16 Nuances in Field Study for UIUX & Product Designers - A Total Perspective shift

In this podcast I'm going to give you the importance of field study and what are the common mistakes which people do and what are the nuances which they can take Particularly I've gone into deep like 16 different nuances where you can get your entire field study sorted if you are a product designer or a UI UX designer. So take a lot of notes. Let's jump into this podcast. Welcome guys. Welcome. So today a very big problem for product designers is field study. So a lot of people take it very jolly or very granted or some people ignore it, some people don't know the importance of it. People will be in a varying level, right? Let me tell you guys, Nielsen Norman Group study found that design process can lead to 100x improvement in user experience if you're following the process properly. If you are doing a field study properly, it will reduce your cost and errors. IBM Study Sciences Institute found that fixing a problem after development is 100 times more expensive. So that's why field study is damn important. A study by Design Management Institute found that design driven companies outperform S and P index by 219 percentage over the last 10 years. So people are feeling the difference and the importance of being a product designer and UI UX designer in a company and how much value they add. It is very vital to know that lot of people have heard but I'm giving you with a stat and information and you know what guys? Another study by Nielsen Norman Group produces that products designed with user testing are 2x more likely to succeed than those designed without it. So what does it mean when we are going to the field, when we are hitting the people? We will be knowing the reality. Another study by Forrester Research shows that companies that Prioritizes user experience sees 73 percentage higher return on investment. So it is very evident that understanding the user's perspective and improving that experience will add a greater role in your product survey. So there was a field observation in product design guys, A Framework for bridging the gap between research and practice by Elizabeth Sanders and Peter Janster. Okay? It's a published journal. It's a field observation that helps designers gain understanding of use needs. User needs context which leads to a greater design decisions. I'm pasting you the link of that particular journal as well. You can read through it. Because this is not a podcast. Just you just listen and leave. You can take an action. You can go much deeper if you want. Okay. And also there is another journal which I'm pasting which is called a Contextual Inquiry. A field study approach which provides valuable insights into user tasks, behaviors, mental models and leading to a more effective and usable products. So what does this will really show is it will give you more clarity on why it is important and how people are making some common mistakes as well. Okay, so now let's jump into this nuances of a field study. So normally people know how to do a field study. They'll have a questionnaire, they'll go and observe, they'll ask questions, they'll record, they'll come back, they'll summarize the insights and they'll close the project. Right. Let me tell you guys, it's not that easy as you think or easy as you foresee. There are some nuances which is going to really flip your entire research process and your product design approach in a whole new level. The very first thing which you'll have to do as a nuances first setting the objective very clear. You have to know why you're doing this field study. It's not like you are just going and observing something and then you are taking some field data. No. What is your real objective? Say tell your customer, also tell yourself first, your project and your colleagues and everybody. A lot of people don't do this. This is a big problem. The moment when I ask my students when they do the field study, even though I mean we have a brief, we have a topic, we have a common subjects. Sometimes when I ask what is your objective? They think a lot, they don't have a proper answer. They give me abstract answer showcasing the entire project. Don't tell the project name as your objective. Guys in that project, what you wanted to observe. Like let's say if you're doing a field study for people who are wearing goggles, like let's say sunglasses. Okay, so if you're going for a field study, you cannot say I'm going to observe my customer for coolers and glasses, what they're wearing. That's my intention of doing this field study. No, that's a study. But what are you really setting as an objective? I'm going to understand how much is a comfort and fit for my user. I'm going to understand how much shade he can able to withstand through my glasses. I'm able to understand how they're able to store the product after they use it. I'm able to understand what kind of a wear and tear happens for my product after three to four months. So this is what is a specific objective, what you're doing. People don't do this. This is a nuance. Okay. Second is when you're going to the field, you observe. That's one thing which is very common. But let me tell you the other way. Guys, go and observe the people and ask the feedback to them itself, okay? So what will happen the moment when you ask a question about the activity, watch, they did the answer, what they give and the observation what you have made will be definitely different because people say things differently, people do things differently. That's the tendency, including me. Everybody has this tendency, okay? Nobody is a robot or a machine. So you will have to interpolate this data and understand what is the reality, considering the human error and tolerance in your mind. As I told exactly, we are not robots, okay? So people say things differently and do things differently. That's why you have to observe what they talk and what they walk, okay? Third is when you're collecting the information in your field, when you're collecting some pictures, videos, people, interviews, try to read in between the lines. I'll give you an example. When people say, hey, I had a lot of money. Yeah, but right now this is a very different situation. See, people said two lines now in between that you can interpolate hundreds of meanings through it. You can interpret hundreds of meaning and conversation and you can start different, different conversations through it. First let me tell you, you can ask, sir, what happened exactly in between? So if you're saying that what did you earn before, what is your earning now? See, so you need to read in between the lines. Something has terribly happened because of that this guy is telling this. And then if you observe their home, if you observe their field, if you observe their particular instances, and then when you're able to correlate with their sentences, you will read in between the lines much clearer. Before even that guy says, you will itself know that this guy has a very troubled past, had a lot of problems because of that, he is suffering still. So how my product and service can help him? Let's say if you're building a relationship app, or let's say if you're building a financial based on application, you want to make the people come out of it. So if you're not able to get that emotion, if you're not able to read in between the lines, you will be not able to find the exact problem, what people are facing. Nobody will tell you the problem directly, guys. Yeah, some people do. Even people who are good communicators, sometimes they don't tell everything. That's why you need to read in between the lines. And that's a very special nuance. The fourth important nuance I would say is do a secondary research and confirm it. Don't just believe what people are saying. You need to get this clarity. So try to always confirm it. Let me tell you guys. See Airbnb heavily relies on field studies to understand their diverse users across the globe. They conduct interviews, observe and understand needs and challenges for both host and guest which leads to lot of features improvement. And they also do a lot of secondary research and you know what? Now their booking and communication has drastically improved their overall booking process. Apple is known for its user centric design which heavily focuses on field studies. You know, they go to a field in an extensive way. They utilize various methods and usability testing with ethnographic research with different population, interact with their products and they make a correction into their development and they find out what is intuitive, what is user friendliness and what is the interface even for iPhone, iPad, everything. I'm pasting you this link also guys. You can read through it. So it is very vital to get this many companies do it. It's not like we are only going to do that, right? So IDEO has a redesign of airport security checkpoint. It's a very good problem which idea has worked. It's a epic project. Guys, I'm pasting you that link also for the IDEO website. You can able to find that. So idea worked on this transport security administration which is TSA to improve the screening process of the security. Okay. So the redesign informed by extensive field studies. They did extensive field studies led to a more efficient and user friendly experience for travelers. See people should not get frustrated. That's why it's very vital. So you have to understand the ideos. Another case study which is a shopping cart, they did an extensive study. It's a very deep project. What they did there is a big case study in YouTube also which you can able to download and see and you can able to see it in the YouTube. I'll paste that link as well to you. So what does this really say? The importance of doing a field study and the nuances for it. Okay, this is the fifth secondary research confirmation. After you do the fifth important thing I would say is asking your peers to observe. Okay. See the moment when you go and ask your customer, they'll be like okay, this guy is asking me. This guy is a designer. He is. He needs a perfect input. Let me give you some nice face to face front. People will be really good. Okay. If you go and observe in the back, not lot of people will be really good in the Same way what they said. So that's why once if you're conducting the research, like let's say if you're going and observing in the field and if you're coming back, ask your colleague to observe without telling them. Get the information from your peers and cross verify it. Definitely you will find a huge difference. Guys. That's the nuance of field study. And this is real. It's been reality is always shitty. Guys, let me tell you the way in which you expect people will not behave and there is no need to. Everybody has their own differences in opinion and the way in which they can behave and understand. So you need to get this clarity. It's not like people are deliberately doing it. It's a human tendency and a behavior. So peers observing your customers, your clients, your audiences. So that's a big nuances, guys, I know this podcast is going long, but I'm telling you guys, without understanding the field study and its importance and nuance, you won't be able to become a successful UI UX designers. A successful UI UX designer gets highly paid than any of the industry in India. It's a top 1, 2, 3 most paid job. It will come 1, 2, it'll come shuffled. Okay, sometimes it's a top most, sometimes it's second most. The point is UI UX designers add a huge value in the product lifecycle development. It's because of this one thing, guys, which is research, field study, nuances, collecting the information which normal people don't see it. So listen to this podcast with the patience so that you will get a huge value out of it. Okay, sixth important nuance. What you can do is you can use conversational status. This is a very good conversational tool by IDEO guys. You can type out that in IDEO website. You will get it. Conversation status is making the people get into the communication flow of you what you want initially when you go and ask, hey, can you talk about sexual education? People will run away if you're doing an research on sexual education, okay, Because I did a project in sexual education where this happened Exactly. So you will have to break that particular thing. You have to go and start, hey, hi, how are you? How are you doing? So if you're coming from so and so, we have a very good project with us and we need a great support from you by and your answers is going to really flip us. And you know what? Everybody whom we asked is not having the proper courage to answer this question. I don't know whether you can able to help us, but I'm just asking you this, what do you think about sexual education in India? See now the answer will come. So you need to use some conversational status. You can engage them in their lifestyle by having some cup of chai or by participating in their lunch or maybe to discuss with them casually go for a walk. So conversation status is very important. So big nuance. 7th important nuance is please accustomed with their lifestyle. If you are going for a village like let's say if you wanted to do a 10 days field research or study, try to go and stay in their houses if possible. If not, maybe near to them. Some people are good to give their houses, some people will not be there. So respect their privacy, try to eat with them, try to have a chai with them, try to go and talk with them, try to use to all the habitats which they do. Let me tell you guys, you will find lot more things rather than people say this is my problem. Sometimes you can record that. Sometimes you don't have to record because it's a casual thing, right? So people will feel a little awkward. Then the reality will not come out. Eighth, important nuances. You need to appreciate people when they're giving you answers. You need to compliment them. When you're doing a field study. Don't just keep on asking questions. People will be annoyed. At a point of time a lot of people will not open up further. So see they have taken some time and efforts to come and answer you, right? So you need to appreciate that. So thank you so much for this answer what you've given. Because this is going to flip my career. This is going to flip my project, this is going to flip the product design in a whole new level. Thank you. Okay, so compliment them, give them some gifts after you did an interview. So mingle with them and build a very good relationship. Later you can follow it up to correct some information as well. Ninth, important thing is try to understand the system and the interconnectedness, what people are really doing. Like let's say if you're finding a problem, who is the leader there or maybe who is the Panchayat talevar there or maybe who is the political leader or the responsible guy or the. Or if you are trying to solve a problem in a corporate, trying to understand who is the peers, who is the boss, who is the sub boss, who's all the people, who is going to see the overall structure. So the interconnectedness and finding the patterns inside is very vital and how people are able to see that. Some people will be able to clearly give you information Some people will not give you. You'll have to find that interconnectedness directly. Okay, then and only guys, you will see the unseen. Okay, so 10th important thing is don't tell that we are collecting this information. You are correct. You are going to tell this. Don't do that. Use a word called us. Use a word called they because it psychologically triggers a feeling that we are all responsible for something and we are going to solve it. That will bring you lot more answers in your field study. So use a word like us, we as a whole. So that's the kind of communication which you'll have to do. You may think it's a very subtle thing, but this all makes a huge difference. Guys, when you're going to field you will really feel lot of things happening. Things will not be in your control. That's why this kind of a nuances is very important. 11th is try to build lot of statistics and data. When you are collecting the field information. Don't just collect pictures, videos. Try to understand the data. Try to understand the stat correlate with your secondary information and create a very good thing. The 12th important nuance is please document this guys. See you will forget everything before 24 or 48 hours max. If you are not documenting. I would say you have lost almost half of the information what you collected. Very important. Try to take pictures, videos, note it down, just do some rough documentation. That's enough. 13th important thing is read the story one more time what you've collected so far in this field study and recollect what people said, recollect what you observed and see what you have recorded in your camera or whatever and try to form a pattern inside it. Try to find how our existing product reviews are. Read that in customer reviews or your customer care support or if your product is there in Amazon and Flipkart, try to read that. Now you try to understand the field study data and you will find a lot of new patterns and lot of new gaps and lot of new bridges which you can build in order to create an effective product. It's a very very important step guys, rereading the whole field study and reframing the story narrative. Okay, now you can go for the 14th important thing which is use chat GPT use bard and you can use multiple keywords and you can put all your research insights into that particular ChatGPT bard and try to ask ChatGPT. Give me insights out of this field study, give me output out of this. Give me a statistics comparing with the real time data so that you will Find globally India wise or your state or a local wise. What is the whole correlation of this problem solving what you're making to this design field and the world. In fact, Bard, Google, Bard, Gemini gives you real time data ChatGPT won't give you so you can find this. Guys. Okay, so this is the 14th important step before going into the 15 and 16. Let me quickly recap you guys. Okay, the first important thing is you need to set your objective clear. Second is people say differently and people do differently. That's why you need to observe and walk their talk and see. Try to read in between the lines. That's the third important thing. Fourth is do a secondary research and confirm it. Don't just blindly believe you'll be fooled. Then fifth is asking your peers to observe and trying to get the information. Sixth is use communication starters in order to mingle with them for very harsh topics like sexual education, hospital death, etc. Seventh is try to have a lifestyle with them like eating, drinking, staying so something they will get a more connect with you. Eighth is appreciate and compliment them heartily because they are helping you for your research. Ninth is understand the interconnectedness what people don't tell you. And tenth is tell always us. Tell always that we are connected. Tell always we are solving a big problem in order to make a sense of ownership. And 11th is build lot of statistics and data. 12th is please do document it. 13th is reread the story after documenting it and reread your existing product reviews also and create a whole new story narrative. And 14th is use chatgpt and bard in order to create more insights because this can expand your research and you can do furthermore primary secondary research and go for another field study also to develop more insights after doing this. The fifteenth step I'll say guys, see now if you really find sometimes you will have to go to the field. Please do it. Lot of people don't do this. Lot of people think hey, once I have gone, it's all done. No guys, sometimes lot of gaps will be there. That's why I asked you to reread the story narrative. Sometimes you will feel a lot of interesting things missing also. So try to be very hesitant. Try to be. Don't try to be very hesitant. Be open in order to go again. That's why I asked you talk to people, build a relationship so that you can able to visit again. And the 16th and the last important thing is create an archive. Guys, be a person who documents everything detailed for the company. Okay? You're not doing it for you so in future people can build on top of your research. Let me tell you guys, in my graduation project I did a project I find out 131 different problems. In that particular project, finally I solved only seven to eight problems. But why did I do that? I know I cannot solve it in my project time. But once if you're going for the field and taking out lot more information and creating an archive that becomes a true repository for the company, that becomes a huge value add for your organization, that will improve your self esteem, that will improve the company's image towards you and they will really appreciate you and you're doing the justice and honesty for the work what you did. Okay? Even if you are collecting data, storage, statistics and anything guys, please make sure you really do a proper archive of all these things, okay? Definitely. This is a very deep podcast, but let me tell you guys, if you're following this information, you will do a much better UI UX and product design than anybody around you. Okay? So if you need lot of content like this, can I tell you guys more than eight hours? In my master class I teach students research, collect information, do a mind map, create insight, data synthesis, analyze and then convert it into a creative idea in order to solve a problem. If you wanted to know how, please send an email to DFC Design for Change that you're interested in learning UI UX design and product design with your resume and portfolio. And sometimes if your portfolio resume is good and if you are really desperately needing, you will be entitled to our scholarship program as well. And if you are finding that you are really interested and suitable, we'll take you for that program. Because I don't teach for all the students. I take only a few students who are damn, damn serious and I help them out. Okay? So if you are looking for that one, so why don't you take check out this email and send a hi or maybe a resume and portfolio. Our team or me will get back to you in order to help you out. Okay? But if you're not serious, no problem guys, just leave it. But I believe if you are resuming for this 20 minutes, I hope definitely you have found a very serious what you call path in your career which is product design and UI UX design. Okay? So hop on to my mentorship program, I'll help you at least earn 2 to 3x of what you're earning in your design career. And if you're a fresher, I'll help you get a very good job in less than three months in order to become a proper full time designer. Okay, thank you so much guys. If you find this podcast valuable, give me a best star rating in Apple and Spotify. Get notified and subscribe me for the further episodes. Guys, take care. All the best. Bye Bye.