface Change.
International Journal Of Applied Engineering Research, 12(20). https://
www.ripublication.com/ijaer17/ijaerv12n20_96.pdf.
4. User Research Basics | Usability.gov. Usability.gov. (2020). Retrieved
from https://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/userresearch.html#:~:text=User%20research%20focuses%20on%20underst
anding,of%20design%20on%20an%20audience.%E2%80%9D.
5. Kumar, V., & Whitney, P. (2010). Faster, cheaper, deeper user
research. Design Management Journal (Former Series), 14(2), 50-57.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.2003.tb00041.x
6. What is User Research?. The Interaction Design Foundation.
Retrieved from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/userresearch.
7. Mortensen, D. (2019). User Research: What It Is and Why You
Should Do It. The Interaction Design Foundation. Retrieved from https://
www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/user-research-what-it-isand-why-you-should-do-it.
8. Ardill, L. (2020). How Covid-19 could cause ‘product development
debt’ for UX teams. Silicon Republic. Retrieved from https://
www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/ux-industry-covid-19.
About author :
Abhignya Srishaila
UX Design Faculty
“Being a design evangelist, I strongly believe in the concept of the
‘butterfly effect’. A small gust of empathic exploration can indeed create
a storm of positive change and hence, advocating for adaptation and
change as the world shifts to a digital collaboration, rather than digital
dependency.”
Connects :
linkedin.com/in/abhignya-srishaila-02a5a815a
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