Perspectives Blog
Good Research Question: "What’s behind this door?" Looking behind the scenes and off stage.
4 ways UX researchers can delve into the unfiltered lives and spaces of participants to uncover profound truths.
People prepare their home when a visitor is coming over. They might clean their space, tidy up, and generally try to ensure it looks ‘right.’
If you want to see what it’s really like, or how they really live (or work), it can be valuable to get past the staged spaces and into other parts of their work or living space.
Did you know that search warrants are usually served early in the morning? This is because people aren’t as awake, they haven’t cleaned up , and they don’t have as much time to destroy or hide potential evidence. In research, while you’re not trying to catch people off guard necessarily, you do want to see the unfiltered side of life so you can solve actual problems.
If you really want to know what someone is like, you need to see what apps they use; what they read, watch, and listen to; what cereal is in the cabinet; and what the house looks like when you drop by unannounced.
As UX researchers , we don’t have unlimited time and we certainly don’t have search warrants! So to get a less-polished view, and broader access with Helpfully participants, we have to find other ways to get past the staged spaces.
A simple question, “What’s behind that door… ?” is great when you are getting a tour around a home.
Here are four ways to get deeper into ‘real life’
The first and foremost way: Build trust and rapport.
Let them know what you are trying to accomplish. Explain what you are exploring and why it’s important to understand their real life experiences to improve the product or service you are representing.
Be open and honest without judgment. Share an experience you may have had to find out more about their interests. Try to keep the conversation casual.
Don’t start with a possibly invasive question. Instead, bring it up in context, once the participant is settled and starts to become comfortable.
Also, hanging around can be fruitful. Informal times including meal times and ‘in-between times’ may naturally allow side-conversations, and participants may drop some of their social pretense or shielding.
Second way: Arrive curious.
When you’re in someone’s home or office space, let him or her be the expert and you just listen and observe. Some ways to show off your curiosity including asking about layout, process, and tools. “Why do you have your microwave on the shelf instead of the counter?” or “Where do you usually shop for groceries?” and then get to “What goes in this cabinet?” or “What’s in that basket?”
Curious people get to see behind a lot more closed doors than judgmental people.
Third way: Be unshockable.
For example, if you ask, “what’s behind this door?” and they trust you enough to show you their extensive collection of taxidermied insects, don’t be shocked. Maybe we should say instead, don’t show that you’re shocked.
What they show you might truly be shocking, it’s ok to be surprised. If you start wondering, “How can they live like this?” replace some of that shock, surprise, and judgment with empathy. Remember you have aspects of your life that might shock someone. How would you want an outsider to react to the most shocking aspects of your own life? We’ve all had a dirty home at some point, as well as a messy desk or an untidy closet.
Bottom line, if you want to continue to see behind doors you need to show you can handle what’s on the other side, and you’re not easily shocked.
Fourth way: Show you’re a human too.
Humans are often ashamed of showing physical or mental mess. Participants are less willing to share if they feel like their answer is shameful or unpopular. They might try to “clean up” their answers to avoid sharing something shameful. The answers they’re “cleaning up” are exactly the nuggets of truth you’re looking for. If you can show that you’re human too and understand their experience, it will help them share more honestly.
A quick way to show you’re human is to share something human about yourself. What’s a pet peeve you have? What’s a bad habit you’re having trouble kicking? For example, once before a group interview about workplace habits, the lead researcher shared a slightly embarrassing confession, “When I go to get my copies from the printer, I read whatever else is in the tray to see what other people are printing.” This revelation had nothing to do with the interview or research, but admitting this “frowned upon” habit let the group know they could share practices that might not always be seen as appropriate.
Finally, Always respect participant privacy and their wishes.
Remember, if you want to see someone’s messy life it means you’re going to see some things that need to stay private. Don’t just act like a trustworthy person - be trustworthy. Can you collect research findings without sharing the mess? You don’t need to put the participant on blast, because they like to collect dead insects. Can you pinpoint exactly what the problem is / the frustration and difficulty without humiliating the participant who trusted you to solve the problem? Respect privacy, but carry the message.
Never snoop or do research on the sly.
If you are rebuffed after asking to see behind the scenes at home or at work, accept your participant’s desires to keep you out of their private life. Just smile and move on with the parts of their space or life they’re willing to share.
By using these techniques, Helpfully researchers uncover deeper insights to inform our clients about what their customers really want and need.
