User Experience Research: The Ultimate Guide for Asian Brands
User Experience Research is a powerful tool that helps brands create products and services that truly meet the uncovered needs of their users. In today's competitive market, understanding your customers is more critical than ever.
Many MBA-oriented practitioners undervalue customer voices, yet generate significant accounting values on balance sheets. However, we believe that the essence of business is to deliver value to end-customers. Even in a B2B structure, the end of the supply chain is always the customer who justifies the value of the offerings delivered, because that’s how the economy works. So, even if you're far up a complex supply chain, say the beginning of B2B2B2C, it's beneficial to understand how end-customer touch-points validate solutions through user experience research.
My name is Taishi Hasegawa, and I'm the CEO and co-founder of Wyld, a branding agency, and Taishi.io, an innovation strategy consultant. We prioritize user experience and have conducted extensive research across various businesses. Today, I will delve into the essentials of UX research, how to adjust to the Asian market, and practical steps to implement it effectively.
What is User Experience Research?
User Experience Research involves studying users' interactions with a product or service to improve its overall usability and satisfaction. Unlike market research, which focuses on understanding market trends and consumer behavior at a macro level, UX Research zooms in on individual user experiences to inform design decisions.
Why User Experience Research is Crucial for Asian Brands
For Asian brands, understanding the local context and cultural nuances is vital. User Experience Research provides insights into the unique preferences and behaviors of Asian users, allowing brands to tailor their offerings accordingly. A notable example is our work with Wealth Management System Limited (WMSL), Thailand’s first fintech, where we innovated a new business line by deeply understanding user behaviors and needs through contextual interviews.
Source: Unsplash
Methods of User Experience Research
1.Qualitative Methods
Contextual Interviews: In-depth conversations with users to uncover their needs and pain points. Observation of the user's usage situation can be included in this.
Service Safari: Becoming familiar with the service/product that you are to offer. By wearing a hat their customers can reveal you with on the ground experiences that are difficult to be documented with statistical figures and boardroom meeting context.
2. Quantitative Methods
Surveys: Might be surprising to many of you, the survey is not a qualitative method even if the questions asked in the survey focus on opinion and comments. This is because it involves collecting structured data from a larger audience to identify the trends, rather than to empathize with the individual’s experiences.
Analytics: Using data like Google Analytics and heatmap to track user behavior.
Usability Testing: Observing users as they interact with a product to identify usability issues. The percentage of users who can navigate themselves through the offerings without assistance can validate how much your offering is usable for your potential customers.
3. Iterative Approach with Mixed Methods
Combining qualitative and quantitative methods to get a holistic view of the user experience. And remember, these are not steps and procedures. These are modes of finding out customer insights and you often find yourself iterating each of them over and over as you brush up your business.
4. What We Don’t Do
Focus Group Interview: Many prospective clients ask if these qualitative approaches are focus group interviews. Focus group interviews are not qualitative user experience research to find insights about what the individuals actually cherish and what you and competitors often overlook. Although focus group interviews are commonly used by marketing practices, it is not suitable for user experience research as it reveals only the opinion of users, rather than the experiences of individuals.
Steps to Conduct User Experience Research
Planning: Define clear objectives and research questions.
Recruitment: Select participants who represent your target audience. In our practice, we focus on finding "masters" or skilled users who can provide deep insights, rather than just demographic matches.
Data Collection: Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather data.
Analysis: Interpret the data to identify patterns and insights.
Reporting: Communicate findings in a way that is actionable for stakeholders.
Best Practices for Effective User Experience Research
Diversity: Ensure a diverse participant pool to capture a wide range of perspectives.
Ethics: Respect participants' privacy and obtain informed consent.
Trends: Stay updated with the latest UX trends and methodologies.
Common Challenges in User Experience Research and How to Overcome Them
Stakeholder Resistance: Avoid scaring them with new fancy terms like UX. Try educating them by telling them “This is to listen to user’s feedback, so we can learn from them. We don’t necessarily have to take everything into consideration”.
Budget Constraints: Don’t worry. Most user experience research is done by scrappy prototypes that are sometimes sketched with pencil on papers that are being erased several times.
Balancing Speed and Quality: Agile, agile and agile, fullstop. Always have a mindset that you only have 4 weeks left to change the world. What would you do now? As well as what would you not do?
Regulation: Take pilot projects with a smaller number of users. It shouldn’t be any different from non-highly regulated business if you avoid public exposure.
Tools and Resources for User Experience Research
Recommended Tools: UserTesting, Hotjar, Google Analytics.
Online Resources: Nielsen Norman Group, UXPA, and local UX communities.
Detailed Case Study: Wealth Management System Limited (WMSL)
Please see WealthMagik (WMSL) project in detail in this link.
When we partnered with WMSL to work on their WealthMagik platform, our goal was to design an innovative strategy apart from their legacy offerings. This involved extensive UX research to understand what users cherish in similar offerings. By conducting contextual interviews and analyzing user behaviors on related platforms, we were able to re-engineer the Wealth Magik platform with features that directly addressed user pain points. This process underscored the importance of UX research in defining and designing new business ventures.
Interview Practice: “Master & Apprentice”
Recruitment
Defining Criteria: Unlike traditional marketing research, our recruitment focused on the skills and experience level of potential "masters" rather than demographic data. For instance, when developing sales support software, we prioritized speaking with seasoned sales managers and representatives. For the record, we, the interviewers and researchers would take the role as apprentices to those masters.
Finding Participants: We used both large-scale panel and personal social circle networks who you know that are relevant to the context of business you are researching for. While panels offer a broad pool, they may lack specificity in skills and experience, making personal networks a valuable resource for finding relevant participants. If you are afraid of being too biased from relying heavily on your own personal social circle networks, you can try to expand to the social circles of your social circles that you are not really involved with. This way, you can minimize the risk of being biased on choosing participants.
Preparation
Interview Design: Successful interviews are meticulously planned. We start by listing all the questions we might ask, organizing them by themes, and crafting open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses.
Location and Equipment: Interviews can be conducted in various settings, from quiet cafes to company meeting rooms, and typically require minimal equipment—just a voice recorder, notepad, and sometimes a camera.
Conducting Interviews: While we prepare a detailed guide, flexibility is key. Interviews should feel like natural conversations, with questions tailored on the spot based on participants' responses.
WYLD’s Approach to UX Research
Our agency, WYLD, leverages User Experience Research to drive impactful branding strategies. For instance, during our project with WMSL, we meticulously planned and executed UX research phases to develop a new business line. Here’s a closer look at our process:
1. Initial Planning and Goal Setting:
We defined clear research objectives, focusing on understanding user needs and pain points related to financial management platforms.
We identified key demographics and psychographics to target in our research.
2. Recruitment of Participants:
We prioritized recruiting participants with relevant experience and expertise. For example, we sought out financial advisors and tech-savvy users who frequently used financial management tools.
Leveraging personal networks and professional associations, we found participants who matched our criteria.
3. Conducting Contextual Interviews:
Our team conducted interviews in environments where users naturally interacted with financial tools, such as their homes or offices.
We used open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses, such as, “Can you describe a recent experience where you faced challenges using a financial management tool?”
4. Data Analysis and Synthesis:
We analyzed the interview data using qualitative methods, identifying common themes and insights.
Creating personas and user journey maps helped us visualize user experiences and identify key pain points.
5. Reporting and Implementation:
We presented our findings to WMSL, providing actionable recommendations for the new business line.
Our UX research informed the design and development of features that directly addressed user needs, such as personalized financial advice and intuitive user interfaces.
Why Invest in User Experience Research?
Investing in User Experience Research brings numerous benefits, including:
Enhanced User Satisfaction: By addressing user pain points and improving usability, brands can create more satisfying user experiences.
Increased Conversion Rates: Optimized user journeys lead to higher conversion rates and better business outcomes.
Competitive Advantage: Brands that prioritize UX research stay ahead of competitors by continuously improving their offerings based on user feedback.
Cost Savings: Identifying and addressing issues early in the design process saves time and resources in the long run.
Implementing UX Research in Your Organization
To effectively implement UX research in your organization, consider the following steps:
Start Small: Begin with a pilot project to demonstrate the value of UX research.
Build a Cross-Functional Team: Involve stakeholders from different departments to ensure a holistic approach.
Invest in Training: Equip your team with the necessary skills and knowledge through training and workshops.
Use the Right Tools: Leverage tools like UserTesting, Hotjar, and Google Analytics to gather and analyze user data.
Iterate and Improve: Continuously gather user feedback and make iterative improvements to your products and services.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in UX Research
In an emotional-driven like user experience, empathy is the cornerstone. Emotional intelligence is of course by far more important than logical thinking. Understanding the emotional drivers behind user behaviors can provide deeper insights and lead to more impactful design solutions. For example, in the past work in the previous employment of our co-founder, Pailin, with a luxury retail brand, we discovered that customers' purchasing decisions were completely different from the traditional market research statistics and figures, rather heavily influenced by their emotional responses to the shopping environment. By redesigning the store layout and enhancing sensory elements, we were able to significantly boost sales and customer satisfaction.
Future Trends in User Experience Research
Staying ahead of trends is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Here are some emerging trends in UX research that Thai brands should consider:
AI and Machine Learning: Leveraging AI to analyze user data and predict behaviors can enhance the accuracy and efficiency of UX research.
Voice User Interfaces: As voice-activated devices become more prevalent, understanding how users interact with these interfaces will be essential.
Remote UX Research: With the rise of remote work, conducting UX research remotely has become more common and offers new opportunities for gathering insights.
Inclusive Design: Ensuring products and services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, is becoming increasingly important.
Integrating UX Research into Product Development
To seamlessly integrate UX research into your product development process, follow these best practices:
Involve UX Researchers Early: Incorporate UX researchers at the beginning of the product development lifecycle. Their insights during the ideation and design phases can preemptively identify potential user issues, ensuring a user-centered approach from the start.
Create Cross-Functional Teams: Form teams that include UX researchers, designers, developers, and product managers. This collaboration fosters a holistic understanding of user needs and technical constraints, leading to better decision-making.
Iterative Testing and Feedback Loops: Implement iterative cycles of testing and feedback. Conduct usability tests on prototypes and refine designs based on user feedback. This continuous loop helps in evolving the product to better meet user expectations.
Document Findings and Share Knowledge: Maintain thorough documentation of UX research findings and ensure this knowledge is accessible to all team members. Sharing insights can guide future projects and promote a culture of user-centered design.
Leverage Data-Driven Decisions: Use both qualitative and quantitative data to inform design decisions. Analytics can highlight user behavior trends, while qualitative insights provide context and understanding behind those behaviors.
Prioritize User Needs: Balance business goals with user needs. Ensure that the solutions designed not only meet business objectives but also address the pain points and preferences of users.
Case Study: E-commerce Platform Redesign
We collaborated with a leading e-commerce platform in Thailand to redesign their checkout process. Through extensive UX research, including user interviews and usability testing, we identified critical pain points in the existing system. Users found the checkout process cumbersome, leading to high cart abandonment rates.
Initial Research: Conducted user interviews and analyzed user journey maps to understand the checkout experience. Identified common frustrations such as a lengthy process and unclear navigation.
Design Iteration: Developed multiple prototypes incorporating user feedback. Simplified the checkout steps and introduced clear progress indicators to enhance usability.
Usability Testing: Tested the prototypes with a diverse group of users. Gathered feedback and made iterative improvements to the design.
Implementation and Launch: Rolled out the redesigned checkout process. Post-launch analytics showed a significant reduction in cart abandonment rates and an increase in completed transactions.
The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity in UX Research
Understanding cultural nuances is essential for UX research in diverse markets like Thailand. Cultural sensitivity ensures that designs resonate with the target audience and meet their specific needs and preferences.
Localized Research: Conduct UX research in the local language and consider cultural norms and values. This approach helps in gathering authentic user feedback and insights.
Inclusive Design: Ensure that the design accommodates the diverse needs of all user groups, including those with disabilities. Inclusive design principles enhance accessibility and user satisfaction.
Ethnographic Studies: Use ethnographic methods to observe users in their natural environment. This approach provides deeper insights into user behaviors and context, leading to more relevant design solutions.
Future Trends in User Experience Research
AI and Machine Learning: AI can enhance UX research by analyzing large datasets to identify patterns and predict user behavior. Machine learning algorithms can personalize user experiences based on individual preferences and behaviors.
Voice User Interfaces (VUI): As voice-activated devices become more prevalent, understanding user interactions with VUIs is crucial. UX research will need to focus on designing intuitive and efficient voice interactions.
Remote UX Research: The rise of remote work has increased the demand for remote UX research methods. Tools and techniques for conducting remote usability testing and gathering user feedback will continue to evolve.
Sustainable Design: With growing awareness of environmental issues, UX research will increasingly focus on sustainable design practices. This includes designing products that are not only user-friendly but also environmentally responsible.
Conclusion
User Experience Research is a crucial investment for any brand looking to succeed in the Asian market. By understanding and addressing the needs of your users, you can create products and services that stand out and build lasting relationships with your customers. Start incorporating UX Research into your projects today and see the difference it makes.
For more detailed insights and case studies, visit our projects page.
For those who want to explore customer insights that you and your competitors overlook, reach out to us or send us an email at hello@worldwyldwork.com, we can help you within a couple of weeks.
Credits
Written by: Taishi Hasegawa - CEO, WYLD
Assisted by: Manusavee Sattha - Assistant to the CEO, WYLD
Graphics by: Patsorn Arayaluck - Branding Designer, WYLD
Research and insights provided by: Pailin Hasegawa - Head of Creative, WYLD
About the Author
Taishi Hasegawa is the CEO of WYLD, a branding agency based in Bangkok. With extensive experience in brand strategy, branding design, and go-to-market strategies, Taishi has management skills and experiences under innovative context. Connect with Taishi on LinkedIn and explore his personal portfolio.
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