DESIGNING *for humans

User Research at Microsoft

MIT's Technology Review (a HIGHLY recommend newsletter) has an interview with Rick Rashid, Director of Microsoft Research.  Rashid gives some thoughtful answers to some rather confrontational questions regarding the state of innovation at Microsoft, and singles out interface adaptation as a key feature for improving usability.  He also refers to Microsoft's SenseCam project, a wearable camera for capturing everyday life events, as a memory-aid or "black box". It has clear value to ethnographic research, although it's current design seems to be a bit too bulky and obtrusive.

Survey Results: Technology for User Research

This past fall the IDSA Human Factors section conducted an online survey to gather data on technologies used to conduct user research.  We had nearly eighty responses.  The information was used in a recent Usability Professionals Association presentation in New York on Technologies for User Research (TURe).  Edited presentation materials, that describe the survey results, may be downloaded from that site (the presentation breaks-down the results between product design and interaction design).  The research will also be discussed in an upcoming IDSA podcast (TBA).

Thanks to everyone who responded.  I have summarized some of the findings below, and attached two files with more detailed data. 

Key Findings:

78 respondents (39 in product design, 47 in interaction design; small overlap between groups)

Overall technology utilization in user research:

• Video Cameras - 61%
• Surveys - 58%
• Software Analytics - 60%
• Computer-Based Video - 35%
• Journals/Diaries/Blogging - 30%
• Remote Testing Tools - 22%
• Physiological Data Tools - 15%
• Eye Tracking - 11%

General Feedback:

• 48%  feel limited by current user research technology
• 53% believe user research lags behind technology that is subject of research
• 51% plan to upgrade user research technology within year
• 33% have created custom technology tools or solutions for user research

Data Files:

• HTML Summary Data (no drill-down): Download User_Research_Technology_Summary.html
• Detailed Excel Data: Download User_Research_Technology_detail.xls

Design Research Podcast and Article

Several new podcasts and articles related design research have become available:

• More Brain, Less Storm: How to think creatively about thinking creatively
  By Michael Flanagan of BresslerGroup - Flanagan discusses the value of creative thinking when it comes to research and innovation.  Often the best methods are not the most obvious or traditional.  For example, using a handwriting analyst to inform the design of a new pen.
• Design Research: What's New and What's Next (Podcast)
  Chris Rockwell and Marty Gage of Lextant - These experienced design researchers cover some of the latest trends in user research.  Note that this and other IDSA Podcasts are most easily accessed through iTunes.  Search for IDSA in the iTunes music store - the downloads are free and you can subscribe to the podcast series.

Stay tuned to the IDSA HF section for news on additional research and human factors podcasts.