User Vision Managing Director Chris Rourke presented at 2013 UX Scotland on the topic of international UX research providing tip and sharing experience in researching users from all over the world to shape a good User Experience

1. Cross
Cultural
UX
Research
–
Best
prac3ces
for
Interna3onal
Insights
June
2013
Chris
Rourke
User
Vision
@crourke
@uservision

2. Outline
• Why
do
interna-onal
UX
research
• Types
of
interna-onal
research
• A
Case
Study
:
Interna-onal
remote
research
• How
to
make
your
interna-onal
research
projects
a
success

3. Why do International UX research?
• We live in a big, varied world
• Language & translation
• Technology use varies
• Its fun

4. Ways to Research UX Internationally
1. Do remote research
2. Visit the foreign country
3. Hire a local UX consultant
4. Team from your local office
runs research

5. Remote research
• Saves time and
expense
• Moderated,
unmoderated
• There are limits
– Context of use
– Technology to support

6. Bri3sh
Council
Schools
Online
• Promotes
cross
cultural
sharing
of
educa-onal
resources
• Link
schools
worldwide
for
fun,
friendship
and
shared
learning.
• Resources
and
project
templates
to
use
in
partnership

7. Edinburgh,
London
Mexico
Brazil
Nigeria
Egypt
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Indonesia

8. Challenges
• If
you
had
this
project,
what
challenges
you
would
expect?

9. Factors
for
success
-­‐
Partners
• Carefully
select
recruitment
partners
– Previous
experience
– Challenges
that
they
foresee
– Procedures
and
back
ups
for
no-­‐shows
• Consolidate
recruitment
partners
– 1
recruiter
for
3
different
countries
– Recruiters
handled
the
incen-ves

10. Factors
for
success
–
Be
organised
• Be
aware
of
-me
zones,
weekends
• Categorise
emails

11. Factors
for
success
• Minimise
the
technical
risks
– Respondents
at
a
single
loca-on
– Recruiter
and
laptop
goes
to
respondent
• Beware
of
language
limita-ons
– Simple,
clear
instruc-ons

12. Interna3onal
Research
-­‐
Choose
your
methods
Rachel
Hinman’s
presenta-on
on
Mobile
UX
Essen-als
Balance
of
immersive
techniques
for
deep
insights
with
remote
ones
for
geographical
reach

13. Performing
UX
Research
Abroad
• Set
your
expecta-ons
– Takes
more
-me
– Is
more
expensive
– Has
many
logis-cal
complica-ons
– Can
be
exhaus-ng
• Expect
to
get
less
done
in
a
research
session
– More
chat
about
weather
etc
before
tes-ng
• Par-cipants
may
not
have
a
tradi-on
of
punctuality
• Be
aware
of
local
customs
and
culture

14. Be
culturally
sensi3ve
• In
Arab
countries
– Ramadan
– Prayer
-mes
– Shaking
hands
– Soles
showing

15. Plan & document test preparations
• Especially
if
distributed
teams
• Research
plan
&
objec-ves
• Modera-on
guide
• Research
materials
(s-muli)
• Data
Recording
sheet
• Template
report
• Full
contact
sheet
for
consultants,
partners,
translators,
client
contact
other
suppliers

16. Language
–
The
devil’s
in
the
detail
• People
in
different
countries
and
loca-ons
can
perceive
the
same
words
differently
– Translate
test
materials
both
ways
– Moderate
in
local
language,
na-ve
speaker
– Understand
any
local
varia-ons,
slang
– Consider
simultaneous
transla-on

17. Researching
abroad
• Use
Cross-­‐cultural
research
team
• Understand
context
of
where
you
are
researching
– Arrive
early,
observe,
learn
local
news,
events
– All
of
your
-me
in-­‐country
is
part
of
your
research
• Recrui-ng
– What
is
a
“local”?
What
is
their
language?
– Recruitment
partner
–
choose
carefully
– Adapt
sampling
strategies
– UK
“Screening”
may
not
make
sense,

18. Moderate your Moderation
• More
rapport
-me ,
be
pa-ent
• Put
par-cipants
at
ease
– Appropriate
dress
– “Hello”
and
“Thank
you”
in
local
language
– Show
interest
in
their
culture,
local
events
• Note taking minimal
• Video recording - optional

19. Contextual
/
ethnographic
Research
• Purely
observa-onal
• Provide
cameras
to
par-cipants,
they
take
photos
of
their
environment
• Artefact
walkthroughs
• Demonstra-ons,
par-cipatory

20. Interna3onal
Research
-­‐
logis3cs
• Keep
an
eye
on
the
-me
– www.-meanddate.com
• Transpor-ng
equipment
&
data
– Interna-onal
Customs
– Use
the
cloud
for
backup
• Pilot
test
at
home
first
– Interna-onal
audience
in
the
UK
– Use
bandwidth
shaper
– Replicate
OS,
browser,
resolu-on
etc

21. One
team
or
several
partners?
Same
team
does
all
visits
• Perhaps
with
translator
• More
consistent
• More
-me
• More
travel
Different
teams
work
in
parallel
• Pre-­‐test
preps
cri-cal
• Quicker
fieldwork
• Beware
transla-on
issues
• Careful
analysis
needed

22. Who does International Research?
• Cross
disciplined
teams
• Experienced
Researcher
• The
right
abtude
-­‐
curious
• Enjoy
cross-­‐cultural
experiences

23. Learn more
Thank
You!
Chris
Rourke
@crourke
User
Vision
@uservision