Design  Research  Coaching  and Critique

A big part of being a leader on UX research teams is to coach non-designers to become experts in talking to customers. It comes more naturally for some than others, but if they're willing to practice and accept critique, everyone is coachable. One of my favorite things to do is listen to an early recording of someone leading an interview, and then listen to another recording after they have honed their facilitation skills and see the smiles on their face when they realize how much they have improved. 

​Here are a few direct quotes from people I have coached and mentored over the years:

Find  people  who WANT to talk to  customers  and  empower them 

Leading  by  example

Is there anything that you have learned from listening to me or others conduct interviews that you emulate in your own interviews?
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  • Not responding immediately to an interviewee – the silence often allows them to continue talking and give us more information, unprompted.
  • Interview scripts are really detailed and super helpful. Even little things like having the “Press record on phone” and intro/outro script are a huge help. 
  • When building Market Data, we conducted research in parallel with building that out. You helped coach in the compilation of the script and how to conduct the interview. This was absolutely helpful as research was not my biggest strength at the time. I felt you helped guide me in becoming more comfortable in discussing items with the clients.
  • One thing I've learned from you - and  I think is just un-intuitive enough that I’m really glad you told me - is to allow long, sometimes borderline uncomfortable pauses.  Don’t jump in and try to fill the space in a conversation (as most people would I think in normal conversations), and instead, see if the interviewee will take that as an opportunity to offer more, hopefully compelling feedback.
  • You conduct your interviews with a wonderful balance of objectivity and warmth.  You’re letting them provide the answers, listening and probing, but despite reading from (or at least closely following) a script, it always sounds conversational, and comfortable.  I don’t think the subjects of your interviews likely feel their just being asked a series of planned questions, as much as engaging in a conversation on a given topic.

direct  feedback

  • You’ve given verbal feedback, and I’ve seen you give written feedback to others about note taking and listening to ask better follow up questions. I think this has been helpful.
  • I also think the messages you send out to non-design stakeholders before the start of a campaign (call etiquette notes & silent participant best practices) are super helpful, although it’s apparent that not all stakeholders read them.
  • All feedback is helpful – speak slowly, listen, follow up, etc – but some of that is also common sense.  The uncomfortable silence tip is one that I’m not sure I’d have thought of on my own, and therefore probably appreciate even more as something learned from a mentor.