a beginners guide to surveys & research
TRANSCRIPT
A Beginner’s Guide to Research & Surveys
Understanding the principles and methodologies for conducting research & surveys.
Abhishek Kumar CPO,
Searchtrack.co
BackgroundIntroduction
PG’11NID Gandhinagar
OverviewWhy do we Conduct Research?
Understanding ContextDesigning a Survey
Designing a QuestionnaireCapturing Design ResearchAnalyzing Design Research
Tools//OfflineTools//Online
Making the best of these toolsQ&A
2hr
How can you make the best of your learning’s from this class?
Setting the right mental framework for researchUnderstanding key starting points to learn further
Developing a basic appreciation of Design Research
Why do we conduct Research?
Identifying Problem AreasUnderstanding the market
Identifying & understanding the end-usersValidating Ideas
Setting realistic/impactful goalsGaining insights on promoting & developing brand appeal
Qualitative & Quantitative understanding of the world around us
Qualitative Research MethodsUsed to gain insights about certain behaviors & patterns. Focus Groups, in-person interviews &
Questionnaires are some examples.
Quantitative Research MethodsIt involves analyzing data sets, statistics and other
information to map facts. It also utilizes polls and list-surveys to compile that quantitative data.
Quantitative vs Qualitative
Stakeholder InterviewsUnderstanding the perspectives ,history, vision,
contexts & concerns of the key stakeholders. They can be business owners, employees who interact
with users or anyone who’s a key part of the product lifecycle.
Domain ResearchEvery domain brings its unique set of challenges. Understanding them & developing coping/dealing strategies in early stage goes a long way to make
your design more and more impactful.
End User InterviewsNo one has ever designed a great product without
taking into account the end user first. These interviews are crucial and can deliver some unique insights to help you develop more realistic and in-
sync output in your work.
Key Design Research Steps
Understanding ContextUnderstanding motives
Staying unbiasedCausal Loops
Being Sensitive
Its all about Context
Don’t let your pre-conceived biases come in the way
Causal Loops : Paying attention to how things are inter-dependent
Developing sensitivity & empathy towards your end users goes a long way
Observation may seem like a simple skill, but it can be clouded by Unconscious
Biases
Designing a SurveyWhat to keep in mind when designing a survey
• Establish the Goals• Determine your Sample (Heterogeneous)• Choose your Survey Method:
o Personal Interviewo Telephone Surveyso Mails/Emailso Direct Device based/ Web based
• Speed• Cost• Internet Penetration• Literacy Levels• Sensitive Questions• Use of Video/Sound/Graphics
ConsiderationsSteps:
Designing a QuestionnaireQualitative vs Quantitative
• Multiple Choice• Numeric Open-ended• Text Open-ended
Types of Questionnaires
• Rating Scales• Agreement Scales
Scale based
Answer based
• Ordering of the questions• Leave difficult questions at the end• Keep the flow smooth and easy to grasp• Avoid “Habituation”• Keep it Short• Give titles, images & short intros• Cover all angles when giving answering
options• Always Pre-test your questionnaire
Things to keep in Mind
Capturing & Analyzing Design Research
Descripting Research (What’s going on?)Explanatory Research (Why is it going on?)
Descriptions can be concrete or abstract. Good descriptions are crucial.
• Understand the market/community• Collect data on the past and current trends of a certain
community• Informative data collection. Visualize it. • Summarize at the end of each trend • Quantitative Research
What is going on?
Descriptive Research
Methods of studying:
Its one thing to quantify something, it’s totally another to find the “why” behind it.
Why is it going on?
Explanatory Research
Methods of studying:
• Take the summary(From the earlier research) and understand the reasons of the same
• The qualitative research comes under a part of explanatory research
• Field Surveys, Focus Groups, Groundwork
Theory Building Approach
Theory Testing Approach
Tools//OfflineField Surveys
InterviewsFocus Groups
Tools//OnlineGoogle Forms
Survey MonkeyEmailers
Custom Web Surveys
Making the Best of these tools//Offline
Field SurveysInterviews
Focus Groups
//OnlineGoogle Forms
Survey MonkeyEmailers
