Co-creation expert and proponent of the ‘fuzzy front end’ Liz Sanders said: “We are all experts of our own experience.” In her pioneering work, Liz has challenged a designer-led approach, encouraging generative research through co-creation exercises and participatory research.

I was fortunate to have Liz as a mentor early on in my career, and in working with her, I learned how to incorporate props, prompts, and play into my work. In order to deliver great products, services, and experiences, I use ethnographic, participatory, and evaluative research methods. Drawing from this toolbox of human-centered approaches, I plan, prepare for, and facilitate research sessions while partnering with end-users, team members, and key stakeholders to reduce risk and deliver products that are useful, usable, and desirable.

Understanding the needs of a specific user group

For a project about the future of an online platform, my team invited about 30 students from Carnegie Mellon University to do a ‘Buy a Feature’ exercise. After the students looked through the parts and pieces we had provided, we invited them to add their own and share their selections with the group. Using this feedback, our team was able to prototype new features and content that would be most relevant to people focused on student projects or getting a good start in their first job.

What are the biggest problems people face in their work
and what support do they need to address them?

In addition to more traditional user interviews and usability testing, I’ve facilitated exercises that have allowed my team to better understand the needs of our users. For a homepage redesign project, we used both in-person and remote techniques to collect feedback and better understand customer pain points. Through these activities, we were also able to identify features and content to build upon and highlight as we updated the platform over time.

PRIORITIZING possibilities

Following a workshop, we used a Bull’s-eye Diagram with real users, asking them to rank and share bigger picture items that were important to them, personally. These selections helped influence the future direction of the platform homepage.

Inviting input

To assess areas of focus for future features and content creation, I have used a simple ‘radar’ template with users, even remotely. This structure has allowed me to use slices as topics, prompting people to reflect on their own experiences.

Kicking off with confidence

I have also leveraged a radar template as a structure for better conversations with managers, leaders, and other stakeholders. Tools like this one have helped me garner support, build transparency, and know where to focus when kicking off a project or checking in on progress.

How might we build curiosity and excitement about career possibilities?

In partnership with a local workforce investment board in Pittsburgh, I helped facilitate a series of sessions with a group of 50 young adults who had been placed in paid, summer internships across the city. As a part of the program, I created a journal for the interns to reference and fill in throughout the summer. We also led the group through visual exercises to help them imagine and explore future career paths and opportunities. The program received very positive feedback and the interns cited their experience with our team as a major highlight.

How might we quantify insights, behavior, and activity?

In order to supplement and strengthen qualitative research, having access to clear, quantitative data is incredibly helpful. While this is an area of growth for me, I have some experience collecting, analyzing and sharing quantitative data in my past work.

quantifying usability

To set benchmarks and bring data into qualitative research, I have used tools like System Usability Scale (SUS). This simple survey is very versatile and is one of the methods that LUMA teaches. Our team used this approach to assess our recipe pages and created a reference guide to help others use SUS in their work.

Understanding user behavior

I have experience using tools like Google Analytics to look at trends in user behavior and activity. Since it can be difficult to know what to measure and visualize, I have also done work to uncover a team’s needs surrounding metrics and analytics (using sketching, research, and tools like the HEART framework).

Creating surveys & sharing results

For several projects, I have created and sent surveys to hundreds of people. I have mostly used online surveys for research recruitment and to collect prototype feedback. I’ve worked hard to craft unbiased questions that can help clients or colleagues gain insight into people’s experiences and preferences.

Over the past several years, I have built up my own toolbox of methods and approaches that I draw upon for each project or research study. My favorite thing about having a mixed methods mindset is that it helps me choose the right activity for the job and learn new things as I go.