User Research
Client
Save Our Planet
Authors
João Ferrão
Victoria Morais
This study was conducted by the Authentic Tech team.
May 2022 | version 1.0
Problem and Initial Context
User research methodology guide
Double Diamond was used as a research methodology, and it was adapted to the reality of SOP product development. The model is divided into three major stages: analysis and immersion, knowledge construction, learning, and opportunities.
Analysis and immersion
An idea or user needs must be established. At the moment, the research activities are focused on discovering and deeply exploring the problem or business idea, as well as defining the research objectives.
Knowledge build
During this stage, research planning and execution begin. At this point, the research planning is complete, and we can begin carrying out the activities and collecting the first research data.
Learnings and opportunities
Data is transformed into information, solutions are created driven by user needs. The analysis and synthesis of research findings are shared with the team to support the ideation/creation phase.
Analysis and immersion
This section is related to the initial steps in thoroughly understanding the business goals. The project’s initial contextualisation and alignment.
Knowledge build
This section is related to the Immersion of our team in the context of the project. We intend to accelerate the start of the work and increase the effectiveness of the collection of findings. Our work’s depth and quality are primarily associated with the initial contextualisation and immersion in the problem.
User interview
This section is a continuing step in the SOP immersion context. It is related to all processes designed to conduct semi-structured interviews with users in order to understand their motivations, pains, behaviours, and objectives.
User recruitment
We have two user profiles: General users are people who have an interest in the area and may participate directly or indirectly in the subject, whereas professional users are people who have advanced knowledge and a domain in the area and may or may not work with the context.
General audience
Professional audience
SAMPLE TARGET
- Age: 18 <> 30;
- Basic, medium or advanced domain of sustainability;
- Interest in the area or work with sustainability;
- Portugal, Netherlands and Israel
Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis is a strategy that entails researching major competitors in order to gain insight into their products. It enables us to better understand the business’s pitfalls and opportunities. In this study, we used the competitive analysis matrix framework to collect insights based on the criteria that will be explained later.
List of competitors
Aligning the competitor base with the customer has become key to strategic planning. Through this stage, understanding the needs and information to the business contributed significantly to the next steps in conducting the matrix: the criteria´s structuring used during the research. The list of competitors is already aligned with the client and those discovering during the immersion phase.
Criterias
Enjoy and use
Focused on understanding the usefulness of the websites and the engine of business and user values. It helps to analyse the functionality of the websites, the way that users are motivated to interact with the page and most importantly understand the competitive diferencial. Topics analysed: access to the content (free or membership).
Traffic
Basically analyse the digital performance of the websites providing insights about the market and its behaviour in the last 3 months. SimilarWeb had been used as support. Topics analysed: device distribution, bounce rate (percentage of visitors who enter the page and then leave rather than continuing visiting the page), channels and social media.
Content
Thinking about the first version of our MVP, this category has a high impact. The goal is to understand the pattern of how the contents are presented for the users. Topics analysed: type of content (use of text, image, video or infographics), estimated words per news, content customization.
Features
Analyse the interaction that users can do on the page and the impact during the reading of content. Topics analysed: sharing the news and tools of geo-location and filtering news.
Competitor analysis matrix framework
The objective of using this framework was to improve the visibility of the information analysed to identify which criteria are competitive strengths.
Business ecosystem
When we looked at websites that promote content and news, it describes how the SOP product compares to the competition.
The affinity map
The affinity map was used to support SOP immersion and to create opportunities based on the insights discovered up to that point. After that, the first SOP challenge could be framed!
Preference testing
Objective
Collect qualitative data through the user’s perception and bring information to support improvements in the final version by using two mockups to collect insights. See the mockups
Questionnaire Results
Based on what you saw, which page do you think represents more easy reading and content understanding?
This question is based on understanding the difficulty of reading the available content and identifying possible improvements.
Desktop
67%
Mockup A
33%
Mockup B
Mobile
54%
Mockup A
46%
Mockup B
Which page do you think represents the best visual information organisation?
Thinking about presenting a large number of news available on the page, it is important to understand the best way to present content to users.
Desktop
56%
Mockup A
44%
Mockup B
Mobile
54%
Mockup A
46%
Mockup B
Which page do you like best?
An open-ended exploratory question to understand the perception of each mockup and collect qualitative data.
Desktop
44%
Mockup A
33%
Mockup B
11%
Both
11%
None
Mobile
54%
Mockup A
38%
Mockup B
8%
Both
0%
None
Why?
A complementary question based on the last answer made for the user, at this moment the objective is to collect qualitative information about both mockups on mobile and desktop devices to complement the research. Here you can see some user’s comments on booth mockups and devices:
“The image A is more organised. By starting with the big area for one article, we can understand that article is the newest or more relevant at this time. The following articles are secondary. It makes it easier to understand what the website wants to show, what is it “voice”, what we can expect and why we will spend time in it. The image B is like a room full of doors, all with the same color and size. Meaning that the website don’t give us any hint for our first step…”
Desktop tester, image A
“The content is better organized, although I think a mixture of the two will be better. Option 1 has less noise and the section fix better, while option 2 has better categorization and organization.”
Desktop tester, image B
“the disposition of the information seems more appealing”
Mobile tester, image A
“I think it makes better use of the space and I like the layout and the way it is organized. I like that the text is on the image. It makes it easier to understand the topic. It also somewhat changes the layout as you scroll down. It keeps me interested in reading more.”
Mobile tester, image B
Learnings and opportunities
Finding | Preference test
Less scroll effort is important especially in mobile devices
Description
Mobile and desktop devices with bigger vertical content mockup received less acceptance of organisation and visual information. The effort of scrolling and seeing all of the content available was a decision criteria. – see heatmap image
Interaction with the content viewer horizontally component was made during the test on mobile devices.
How can we explore a mobile interface with less scrolling effort while displaying the same quantities of news?
Opportunities / notes
Explore components with horizontal display on mobile can improve the access, reduce the effort and promote a better experience of reading.
Finding | Preference test
Highlighting news with larger images and overlay text increases perception of organisation content
Description
Mockups with large image sections making use of overlapping texts got more users’ attention and also share a sense of which news is most relevant.
Opportunities / notes
Using visual references such as images, infographics, and so on can make the content more appealing and attract more attention.
Finding | Preference test
During screen reviews, no comments were made about engagement tools (sharing and comments)
Description
There were no comments about the tools available in mockup B, it wasn’t a decision criteria during the test.
Opportunities / notes
It is recommended to conduct a thorough investigation into the impact of these features and the possibilities for improving their interaction.
Finding | User interviews
People are likely to check facts and cross-check different sources when they are consuming content
Description
People really deep dive into fact checking when reading new information that they care about.
Greenwash is a concern. That’s why people tend to really understand if the information is true.
User quotes
“I don’t know if they do that because of sustainability issues are just for, for marketing proposes” (General audience)
“I’m following exactly the people who are trying to fact check this information. So I follow the fact-checkers, not the general media size, but I do also read these, for example, BBC. I do read Washington post when I see this article, but I always start to find it to verify to on another side again, to see, to make sure if this truthful information” (General audience)
Finding | User interviews
People are likely to land on websites through other websites’ references and influencers
Description
Instagram, twitter and youtube seem to be the first funnel of information for general people.
Medium blogs, newsletter, Youtubers and Google search are ways used by user to find information.
User quotes
“I tend to also explore a bit on other blogs or on this Google’s results page. You have lots of links… And I like to, to go to online forums, I always check Reddit because there are lots of reviews on, on makeup brands in order to have other opinions” (General audience)
“We need these spreaders. These people who are in society who have a lot of connections…Someone who knows how to communicate, how to stimulate, how to get people in and show why and why it’s a bit better for all of us and better for our generation…” (General audience)
Finding | User interviews
People struggle to see if a product is really sustainable and understand how they are made
Description
It’s difficult to find how a product is made and if a brand is really sustainable or if it is a greenwash.
There is no visibility or process transparency in the majority of the brands that say that are sustainable. Sometimes products can be sustainable but the process, or operations are not sustainable.
User quotes
“I like when brands are transparent and give clear information about the procedures, the way they produce the products and when a brand claims that as sustainability Interests, I really like to understand if they’re real or they’re just marketing.” (General audience)
“I think the visibility, I think also the lack of knowledge of what a supply chain means. What does it take for this product to get here? What does this imply?” (Translated – General audience)
Finding | User interviews
People need to feel more impact and have a clear view of their activities outcomes
Description
Not having visibility over their impact on the petitions or actions can lead to a lack of participation or frustration.
The perception of sustainability projects and petitions has been well received, but the results of the activities are questions without answers.
User quotes
“I really don’t know if they would change anything. And because it’s online, I don’t know. I’m quite suspicious about that. And since I don’t know exactly the outcomes, I’ve never signed anything.” (General audience)
“These things have no visibility. I’ve signed up for a newsletter.” (Translated – General audience)
Finding | User interviews
Different countries have different problems, levels of sustainability and knowledge
Description
There is a gap between academic knowledge and professionals’ real-world applicability in different countries.
User quotes
“The biggest challenge is to bridge the gap between the academic data and the application or applicability of these technologies around the world.” (Professional audience)
“… North European countries have lots of initiatives on sustainability. And when I looked around, I saw that, okay. It seems like, okay, we are really talking, we are really making something to, to save our planet. But when you go to Africa to not so developed countries, they are like in the last century, when you talk about sustainability” (General audience)
Finding | User interviews
When thinking about sustainability people are likely to mention the next generations as a concern
Description
The importance of taking care of the next generations is a common preoccupation.
User quotes
“Make sure that next generations will find a planet, at least as good as I found it when I was leaving. ” (General audience)
“… We want to continue to maintain our way of life, the level of economic ability and so on, but we will need to take care of the next generations and not damage the earth. ” (Professional audience)
Finding | Competitive analysis
Content is available for general and corporate profiles
Description
It’s possible to access content without the need for a previous registration on the site. However, in some cases, the contents are partially presented.
Research, specific contents and events are available exclusively for users that belong to the brand’s plan or service.
Opportunities / notes
A good non-intrusive or disruptive content strategy can turn new users into potential brand advocates and disseminators.
Finding | Competitive analysis
Organic and direct access are most common on site competition
Description
Mobile is the device most used to access the competition pages. An analysis carried out through the traffic of marketing channels, it is possible to identify that organic and direct access is the most recurrent.
User interviews: people are likely to land on websites through other websites references and influencers. Users also search on Google to find more information.
Opportunities / notes
Content strategy: create good keywords and make use of links under the content can improve organic access.
Concentrate on personalised and trustworthy content created by influencers and a traceable knowledge base.
Finding | Competitive analysis
Linkedin and twitter are the channels most used for competition
Description
An analysis carried out through the traffic of marketing channels, it’s possible to identify that linkedin and twitter are the media most used by competition.
User interviews: LinkedIn and Twitter are popular social media used by the competition. YouTube and Instagram are also used by users to find information.
Opportunities / notes
Content strategy: create good keywords and make use of links under the content can improve organic access.
Instagram and youtube are the preference. Competitors may not be reaching that public on these channels!
Finding | Competitive analysis
The news are presented with long-having text with less images and videos
Description
Long texts are present in the content presentation, and in some cases, videos and images may be used to complement the news, but no visual representative elements, such as infographics, are present.
Opportunities / notes
Content using different types of reading methods, such as infographics and posts, can be a differentiator from competition.
Finding | Competitive analysis
Content pages have sharing, filter and locate components
Description
The filter and search components become more relevant in content pages with a lot of news. It can help users find what they’re looking for more quickly.
Opportunities / notes
We recommend conducting research to better understand how people search and categorise the news. The search format can be influenced by categories, so they should be worked together.
Competition may not be reaching users on these channels. In interviews with users, the act of sharing news is made in a conversation or even sharing the link so that it does not have exposure on social networks, such as WhatsApp.