User expectations

Traditionally, defining the user expectations for a product has been the remit of market researchers, or other specialist professionals, such as ethnographers. Typical methods include:

• Questionnaires: a series of pre-prepared questions asked either in writing or orally.
  

  Questionnaires are only as useful as the questions that are on them. If the wrong questions are being asked, then the information obtained will be of limited use. Also, if the questionnaires are mailed out (as compared to being completed in the presence of a researcher), then they often suffer from low response rates.

• Interviews: either pre-structured or free-form
  

  Interviews are time-intensive, requiring one-on-one time between the interviewer and the interviewees, so are only really practical for small samples.

• User observation: watching the users perform the task, either using an existing product or a prototype.
  

  User observation is also time-intensive, and also often requires the use of specialist equipment for recording and analysing the observation sessions. The observers also have to be aware of the need to not interfere in how the user performs the task, to avoid influencing the data collected.

• Focus groups: discussion groups addressing a specified topic.
  

  Focus groups are a current favourite among market researchers. They offer feedback from many users in a short space of time, and so are considered good value for money. However, the principal weakness of focus groups is that they can be hijacked by a small vociferous minority who impress their opinions on the other participants.

• Ethnographic methods: use of 'cultural probes' (cameras, diaries, etc.)
  

  Ethnographic methods rely on providing the users with recording media ('cultural probes'), such as cameras, diaries and tape recorders. The users then make use of the media to keep a record of what they consider to be important over a period of between a few days to a week. The strength of this approach is that the user is left at complete liberty over what to record, thus preventing the researcher from influencing the outcome.

  However, the principal weaknesses of ethnographic methods are that the user may not record anything that is relevant and also that the data collected needs to be interpreted and this is in turn subject to the interpretation of the researcher performing the analysis.

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