Kaleb Loosbrock is a UX researcher, designer, and strategist who gave a presentation on user research. He discussed how Americans often lie in social interactions, citing a study finding 60% lie within 10 minutes of meeting someone. He then covered best practices for user research, including the "4 Ds" - define goals and assumptions, disarm interviewees, decipher unspoken meanings, and back claims with data. The presentation emphasized minimizing risks through research planning and understanding users beyond their words.

1. KALEB LOOSBROCK
2016 | Tel Aviv

2. Toda
FIRST

3. introduction
lying liars
user research
the 4 Ds
questions
TODAY

4. Shalom

5. I’m a UX Researcher, Designer, & Strategist at Kenshoo

7. I’m an American

8. I’m an American Liar

12. Midwestern “Nice”

13. 60%
lie within the first 10 minutes of
meeting a person for the first time.
AMERICANS & LYING
Source: 2002, University of Massachusetts Study

14. 3 times
lie within the first 10 minutes of
meeting a person for the first time.
AMERICANS & LYING
Source: 2002, University of Massachusetts Study

15. worst
I’m on birth control
I’m not just looking for sex
I’ve only slept with [ X ] people
AMERICANS & LYING
Source: 2002, University of Massachusetts Study

16. worst
I’m on birth control
I’m not just looking for sex
I’ve only slept with [ X ] people
minor
Your baby is cute
I’m really bad with names
I love [ gift received ]!
AMERICANS & LYING
Source: 2002, University of Massachusetts Study

17. 4%
admitted to lying on the study survey
AMERICANS & LYING
Source: 2010, Prevalence of Lying | Michigan State University

18. does this make me look fat?
WE’RE ALL LIARS

20. Politeness

21. Self PreservationPoliteness

22. So what can you do?

23. USER RESEARCH
systematic inquiry & observation in order to
test assumptions and minimize the ri k of failure$

24. it’s about trying to be right
more than you are wrong

25. it’s about avoiding the
fadicha

26. If you build it,
they will come.
~ Creepy Whispering Voice
Field of Dreams

27. USER RESEARCH
IS NOT
Asking: what do you want or like

28. You don’t make $$ off of what people say they’ll do.
You make $$ off of what they actually do.
~ Erica Hall
UX Research Guru

29. minimize risk
maximize value
uncover truth

30. 4 Ds

31. 4 Ds
Define
Disarm
Decipher
Data

32. In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless,
but planning is indispensable.
~ Dwight D Eisenhower
Define

33. Define
PLANNING
Target Personas & Market
Success Metrics
Competitors
Assumptions
Discussion Guide

34. Define
ASSUMPTIONS
What do you think you already know that might
pose a huge risk if you’re wrong?

35. Define MAP YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
High Risk
Fadichas
Low Risk
No Big Deal

36. Define MAP YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
High Risk
Fadichas
Low Risk
No Big Deal
CertainUncertain

37. Define MAP YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
High Risk
Fadichas
Low Risk
No Big Deal
CertainUncertain

38. Define
CREATE A DISCUSSION GUIDE
Define your questions

39. GOLDEN NUGGETS FOR CREATING GOOD QUESTIONS
Define
Do not lead the witness
Follow up with “why” and “how”
No hypothetical or conditional questions
Include task based questions
Open ended questions

40. Do not lead the witness
Define
BIAS = BAD

41. GOOD OR BAD?
Define

42. Do you like what you saw today?
Define

43. Do you like what you saw today?
Define
BAD

44. What do you think about what you saw?
Define
Better

45. BAD BETTER
Define
What do you think about what you saw?Did you like what you saw today?
What do you mean by that?Did you mean ?
Why do you do it that way?But don’t you ?
Wouldn’t you want something more visual? Do you currently visualize your data?

46. SOME FAVORITES
Define
What are you trying to get done? Why?
How do you currently do this? [Show me]
What could be better about how you do this?
What questions should I have asked?
What do you love about [product/process]?

47. PLANNING IS IMPORTANT
Garbage in Garbage out
Define

48. REMEMBER THAT PLAN?
It will invariably not go as planned.
Define

49. But it is always disarming to treat
with the enemy, so to speak
~ Morley Safer
Disarm

50. Disarm
Put them at ease
Set the scene
They’re the expert
Be Neutral
GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING

51. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Disarm
Put people at ease
Be polite!
Make eye contact
Get to know them
Wide eyes & lifted eyebrows
Show your hands

52. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Disarm
Set the scene
Introduce yourself
Why are they here
Tell them that there are no right or wrong answers
Tell them that again…

53. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Disarm
They’re The Expert
Stay Open and Don’t Judge
Listen more than you speak
Ask their advice
If they ask questions, don’t answer them

54. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Disarm
Be neutral
“Oh, OK.”
Do not defend
Mind your facial and body language

55. We need to look for the subtle,
the hidden…
the unspoken
~ Malcolm Gladwell
Decipher

56. DECIPHER THE TRUE MEANING & THOUGHTS
Look for the unspoken
Listen for the unspoken
Decipher

57. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Decipher
Look for the Unspoken
Crossed arms
Crossed legs
Feet placement
Microexpressions
Eye positions

58. Decipher
MICROEXPRESSIONS
Brief, involuntary facial expressions
Universal
Lasting 1/25 to 1/15 of a Second

59. Decipher

60. Decipher

61. Decipher

62. Decipher
CONTEMPT

63. EYE MOVEMENT
Decipher

64. Truth

65. Truth
Visually
Remembered
Auditory
Remembered
Internal
Auditory

66. Lying

67. Lying
Visually
Constructed
Auditory
Constructed
Kinesthetic
Remembered

68. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Deep Dive
Listen for the Unspoken

69. GOLDEN RULES FOR INTERVIEWING
Deep Dive
Listen for the Unspoken
If they sound angry/annoyed, that’s REALLY BAD
“I think/believe/feel”
“Interesting”
Qualifying language
Elongation of words

70. In God we trust,
all others bring data
~ W Edwards Deming
Data

71. BACK UP YOUR RESEARCH
Substantiate Claims with Data
Look at Server Logs
Look at Web Analytics
Post Interview Surveys on Priority
Data

72. Data
Export to PDF Export to XLSOR

73. Data

74. Data

75. Wrap Up
THE NUGGETS
American’s lie (a lot)
User research can help
Define your plan
Disarm your interviewees
Dechiper the unspoken
Back up with Data

76. Questions?

77. Thank you.
LASTLY

78. Kaleb Loosbrock
@KABE001 in/kalebloosbrock
Thank you.

79. Props (bibliography) & Additional Resources
Studies & Academic Sources Icons & Imagery
Source: 2002, University of Massachusetts Study
Source: 2010, Prevalence of Lying | Michigan State University
Created by Dobs
From the Noun Project
Additional Resources
Education
• Just Enough Research - Erica Hall
• Remote Testing - Nate Bolt & Tony Tulathimutte
• Remoteresear.ch
• Complete Guide to User Research (Abridged)
• Google Ventures Guide to Research
• In God We Trust, All others bring data” - W.E. Demings
Tools
• Ethnio
• Usertesting.com