The current COVID-19 climate has affected UX research in many ways, including changes to process, methods, and tools. As a field, we've had to adapt to doing fully remote collaboration and research. In this talk, I will be walking through why now is a great time to conduct strategic research, how research has changed because of COVID, and best practices for conducting remote strategic research during this time. I hope you will walk away from this talk feeling empowered to continue on your innovation journey!

1. Strategic
Research
during COVID
times
Jing Jing Tan @jjtan87

2. Agenda
What’s Changed about User Research during COVID?2
How Do These Changes Affect Our Work?3
What Are Best Practices for Remote Strategic
Research?4
Why is it Important To Do Strategic Research During
COVID Times?1

3. Hi, my name is Jing Jing Tan.
I’m a Senior UX Researcher at
Uber and have worked in tech for
a decade, across product
companies and consultancies big
and small.
I focus on innovation-driven
research for global users.
A Bit About Me

4. Why Is It Important To
Do Strategic Research
During COVID Times?
1

5. (Breadth) (Depth) (Solution) (Causation)
Who/What/Where/
When/Why/How does
the pain point manifest?
How much does the pain
point affect people?
How do we solve the
problem / pain point?
How well does the
solution work?
How is the experience
currently?
What pain points exist in
the experience?
How many people are
affected?
Why do people drop off
at parts of the product?
How do factors affect
product usage?
How much does each
factor affect usage?
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

6. Solution Space
Iterations &
Optimizations
New local maxima
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

7. Problem Space
Innovations
New global maxima
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

8. It is especially
important to
invest in
strategic
research
during COVID.

9. What’s Changed about
User Research during
COVID?
2

10. BEFORE AFTER
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

11. https://blog.getenjoyhq.com/how-the-
covid-19-crisis-is-affecting-ux-teams/

12. Process Tools
In-person research
collaboration meetings
(e.g. kickoff, synthesis)
have gone fully digital.
We now depend
primarily on remote
research,
communication and
collaboration tools.
What’s Changed About User Research?
Methods
Methods that were
traditionally offline (e.g.
contextual inquiry/
ethnography, in-person
interviewing, paper
prototype testing) have
been replaced with online
alternatives.
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

13. How Do These Changes
Affect Our Work?
3

14. Pros Cons
● More convenient for
researchers and
participants
● Wider participant pool
and reach
● Easier to conduct
international research
● Smaller research budgets
required
● Certain methods may not
adapt as well to remote
research (e.g. ethnography)
● Limited reading of
participant body language
and contextual cues
● Participants are more prone
to distraction (e.g. kids,
phone)
● Remote tech can be complex
to set up
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

15. What Are Best Practices
for Remote Strategic
Research?
4

16. 1 Alignment:
● Stakeholder
alignment
2
Conducting:
● Visual Activities &
Mindmapping
3
Synthesis:
● Remote group
synthesis
4Planning:
● Tech Set-Up
Research Process Best Practices
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

17. Alignment Planning Conducting Synthesis
Stakeholder Alignment
● To kick off a research project, I use remote
collaboration tools such as Mural.co or Miro.com
○ These tools allow for real-time
brainstorming without team members
needing to create accounts
● As a team, we would go through collaborative
brainstorm & prioritization to scope research:
○ What are we looking to learn in this project?
○ What decisions will this research inform?
○ How much confidence do we need in the
results? Etc.
● You can download my research alignment
template here: jingjing.substack.com

18. Alignment Planning Conducting Synthesis
Stakeholder Alignment
How do I convince stakeholders to participate?
● The session does not take a lot of time - maximum
1 hour
● The returns on investment are huge - shape
research that will help their team with their KPIs
● Cross-functional involvement - key teams will
contribute to the scoping
● Remote-friendly and fun
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

19. Alignment Planning Conducting Synthesis
Research Planning
● Whatever methods you choose need to be
remote-adapted
○ Ethnography → Mobile diary studies or remote
tours
○ Physical cardsorting → Digital cardsorting
○ In-person interviews → Remote interviews
○ Paper prototype testing → Digital prototype
testing
● Use digital scheduling tools like Calendly
● Send digital participation agreements via tools like
Docusign and Hellosign
● There is added complexity for mobile research,
especially if screen-sharing is involved. In your
confirmation emails to participants, include
instructional videos and images to walk participants
through tech setup
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

20. Alignment Planning Conducting Synthesis
Conducting Research
● Mobile Diary Study / Remote Tour
best practices:
○ Screen for participants with the
right tech (e.g. enough cellular data
for Zoom mobile shop-alongs)
○ Be very clear with your instructions,
prompts & questions so
participants know what to expect
○ For video, have participants flip
between the front- and back-facing
cameras based on what they want
to show you
Mobile shop-along
project for retail
client, when I was
@TWG
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

21. Alignment Planning Conducting Synthesis
Conducting Research
● Remote interview best practices:
○ If your research involves complex
experiences, tasks or journeys, consider
using visual aids or mindmapping so you
and the participant are on the same page
(see guide at jingjing.substack.com)
○ Take advantage of live preview features
on tools such as Figma, for things like
progressive disclosure of your concept
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

22. Alignment Planning Conducting Synthesis
Group Synthesis
● Plan out your synthesis goal, people, format and
activities ahead of the session:
○ ‘Popcorn’ style key learnings?
○ Partial coding/thematic analysis of key
sections of transcript?
○ Full coding/thematic analysis of transcript?
● Use remote tools to facilitate group synthesis
○ E.g. Taking interview notes directly in
Figma, then reviewing and visualizing
insights with the team
○ Team can create their own visual artifacts
as they review the notes, or leave
comments next to key sections of the
transcript
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

23. Process Tools
● Remote alignment
● Planning with tech
limitations in mind
● Conducting research
via digital tools
● Remote group
synthesis
● Zoom research
shareout
What’s Changed About User Research?
Methods
● Mobile diary studies
or remote tours
● Digital cardsorting
● Remote interviews
● Digital prototype
testing
Jing Jing Tan, UX Strat 2020

24. It is especially
important to
invest in
strategic
research
during COVID.
Remote
strategic
research is
not scary.

25. Thank you!
www.linkedin.com/in/jingjingtan
@jjtan87
jingjing.substack.com