Welcome to Course 4

Welcome to Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts, the fourth of seven courses in the
Google UX Design Certificate. You're almost halfway through the program, so keep up the
great work!

In this course, you’ll continue to design a mobile app, in alignment with the project prompt
from Sharpen that you selected earlier in the program. You've made your way through the
empathize, define, ideate, and prototype phases of the design process for your app designs.
Now, you're ready for the test phase, which is what this course is all about. You will learn how
to plan and conduct a usability study to test your designs with users and gather feedback.
Then, you'll modify your designs based on insights from your research.

Content and projects in each course of this certificate program build on information practiced
in earlier courses. To be successful in this course, you should complete the previous three
courses of this certificate program, if you haven't already done so.

1. Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design

2. Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, Ideate

3. Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes

4. Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts - this course

5. Create High-Fidelity Designs and Prototypes in Figma

6. Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD

7. Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs

Each course of the Google UX Design Certificate is broken into weeks. You can complete
courses at your own pace, but the weekly breakdowns are designed to help you finish the
program in about six months total.

What will you learn during this course? Here’s a quick preview of the four weeks to come.
Week 1: Planning UX research studies. There are seven elements that your research study
plan should include: the project background, research goals, research questions, key
performance indicators, methodology, participants, and the script or questions you’ll ask
participants. You'll explore each of these elements in detail, and you'll create your own
research plan to test the mobile app designs you've developed in previous courses of the
program. You'll also learn how to respect user privacy and data when conducting UX research.

Week 2: Conducting research with usability studies. Conducting research with users to get
feedback about prototypes is a critical part of the design process. You'll conduct a usability
study, which is a research method that assesses how easy it is for participants to complete
core tasks in a design. You'll also explore how to reduce bias and be inclusive when conducting
usability studies. And, you'll take notes while observing participants in a usability study.

Week 3: Analyzing and synthesizing research results. After you conduct a usability study,
you'll have a ton of feedback from participants. In this part of the course, you'll analyze and
synthesize all of the feedback from your research. You'll gather data and observations in one
place, organize the data using an affinity diagram, find themes, and come up with actionable
insights.

Week 4: Sharing research insights for better designs. As a UX designer, it's important to share
and promote the insights from your research. You’ll learn techniques for presenting insights to
various audiences, and you'll improve your presentation skills to grab your audience's
attention. In addition, you'll iterate on your designs, which means making revisions to create
new-and-improved designs, based on insights from your research.

Portfolio project

As you make your way through this certificate program, you will create projects to include in
your professional portfolio to show to potential employers. In this course, you’ll continue to
design the mobile app that you've worked on for the past two courses. For example, if you
selected a prompt to design an app for your local burger restaurant in Course 2 of the
program, you will continue through the design process with this same project.

 In Course 2, you learned how to empathize with potential users and define users’
needs.

 In Course 3, you came up with ideas for solutions that addressed the users’ needs. You
also created wireframes and a low-fidelity prototype of your app.

 Now, in Course 4, you will plan and conduct research to test your designs and get
feedback from users.
  Next, in Course 5, you will create mockups and a high-fidelity prototype of your app
for a second round of testing.

Everything you build in the courses of this program will eventually be included in your online
portfolio. Taking the courses in this certificate program in order will allow you to follow the
steps of the design process and end up with all of the artifacts you’ll need to include in your
portfolio. Keep up the great work with your mobile app designs!

Language and communication in UX research

As a UX designer, you’ll regularly communicate and collaborate with others, especially while
doing research. One of the most essential aspects of conducting research is understanding how
to communicate effectively with all different kinds of people. In this reading, you’ll explore the
distinct roles that language and communication play in UX research.

Language and communication matter

When it comes to UX research, written and spoken language play a very important role in the
success of your product and the feedback you receive about your designs. Language is the
primary tool you’ll use for collecting data, building relationships with research study
participants, reporting research findings to your team, and representing the users you’re
designing for.

The language you use while conducting research directly affects the language your participants
use. For example, if you use a formal speaking style, participants might feel less comfortable
being open and honest, and they might respond in a more formal style themselves. Using
language that’s appropriate for the context can help you get a deeper understanding of
participants’ unique perspectives and values. Every word you use when asking questions,
taking notes, or transcribing quotes needs to accurately represent the ideas that participants
convey.

Your understanding of the best language to use in any given situation will continually shift as
you learn the ins and outs of conducting UX research. Using appropriate language while
conducting research is an ongoing process!

Consider word choices

When conducting research, it’s important that you understand your own ideas on language
use, as well as the ideas other communities have about language. This way, you can better
identify and avoid your own biases about language use. All languages are important and
complex, and they deserve to be represented equally.
Keep in mind that some languages and language varieties express the same concepts in
different ways. For example, in Standard American English, potato chips are a popular savory
snack, while in British English, the same snack is known as crisps. Similarly, African American
English, Creole, and other dialects have their own unique words, pronunciations, and
expressions. If you’re not certain what a research study participant meant by something they
said, ask them! If that’s not possible, talk to colleagues or outside experts to learn about what
the participant might have intended. As the UX designer conducting research, it’s your
responsibility to seek clarification on language differences and to ensure the translations of
participants’ insights are accurate.

There’s no right or wrong way to communicate an idea, but language often reveals hidden
power imbalances. When conducting research, you want to make sure you’re communicating
in a way that’s inviting, not commanding. For example, avoid using words that are considered
ableist, or words that assume a person does not have a disability. You can imagine that a
researcher might say to a participant, “Let’s walk through the details of the study.” Instead, it’s
just as easy to say, “Let’s go through the details of the study.” That second phrase doesn’t
make any assumptions, intended or not, about a person’s physical capabilities.

Overall, your goal when conducting research is to make participants feel welcomed and valued
for who they are. It takes time to change language and word choice habits, so don’t get
discouraged if you make a mistake. Being aware of the words you use is an important step in
being inclusive.

Keep the context in mind

You also need to consider the context that the research is happening in, such as the physical
space where the research study is taking place. You want participants to feel like there’s an
equal power dynamic between them and you as the researcher. For example, if one person is
sitting and the other person is standing, there’s an unequal power dynamic and the situation
can feel awkward or off putting.

Some portions of your research studies might need to be adjusted to meet participants where
they are. Different communities have different ways of interacting with others in various
situations, so it’s important to be aware of those cultural differences. For example, some
cultural groups take turns when speaking, while others feel free to interrupt whenever they
have a great idea. In other words, one research study participant might consider interrupting
to be rude, while another might think that interrupting shows engagement in the
conversation. In your role as a researcher, you need to be aware of context changes and pay
close attention to how participants prefer to communicate to create an equitable environment
for all participants.

With these considerations in mind, you'll be set up for success when conducting research with
participants and collecting feedback about your designs. Remember, language and
communication are an art that can take years to master — and you're just getting started!
Learn more about KPIs

Imagine your new manager swings by your desk and asks, “How did the research study you
conducted last week go?” How would you respond? Any time you conduct research, you want
to have a way to measure the effectiveness of your product or prototype. To do so, use key
performance indicators (KPIs), which are critical measures of progress toward an end goal. As
you might remember, KPIs are the fourth element in a research plan, and you’ll often be asked
about your KPIs as a UX designer in the real world.

There are many KPIs that can be useful when planning and conducting a UX research study.
You were introduced to six KPIs in the video, so we’re going to dive deeper into those six and
explore an additional seventh KPI to consider. Let's get going!

Time on task measures how long it takes for a user to complete a task. A task can involve any
function within the product you’re designing, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.

To measure time on task, all you need is a timer! Start timing the user when they begin the
task you’ve assigned, and stop timing as soon as they completed the task. For example, you
might time how long it takes for a user to start from the home screen of your app and
complete the checkout flow to purchase a shirt. It’s generally safe to assume that the less time
it takes for users to perform a task, the more effective your design is.

Use of navigation vs. search indicates the number of people who use a website or an app’s
navigation, compared to the number of people who use the search functionality. In other
words, some users will prefer to use the navigation bar to get around your product, while
others will go straight to the search bar, type in a query, and be directed to part of the
product.

To measure use of navigation vs. search, count the mouse clicks or taps on navigation-related
parts of your design, and compare that to the number of times a query is entered into the
search bar. This KPI, unlike most of the others, measures the preference of users, instead of
whether something is “good” or “bad,” so you don’t need to worry if the numbers are high or
low. Instead, the goal is to help you understand how users interact with the navigation and
search functions of your product. Keeping track of your users’ preferences can help you strike
a good balance between them in your designs.

User error rates indicate the parts of a design that cause users to make errors. For example, a
user might click on the wrong icon when trying to make a purchase, forget to check a box, or
submit incorrect information when filling out a form. These errors are not the user’s fault!
Instead, user error rates help point to areas where you need to make improvements to the
design of the user experience.

To measure user error rates during a research study, keep track of the parts of your design
where users make mistakes when completing the tasks you’ve assigned. As a general rule, the
lower the number of errors, the better the design.

Drop-off rates show how many users abandon the experience. In other words, this KPI reveals
how many users quit before reaching the end of a purchase or some other endpoint you’re
trying to lead them to. Users might quit using your product if the navigation is difficult to
understand, if they get frustrated while trying to complete a task, or if they simply get bored.

To measure drop-off rates in your own designs, count the number of participants who quit a
task or don’t make it to the end of their goal. Then, make changes to your designs to improve
the user experience and run a second research study. You can compare the drop-off rates from
each study to measure the success of the design changes. Your goal is to decrease drop-off
rates with each design iteration.

Conversion rates measure the percentage of users who complete a desired action. Conversion
rates are the opposite of drop-off rates. Any time a user successfully completes a task, meets a
goal, or makes it to the final destination of your product, it’s a conversion. Think of the dog
walker app as an example: The user needs to take multiple steps to find and reserve a dog
walker. The conversion rate will show the percentage of users that actually made it to the end
of the flow and booked a reservation.

To measure the conversion rate for your product, count the number of research study
participants who complete a listed action. As a general rule, the higher the conversion rate, the
better the design. In addition, comparing the conversion rate from one research study to the
next can help you gauge the success of the changes you made to your designs.

A System Usability Scale (SUS) is a questionnaire that asks participants their opinions about
your product; the results are used to measure the usability of your designs. In an SUS, users
are asked the extent to which they agree or disagree with 10 statements about the usability of
a design. For example, users might be asked to respond to the statement: “I thought the app
was easy to use” on a scale from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” It’s a quick and
reliable way to know if a design is working.

You can use a SUS to measure the usability of your own designs! You want participants to
“strongly agree” with positive statements (such as “I thought the app was easy to use”) and
“strongly disagree” with the negative statements (such as “I found the design unnecessarily
complex”). You can also calculate an overall score for your design based on the survey
responses.

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a measure of how loyal users will be to your product or
service. The NPS measures the likelihood that a user would recommend your product to a
friend or colleague. Participants rate the question, “Would you recommend this product to a
friend or colleague?” on a scale of 0 to 10.

 Promoters are participants who give a rating of 9 or 10, which means they would
recommend your product to others.

 Passives are participants who give a rating of 7 or 8, which means they are satisfied
with your product, but they probably won’t pass it along to friends or colleagues.

 Detractors are participants who rate from 0 to 6, which means they could warn people
away from your product or service.

To calculate the NPS, subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.
When your NPS is positive, it’s a sign that users are satisfied with your designs. Well done! You
want your NPS to be a high positive number. If your NPS is negative, it’s a sign that your user
experience might have bugs, be difficult to navigate, or might otherwise cause frustration
among users.

Choosing KPIs

These seven KPIs are important measures of success for your research study and for the
designs you're testing. When deciding which KPIs to measure for your project, think about the
goals of your research and the findings you want to be able to present to your team, or include
in your portfolio, after the research concludes. Each KPI is unique, and together, they work to
help you measure the success of the user experience you’ve designed.
Learn more about methodology

The first few steps of your research plan—the introduction, research questions and KPIs—
focus on the aim of the research, the questions you’ll focus on trying to answer, and how you’ll
measure the information you receive. After planning this part of your research study, it’s time
to think about how you’ll collect the information. In other words, determining what the
methodology will be.

Methodology involves the steps you’ll take to conduct research, collect data, and analyze data.
When thinking about the methodology, it’s important to consider 1) the type of research
method involved, 2) the steps involved in the research method, and 3) the type of data that
will be generated from the research method.

Comparing research methods

You learned in the first week of Course 2 about various primary and secondary research
methods: Primary research is research you conduct yourself, while secondary research is
research that uses information someone else has put together. Some examples of primary
research are interviews—which you conducted in Course 2—surveys, competitive audits, and
usability studies. Another point to consider is whether the research method is quantitative or
qualitative. Qualitative research focuses observations on why and how things happen, and
quantitative research focuses on data that can be gathered by counting or measuring.

For example, most of your primary, qualitative research will most likely be conducted during
the empathize phase of the project, when your goal is to find out as much as possible about
the challenges, needs and characteristics of potential users before creating designs.

Each method is unique and yields very different kinds of results. For more information, check
out the Learn more about research methods reading from Course 2.

Conducting research with a usability study

For the purposes of Course 4, your research plan will include a usability study as the research
method. In the last course, you learned how to create low-fidelity prototypes. This research
method is ideal at this stage of a project because it involves testing out your design with real,
potential users.

Usability studies are primary, qualitative research methods because they allow UX designers to
make direct and indirect observations based on the participants’ behavior and words. You’ll
give each participant a few guided tasks and take notes on how successfully the tasks are
completed (direct observation), and you’ll also record the study in order to play it back later
(indirect observation)to discover new insights from the study.

Recruit a diverse participant pool

As you develop your UX research plan, you’ll outline a group of participants to include in the
study and collect feedback from. The participants in your study should represent your
product’s potential users. These participants play a big role in shaping your designs because
you’ll take their pain points and suggestions into account as you iterate.
How and where you find research study participants can differ depending on the company you
work for and the type of product you’re designing. Regardless, there are some important best
practices to follow when recruiting a diverse and inclusive group of research participants.

Where can I find participants?

Finding people who will provide feedback about your designs might seem a little overwhelming
at first. The good news is that there are a few different places you can turn to find research
participants!

Existing user base

If you’re conducting research and creating designs for a company with an existing user base,
you’ll likely be able to recruit participants from that group of established connections. This
might not be the case for your current project in this program, but recruiting from an existing
user base is pretty common in the real world.

Online

Alternatively, if you’re coming up with designs for an imaginary company or a newly

established business, the easiest way to recruit participants for your study is online. You can
use social media, online design communities, or even fee-based research recruitment
agencies. There are also websites created specifically to connect companies with research
participants, like UserTesting and User Interviews. Keep in mind that recruiting participants
online can have downsides. For example, you risk leaving out populations of potential users,
like older people who don’t use the internet or people who don’t have internet access at
home. As you create your research study plan, consider the target audience for the product
you’re designing and decide if you can recruit that type of user online.

Hallway testing

If recruiting participants online isn't an option, a less formal way to recruit for your study is to
ask people in person. You can use a recruiting method known as hallway testing, which means
asking people that pass by in the “hallway” to try the product you’ve designed. Try to position
yourself in a location where you’re most likely to encounter your product’s target audience,
like a dog park or a coffee shop. Hallway testing can be effective if you’re recruiting a small
number of participants, if you have limited time, or if you want to conduct research for free.
However, finding participants in this way is risky because the people you collect feedback from
might not have all the characteristics of your product’s potential users.

Incentives

There’s one more thing to consider when it comes to finding participants: Incentives.
Incentives are something that motivates or encourages people to participate in a research
study. Incentives can take the form of monetary compensation, gift cards, physical gifts, or a
gesture to thank participants for their time and feedback, like a paid lunch. No matter where
you find participants — online or in person — you’ll need to consider how you’ll incentivize
them to engage in your study.

Who will the research study participants be?

Your research plan should include a list of the primary characteristics of the people you will
recruit to participate in the study. The types of participants you select should be based on your
research goals and the target users of the product you’re designing.

The best way to check if potential participants meet your desired characteristics and represent
a diverse set of individuals is with a screener survey. A screener survey is a detailed list of
questions that help you determine whether potential participants meet the requirements of
the research study. To learn more about screener surveys, check out this article from User
Interviews.

As you create a screener survey, remember that getting feedback from participants with
diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities is extremely important for ensuring that your
designs are accessible and equitable. A representative sample is a small group of participants
who represent both your target user group and user groups that are often marginalized. And a
marginalized population is one where people have specific characteristics and life experiences
that prevent them from fitting into what society inaccurately defines as “normal,” such as
people with disabilities or people with limited access to technology. Collecting feedback from a
representative sample will help you enrich the overall user experience on your product.

In an effort to be inclusive of people of all abilities when you’re recruiting participants for your
usability study, your first instinct might be to seek out people based on their disability status.
But directly asking someone’s disability status limits people to only one aspect of their identity:
their disability. Disability status can be considered Sensitive Personally Identifiable
Information, which is illegal to inquire about in many situations. Instead of recruiting
participants who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, or who have physical impairments,
recruit participants who use the assistive technologies you want to involve in your study. For
example, seek out participants who use:

 Screen readers

 Closed captions

 Switch devices

 Keyboard-only navigation

 Magnification devices or magnified screens

 Any other assistive technologies that will provide insights about your UX design

Remember, the participants you collect feedback from during research are key to the success
of your product’s design. Participants provide valuable perspective about the user experience
you’ve developed and can highlight areas for improvement in your work. As you recruit
participants for your own research study, be sure to find individuals who align with the target
users of the product you’re designing and who come from diverse backgrounds of all kinds.

One more thing to keep in mind when finding diverse participants for your usability study: It's
a good goal to have between five and eight participants. Five participants is a large enough
sample size to gain valuable feedback, and there is often diminishing return on investment if
more than eight participants are added to the study.
Assistive technology for participants with disabilities

As you prepare to conduct your own research, you’ll need to be sure to include participants
with varying abilities in order to get a range of feedback about your designs and to ensure that
your designs are equitable. As a reminder, accessibility means the design of products, devices,
services, or environments for people with disabilities. One of your key priorities as a UX
designer is to create products that are usable and accessible to all people.

Sometimes, the abbreviation a11y (pronounced “A eleven Y”) is used to refer to accessibility.
It’s shorthand for representing the 11 letters between the letter “a” and the letter “y” in the
word “accessibility.” More importantly, a11y resembles the word “ally,” which reflects the idea
that UX designers need to be allies to people with all types of abilities.

It’s critical that you consider and involve people with various accessibility needs when
designing, especially during the empathize and test phases of the design process.

Accessibility is for everyone

If you make the design of a product easier for people with disabilities, you also often make it a
better experience for everyone else. Designing for accessibility isn’t an obstacle, but a way to
get your products to as many users as possible. In other words, designing for accessibility
benefits everyone!

As a UX designer, you need to design for people with disabilities that are permanent,
temporary, or situational.

A permanent disability is one that affects a person long-term, like losing sight, hearing,
speech, or mobility. For example, Amir, a person with permanent blindness, uses a walking
stick to navigate their surroundings.

A temporary impairment is a short-term illness or ailment that can be caused by an injury or

other limitation. Consider Margo, who has temporarily blurred vision without their glasses.

A situational challenge occurs when a person’s environment blocks certain functions. For
example, Juan cannot read text messages on their mobile phone while driving a car. Instead,
Juan uses voice commands to hear and send texts while driving.

You need to keep in mind users with a diverse range of abilities as you design features and
products. You should also consider the types of assistive technology that people will use when
experiencing your designs. An assistive technology (AT) is a product, equipment, or a system
that enhances learning, working, and living for people with disabilities. In the examples above,
assistive technologies came in the form of a walking stick, glasses, and voice commands. For
your research study, you should strive to include as many different users of assistive
technology as you can.

Let’s explore some of the most common ATs.

 A screen reader is an AT that interprets and verbalizes text, button names, keyboard
strokes, and code that a website or app is composed of. Screen readers are often used
by people with low vision. In addition to screen readers, some people with low vision
might use a computer or smart device with a high contrast screen or increased
magnification.

 A switch is an AT that helps people with disabilities use technology - like computers,
phones, appliances, and mobility equipment - with minimal movements and gestures.
A switch can come in many forms, like a button or clicker. For a computer, a switch
might replace a traditional keyboard and mouse.

 Closed captioning and speech-to-text are both ATs that convert audio into text for
people with limited hearing.

 Reminder alarms with simplified text and supporting images can help people with
cognitive disabilities remember important information. For example, Android phones
have a feature called Action Blocks where users add common actions to their home
screen with a name or image. So a photo of your mother on the home screen of your
phone will call her phone number.

 Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices are ATs that support
people with cognitive disabilities who may experience speech limitations or learning
disabilities by using images to communicate instead of words.

Try it yourself
Interviewing participants who use assistive technology or who have accessibility needs is an
important part of the UX research process. Before you begin your usability study, it’s a best
practice to test the AT involved in your study with your team. For example, try using a screen
reader on one of your favorite websites and with your own designs. Screen readers can be
accessed directly from your device’s accessibility settings, and some can even be added to your
browser as plug-ins or extensions. Testing your product using assistive technology will help you
better understand the user experience of someone with a disability, brainstorm ideas to
improve those experiences, and ask more targeted questions during your research study.

Explore the advantages and disadvantages of usability studies

Now that you know the basics of moderated and unmoderated usability studies, let’s dig into
the details and explore the benefits and limitations of each type of study.

Moderated Usability Study Advantages: Build rapport Observe firsthand Provide live guidance
Explain the user journey Control the conversation Make language adjustments Gain
clarification Disadvantages: Influence or bias Self-identification Participant pool Difficult
scheduling Reliable internet required High cost

Remember, moderated usability studies have a person, known as a moderator, guide

participants through the study in real time. Let’s begin by exploring some advantages of
conducting a moderated usability study.
  Build rapport. Moderated usability studies allow for rapport building between the
moderator and participant, which can help the participant open up and share more
feedback about the design. Building rapport is especially important if the design being
tested deals with sensitive or personal issues. In addition, speaking live can make it
easier for the researcher to understand the users’ backgrounds and empathize with
their needs.

 Observe firsthand. Feedback and learnings can be more impactful when you see
participants interacting with your prototype or product firsthand, instead of watching
a recording or reading about the results. You can also bring in stakeholders to observe
the study, either remotely or in an observation room, to get the same high-touch
interaction with real users.

 Provide live guidance. The moderator guides each participant through the study live,
which helps to ensure that participants complete the exact tasks that you want to get
feedback about.

 Explain the user journey. The moderated setting gives you more time and opportunity
to test ambiguous or complex problems with your product that could be
misinterpreted if there wasn’t guidance. This is why moderated usability studies are
often used early in the design process, when low-fidelity prototypes might be unclear
to users.

 Control the conversation. A moderator keeps the flow of the session from being
interrupted and helps participants stay focused, which makes the study more
productive overall.

 Make language adjustments. The moderator can rephrase a prompt or question that a
participant is not understanding. This is beneficial because it allows you to collect
more information that you can act on to improve your design.

 Gain clarification. The moderator can ask participants to clarify the feedback they’re
providing or to elaborate further (e.g., “tell me more about that”), which can lead to
richer insights.

With all of these benefits in mind, it might seem like moderated usability studies are the way
to go! However, it’s important to note that moderated usability studies have some
disadvantages too.

 Influence or bias. Because a person is guiding the study, there’s a chance that the
moderator can accidentally let their own thoughts or feelings influence the way that
they ask questions or in the body language they show, which can affect the study's
results.

 Self-identification. If participants do not connect or identify with the moderator, they

might have a hard time being open about their experience using the product,
especially if the subject matter is personal or sensitive.

 Participant pool. Since a human moderates each session live, most moderated
usability studies happen during standard working hours. Some populations are hard to
reach during standard working hours, and therefore could be underrepresented in
your study findings.
  Difficult scheduling. Because you are coordinating two people’s schedules (the
moderator and the participant), it can be difficult to schedule moderated usability
studies, and it can be hard to reschedule a participant who cancels or fails to show up.

 Reliable internet required. Internet connectivity issues for remote moderated sessions
can throw off the tempo of the session, can make it harder for participants to
communicate effectively, and can even cause the session to end early in some cases.

 High cost. Moderated usability studies are comparatively expensive because someone
needs to spend time serving as the moderator for each individual session and because
there is often a cost to rent space to host sessions in person.

Unmoderated usability study Advantages: Natural product interactions More participants

Easier scheduling Inexpensive More privacy Simple user journeys Disadvantages: No real-time
support No live follow ups Potential distractions Possible privacy breaches Inaccessibility More
data to analyze Simple user journeys only

Alternatively, unmoderated usability studies have participants test the prototypes without
human guidance. An unmoderated study can be done by recording a participant’s screen or
having the participant give feedback on tasks. Since there’s nobody to assist, it’s super
important that your designs are clear and accessible to all users.

Let’s start with some advantages of conducting an unmoderated usability study.

 Natural product interactions. Because users are mostly unsupervised while

completing tasks in the product, they’re more likely to use the product naturally and
intuitively. This can lead to a more accurate understanding of the user’s experience in
the real world.
  More participants. Unmoderated studies make it easier to include more participants
because you don’t need to spend time guiding each participant live. You can also
recruit participants in different time zones and with different availability, like outside
of standard working hours. Keep in mind that you want to have a minimum of five
participants, which is a large enough sample size to gain valuable feedback, and a
maximum of eight participants, since there is often diminishing return on investment if
additional participants are added to the study.

 Easier scheduling. Unmoderated usability studies allow participants to complete tasks

on their own time and in their own space because there is no need for a moderator. If
a participant does not show up or needs to reschedule the session, it's easier to do so
when it's unmoderated, since the participant can do it on their own time.

 Inexpensive. Unmoderated studies are more cost-effective than moderated studies,

since they don’t require a facilitator or physical location to conduct the study.

 More privacy. If the product involves sensitive or personal topics, an unmoderated

setting can make participants feel more comfortable answering honestly and sharing
their perspective, since they aren’t required to speak with someone face-to-face.

 Simple user journeys. Unmoderated usability studies work well to test straightforward
user journeys and simple features of a product, since participants don’t need a lot of
guidance to complete tasks.

Of course, unmoderated usability studies have some disadvantages too.

 No real-time support. If participants don’t understand the wording of the prompt or if

they have technical difficulties, there is usually no one to provide support.

 No live follow-ups. Unmoderated usability studies don’t give the UX team an

opportunity to ask participants real-time follow-up questions or to clarify their
feedback. This can be limiting if the participant does not explain their problem in detail
because there is no way to follow up while the UX team watches the recording of the
session later.

 Potential distractions. There is little to no control over the environment to ensure you
have the participant’s full attention. Without a moderator present, participants could
multitask and not be focused on the key activities in the study.

 Possible privacy breaches. To test the use of your product in an unmoderated study,
you might need to upload your designs to a testing platform, which participants access
from their homes. This means there is less control over your intellectual property.

 Inaccessibility. The testing platform you use to conduct remote research might not be
equally accessible to users with disabilities or people who use assistive technology.

 More data to analyze. Because there is no moderator to control the conversation of

the session, the information you collect might be off topic or irrelevant to your
research.

 Simple user journeys only. Unmoderated studies are not great for testing complex
user journeys because if a user gets stuck with a complex prototype, there’s no one to
guide them through the process.
Start testing

When you’re choosing whether to conduct a moderated or an unmoderated usability study,

there are a lot of things to consider! Both can help you get the research data you need to
improve your product; it’s just a matter of deciding which one will do it better. Keeping these
advantages and disadvantages in mind can help you make the right choice for your specific
project and research goals.

Learn more about usability study best practices

From left to right: First icon shows a steaming mug. underneath it reads "Get comfortable".
Second icon shows a person icon with a ribbon with the number 1 on it, underneath it reads
"put people first". Third icon shows a piece of paper with a check mark on it. Underneath it
reads "Don't skip the paperwork". The fourth icon shows two person icons with arrows
pointing at one another, underneath it reads "Communicate clearly". The fifth icon shows a
person icon with a question mark above it, underneath it reads " Ask the right questions"

A usability study is at its best when participants come from diverse backgrounds and have
varying abilities. The unique life experiences, perspectives, identities, and abilities of
participants will inform the feedback they provide about your designs. Your goal is to create
designs that work for all types of users, so learning from a diverse pool of research participants
is key. Before you conduct your first usability study, keep these five best practices in mind: get
comfortable, put people first, don’t skip the paperwork, communicate clearly, and ask the right
questions.

Participants in a usability study provide the best feedback when they feel comfortable with the
moderator, which could be you or one of your team members. Starting with getting-to-know-
you small talk can make it easier for participants to feel comfortable and open up, both in
person and virtually. You want to establish a professional-but-friendly rapport with
participants right from the start. Here are some good questions to kickstart the conversation:

 How is your day going?

 Did you have an easy time getting here (or signing on)?

 Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

 Do you have any favorite hobbies?

These questions help participants start to engage with the moderator, which can make sharing
their perspectives about the product more natural, too. Remember to tailor the ice-breaker
questions to the types of participants in your study. For example, if your study participants are
minors or children, you might want to add an engaging and entertaining activity to begin the
study.

Then, thank participants for coming. Communicate how grateful you are that the participant is
taking the time to participate in the study.

It’s also helpful to remind participants that they should be open and honest about their
experience, so the design team can make improvements. To get the most useful feedback
about the product you’ve designed, let participants know that you’re here to find out how to
improve the design, so constructive criticism is more than welcome.

Finally, make sure the space you’re conducting the study in is physically comfortable. Usability
studies can take place in a usability lab, inside someone's home, in a public area, or online.
Each one requires a different setup to ensure participants are feeling at ease and properly
accommodated.

 A usability lab is a place with equipment for conducting a usability study, like screen
recorders, eye-tracking devices, and computers or mobile devices set up specifically
for testing.

 If you’re conducting the usability study in someone’s home or in a public area, find a
place that's as clear of distractions as possible.

 For usability studies conducted online, communicate whether you’re recording the
participants or their screens, and let them know that the recordings will only be used
for research related to your test.

Throughout a usability study, you want to use participants’ preferred pronouns and identifiers
(like he, she, or they), pronounce their names correctly, use the correct courtesy titles (like
Mr., Ms., Mrs., Captain, or Dr.), and ask whether they have any other communication
preferences. Giving participants the chance to tell you how they want to be addressed puts the
person first. In addition, this helps you get in the right mindset of what a usability study is all
about: how people interact with technology.

When engaging with participants who use an interpreter, always address your comments and
questions directly to the participant, instead of to the interpreter. Looking at the participant
and speaking directly to them is the best way to make sure you understand how the
participant is experiencing your product.

When engaging with participants of different backgrounds and abilities, use people-first
language. Literally! Put “people” or “person” first in your phrasing. For example, you should
say “person with a disability” instead of “disabled person.”
Keep in mind: Marginalized communities are often not included in research studies, which
means designs often don't address their specific needs. Remember, marginalized communities
are ones where people have specific characteristics and life experiences that prevent them
from fitting into what society inaccurately defines as “normal”. Because of this, the
experiences of users from marginalized communities are sometimes not considered in the
research planning of UX designers.

The definition of which people fit into a marginalized community changes depending on the
context. For example, when designing a tool like a kitchen gadget, you may want to consider if
the design supports users who are left-handed. Including their perspectives and unique pain
points in your research would help generate new insights. It's important to formally commit to
diversifying your group of study participants. Your product will benefit too! Incorporating
feedback from marginalized communities in your designs will inevitably yield better insights.

Once you’ve made participants comfortable and started getting to know them, you need to
take care of some paperwork. Ask participants to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA),
which informs participants that they can’t talk about your product or the usability study
publicly. If the NDA is set up correctly, it helps build trust with participants and increase
rapport. You should keep this document in your records because it protects confidentiality and
your intellectual property. If your study participants are minors, their parents must consent to
the child’s involvement in the study.

Participants also need to sign paperwork to allow their session to be recorded. You might
record a usability study session through a paper note sheet, screen recorder, video recorder,
or audio recorder. Recording sessions makes it easier to turn observations into insights later,
but participants will need to be aware of this process and provide consent.

Now, with all of the logistics taken care of, you’re ready to begin the study. Explain the focus
of the study and what participants will give feedback on. Give the participant a roadmap or
preview of what’s to come during the session. Be sure to ask the participant if the study you’ve
explained will be okay with them before proceeding.

You’ll want to introduce the think-aloud method, which is a type of data gathering that has
participants turn their internal thoughts into shared ideas through spoken, signed, or typed
words. When you use the think-aloud method, participants explain what they’re doing while
they’re completing tasks. This gives you, as the researcher, an opportunity to record exactly
what participants are thinking about a product, in addition to what you observe them doing
during the study. With this method, it’s crucial that participants know that they can be honest;
they can’t offend you because their observations are helpful to improving the designs.

Also, remind participants that they are not being tested. The goal is to understand how the
user is experiencing your product, so there’s no right or wrong answer! If the participant can’t
complete a task, that isn’t a reflection of their personal abilities; it’s a reflection of the design’s
usability.

If you’re ever unsure about the feedback participants are sharing, try to summarize their ideas
for confirmation. Repeat back what you think the participant means, and encourage them to
correct or confirm the statement.

When it comes to usability studies, the questions you ask and the ways you ask them directly
impact the insights you uncover. Sometimes the best nuggets of information come from a
participant building on a point or clarifying themselves, rather than directly answering one of
your questions. Here are a few pro tips to help you ask the right questions during a usability
study:

 Use the same set of questions with each participant. Usability studies typically focus
on one person at a time, so you want your conversations with each user to be about
the same design features. Keep your research consistent.

 Ask open-ended questions. Avoid asking “yes” or “no” questions. Instead, ask
questions that start with “why.” This will allow for more detailed feedback and might
reveal useful information you can later include in your product.

 Encourage elaboration. Sometimes, the script of questions you pre-wrote while

planning the study isn’t thorough enough. Ask follow-up questions if you need to dig
deeper. Maybe something unexpected came up and you want to explore it, or you
didn’t get enough information from a participant’s first response and need them to
elaborate. If you’re unsure how to ask a follow-up question, the phrase “tell me more
about that” usually works.

 Ask the same question from different angles. Interviews can be awkward, so it might
take awhile before you find out what participants really think. You can prepare for this
delay by asking the same question from multiple angles. For example, you might ask,
“How often do you go to the grocery store?” at the start of the interview; then, “How
many times per week do you go to the grocery store” in the middle of the interview.
The participant might give you a more detailed answer the second time around, which
can help you get more accurate insights and useful data.

 Don’t mention other participants. Talking about other participants can lead to privacy
violations and skew the answers of the participant you’re with, which leads to
inaccurate data.

 Don’t ask leading questions. Be careful about how you word each question.
Participants can pick up on your preconceived notions if your questions are worded in
a biased way. For example, if you ask, “Why do you think apples are more popular
than pears?” then the participant is primed to answer positively about apples and
negatively about pears. Instead, try asking a more neutral, open-ended question, like:
“Do you prefer apples or pears, and why?”

You're ready to get started!

Keeping these best practices in mind will put you well on your way to conducting your first
moderated usability study. By helping participants feel comfortable, putting people first,
double checking all of the paperwork, communicating clearly, and asking the right questions,
you’ll set yourself up to have a high-quality study that leads to lots of insights. You’re ready to
discover how people experience the product you’ve designed!

Learn more about reducing bias in interviews

Being fully unbiased when conducting and observing interviews is impossible. Everyone has
their own set of biases that they bring to every interaction. Acknowledging your own personal
biases so that you can move beyond them is key when conducting research, like interviews.
Why? Well, you need to gain accurate feedback about how users really think and feel.
Remember, your goal as a UX designer is to put the user front-and-center always, which means
you need to learn about their honest and authentic perspectives in order to best create
designs that meet their needs.

Check out five common types of bias that might come up when conducting UX research and
some tips for how to overcome those biases.

Confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that matches a pre-existing belief.
Have you ever tried to find evidence to prove a hypothesis that you already have? If so, that’s
confirmation bias in action! Your personal preferences can sneak their way into your research,
too, so here are a couple of pro-tips to help you combat this bias when conducting research.

 Recruit an appropriate sample size. In the real world, many UX researchers want to
have five to eight participants when conducting a usability study. Research shows that
five participants is a large enough sample size to gain valuable feedback, and there is
often diminishing return on investment if more than eight participants are added to
the study. This means that you typically learn what you need to know about the
usability of designs by interviewing five to eight participants. Interviewing the right
number of participants and gathering a variety of perspectives will help reduce
confirmation bias.

 It’s not about your beliefs. Pay attention to and embrace findings that challenge your
hypotheses. If participants share ideas that contradict your assumptions, it could
highlight the need to dig into an issue more deeply and can pave the way for new
learnings to emerge.
Leading questions are research questions that are intentionally framed to guide participants to
respond in a certain way. Consider this example: How might participants answer differently
when asked the question, “How did you locate the product you wanted to buy?” compared to
“Is having the product you wanted to buy under the blue tab easy to find?” The first question is
open-ended and encourages interview participants to share their own process and thoughts.
The second question is a leading question that steers the participant toward supporting the
design choice of a blue tab.

To avoid leading questions in your own research, try these pro-tips:

 Encourage participants to think aloud. Ask interviewees to share all of their thoughts
as they review a product. This will help ensure that the information collected comes
from the participant’s actual experience with the product, not the experience that
researchers want them to have. After each interview question or task, pause to
provide participants extra time to share additional thoughts.

 Limit your responses. When you are conducting research, try not to offer your own
opinions, like, “Yes! That’s true. I totally agree.” This type of feedback can shape
participants' responses because participants are likely to want to receive more
validating feedback. If participants are trying to please the researcher, it can lead to an
inaccurate representation of their real wants and needs.

Friendliness bias describes the tendency of people to agree with those they like in order to
maintain a non-confrontational conversation. In other words, participants might share what
they think you want to hear! In addition, being agreeable makes the interview go faster and
easier. That’s why the friendliness bias is sometimes called “the principle of least effort”
because people have a tendency to avoid resistance when completing tasks.

How can you overcome the friendliness bias when conducting interviews? Check out these
pro-tips:

 Honesty is the best policy. Before the research study begins, make it very clear to
participants that they need to be honest and that their responses won’t hurt your
feelings.

 Stay consistently engaged. As a researcher, you should show curiosity and practice
active listening in the same way throughout the entire interview, no matter how
positive or negative the feedback that participants share.
with an icon underneath, of a person with a "thought bubble" above their head, that includes
the image of 4 other people's faces

Social desirability bias describes the tendency for people to answer questions in a way that
will be viewed favorably by others. This type of bias can occur when research participants
provide answers that are rooted in what they think is popular, instead of what they actually
believe. In other words, social desirability can cause participants to focus on the positive
aspects of their experience with the product and minimize the negative aspects.

To fight social desirability bias, keep these pro-tips in mind:

 Conduct 1:1 interviews. Social desirability bias is more likely to occur in group settings,
where a participant might respond in a way that they think will be viewed favorably by
other research participants. Conducting interviews individually allows for more points
of view to emerge because participants are more likely to share their authentic
opinions.

 Ensure confidentiality. Before beginning a research study, remind participants that

their perspectives about the product will be kept confidential. For example, it can put
people’s minds at ease to know that their name will not be published or their negative
feedback will not become public.

The Hawthorne effect describes how people tend to act differently when they know they’re
being watched. People often work harder or perform better when they know they are
participants in a research study or experiment. If you watch documentaries or reality TV, you
know that everything changes when the camera is on! In the case of research, telling
participants that the interview will be recorded or that stakeholders are watching from behind
a mirror will influence the participants’ behavior in an undesired way.

Try these pro-tips to avoid the Hawthorne effect in your research:

 Create a non-threatening environment. Let participants know that there are no right
or wrong answers, and allow them time to feel comfortable in the research
environment before diving into interview questions.

 Establish rapport. It’s easier for participants to share their honest opinions when they
feel at ease with the interviewer. Use the participant's name throughout the
conversation to make the experience feel more personal, and make small talk before
the research study begins.
As you set out into the world as an up-and-coming UX designer, remember that taking
deliberate steps to overcome biases will make your research findings more accurate and
actionable. After all, if you want to design a product that really helps users, you need to know
their honest perspectives.

Learn more about creating affinity diagrams

Ready to do a fun activity that will help you organize the data from your usability study? As you
learned in the video, an affinity diagram is a method of synthesizing that organizes data into
groups with common themes or relationships. You can do this activity by yourself, but in the
real world affinity diagramming is often done as a team so you can organize research data
quickly and efficiently. Let’s go through the process step-by-step!

Find a place to create your affinity diagram

You’ll need a large space to put all of your sticky notes. A room with a large whiteboard,
window, empty wall, or any other smooth surface with room to place sticky notes is best.

Create sticky notes

To make an affinity diagram, all of the observations from your research study participants need
to be transferred onto individual sticky notes. Sticky notes can be generated in a few different
ways:

 If you used spreadsheet note taking or took notes on a single piece of paper during the
usability study, you'll need to transfer all of the observations and quotes from the
participants onto sticky notes.

 If you or the study moderator took notes on sticky notes during the usability study,
you can skip this step or make revisions to the sticky notes you’ve already written.

Each sticky note lists a single idea, observation, or direct quote from a participant — so you’re
going to have a lot of sticky notes! The information on each sticky note should be no longer
than one sentence, and the sentence should make sense without explanation so that it’s easy
for everyone to understand quickly. For example, the phrase “hard to read” would not make a
good sticky note, because it's too vague. But the phrase “hard to read text on homepage” gives
your team enough context to understand what the note is about.

If you're quoting a participant directly, use quotation marks on your sticky note. Quotation
marks demonstrate that you're including the exact word or phrase the participant used. If
you're summarizing an idea or opinion a participant had, you don't need quotation marks;
simply write a brief sentence or phrase describing their feedback.

All participant responses sorted as affinity diagram cards for the dog walker app

For example, imagine you conducted a usability study to understand how to improve the dog
walker app. Here are some observations and quotes that were collected during the research.

 Frustrated that there's no confirmation page

 Couldn't complete Prompt 4 because "Address" wasn't visible anywhere

 Wants to book a dog walker every Saturday

 Confused about what to press on the home screen

 Chooses dog walker based on proximity

 Expected an add to cart button

 "I was just clicking on different buttons to try and figure it out?"

 Annoyed that there wasn't a confirmation page before booking

You would put each one of these observations and quotes on its own sticky note. After you’ve
written all of your sticky notes, spread them out so you can clearly read all of the sticky notes
at once, like the graphic above demonstrates.

Put sticky notes in groups

All participant responses sorted into groups on an affinity diagram cards for the dog walker
app

With all of your sticky notes ready to go, it’s time to cluster the observations and quotes into
groups. You can either list a couple of groups to get started, or you can come up with group
names as you go.

For example, there might be a group that you know there’s feedback about, like “Scheduling."
If this is the case, you can create this group from the start. As you review the sticky notes, add
them to this group. For example, sticky notes that say "Wants to book multiple dog walker
sessions" and “Wants a calendar to schedule date and time for the dog walker” would belong
in the "Scheduling" group.

Or, as you review the sticky notes, you might notice that two of notes are related, like: "Wants
to filter dog-walkers by experience" and “Confused about how to select a dog walker from the
list” In this case, you’d create a new group called “Dog walker selection.” It’s part of the
process to come up with groups as you go.

Continue until there are no sticky notes remaining

Try to categorize as many of your sticky notes as possible, which will ensure that all feedback
from participants is represented in distinct groups. Ideally, you should end up with three to ten
groups. In the dog walker app example, the affinity diagram has three groups: "Scheduling,"
"Dog Walker Selection," and "Booking + Checkout."

If there are a few sticky notes that don’t belong in any of the groups you made, that’s normal;
sometimes only one person in your study had a problem with a feature or experience. But you
should strongly consider the observation or quote, and determine if it should stand alone in its
own group or receive further consideration before disregarding it entirely.

Do a second review

The beauty of affinity diagramming is that there are no “right” answers. You can make as many
or as few groups as your observations require. Take some time to review your groupings and
determine if you want to move any sticky notes around, or even make a new group. Have fun
with your data and the connections you can draw from it. You might end up with a really
unique group that you didn’t notice at first!

Here’s a pro tip: If you have a lot of sticky notes within a group, you should consider creating
sub-groups to further organize the data. It's almost like doing the affinity diagramming exercise
all over again, but with a subset of the sticky notes.

Create your own affinity diagram

When you have a lot of research data to sort through, it can be overwhelming to hunt for
patterns and make a plan for iterating on your product. Creating an affinity diagram helps you
group together research insights so that you can further understand and define the problems
in your product and design.

In addition, affinity diagramming helps you think outside of the box. The interactive and visual
format of affinity mapping allows you to make connections within your data that you may not
have noticed by simply reading through your notes. This helps you think of new, creative ways
to solve user problems.

Now it's your turn to sort through research data, and have some fun while you’re at it.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to group data in your affinity diagram. Play with
your sticky notes and come up with unique groupings. It’ll be worth the effort!

If you want to learn even more about affinity diagramming, check out this article from Nielsen
Norman Group that highlights some best practices for affinity diagramming.

Tips for creating a strong presentation

Presentations are a great way to share your research insights with people in your organization
and external parties. There are many digital tools you can use to create a presentation, like
Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Apple Keynote. But regardless of the tool you use,
how can you make sure that your presentations are strong enough to hold your audience’s
attention and get your point across? In this reading, you’ll learn some tips for creating UX
research presentations that keep your audience engaged from the first slide to the last!

Tip 1: Know your audience

Before the presentation begins, take time to find out what the people you're presenting to are
interested in learning about, then tailor your presentation accordingly. For example, a
presentation to a marketing team will probably be different than a presentation to
management, so you'll need to be adaptable. A personalized approach keeps your audience
engaged during your presentation and increases your ability to gain their support for your
project.

Tip 2: Provide an overview

Presenter showcasing a slide that says "Table of contents" to the audience. The Table of
Contents reads: Section 1 - Study Details, Section 2 - Themes, Section 3 - Insights and
Recommendation, and an appendix

Include a short roadmap or "table of contents" at the beginning of your presentation, so your
audience knows what to expect throughout the presentation. Your roadmap should almost be
like a checklist that the audience can follow along, so they have a vision for how much content
is left to cover.

In addition, one slide should feature an overview of the content you’re presenting, also known
as an executive summary. It’s kind of like sharing your conclusion or biggest takeaways at the
beginning of the presentation. Be sure to discuss how your research impacts the big picture,
like how the product would support the company’s goals and objectives. When your audience
understands the overall goal of the presentation and your product from the start, they’ll have
a better context for specific details and stories you provide later.

Tip 3: Tell a story

Presenter showcasing a slide that says "User: David" to the audience. There's an image of the
user and a speech bubble that shows their feedback.

Think of your presentation as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Each slide should push
the story you’re telling forward, and the story should flow from slide to slide. Part of telling an
effective and engaging story is including examples of actual users, such as quotes, photos, or
short video clips from interactions with users. Storytelling is more powerful than sharing a list
of research insights because your audience can observe the emotions, pain points, and delights
of your product from a real user’s point of view.

Tip 4: Show numbers

A strong image often communicates more clearly than words. Use data, graphs, and charts to
illustrate your most important insights. Your goal is to keep the attention of your audience, so
let the images and data you show speak to your audience and strengthen the story you’re
telling.

Tip 5: Less is more when it comes to text

Keep the information you present short and to the point. Your slides should only include high-
level details that answer questions like why, what, and how. Try to include minimal text on
your slides so that the audience doesn't spend time reading while you're presenting. If
necessary, you can add additional resources in the appendix of your presentation for the
audience to review later.

Tip 6: Provide recommendations for next steps

Presenter showcasing a slide that says "Recommendations" to the audience Recommendations
listed read Recommendation 1, Recommendation 2, Recommendation 3

End the presentation with a list of recommended next steps based on the insights you
presented. Your recommendations might include changes to make to the product designs,
additional research to conduct, or future meetings to schedule. This step helps gain support
from stakeholders and will put the pieces in place to move forward in the design process. It's a
best practice to clearly state your recommendations on a single slide.

Tip 7: Leave time for questions

At the end of your presentation, be sure to leave a few minutes so your audience can ask
questions about the material you presented and can clarify any points. This is also a great
opportunity for you to provide more details about areas that your audience is interested in
learning more about.
And that's it! With these tips in mind, you're ready to create your very own research
presentation and deliver it to stakeholders. Remember, sharing your research is an important
step in the design process. Be creative and foster an environment where people feel
comfortable commenting and giving feedback. You can do this! Overcome stage fright

Have you ever felt nervous before speaking in front of a group, or gone blank during a
presentation? Stage fright is very common — even for people who perform for a living! But
stage fright certainly doesn’t have to prevent you from meeting your goals. You've already
learned how important the sharing stage is during the design process; in order to present your
research or design ideas to stakeholders, you may have to give a presentation on your own.

Here are some tips for overcoming stage fright, whether you're giving a short talk to your team
or presenting your designs to a crowd.

First icon is a person standing and looking at themselves in the mirror. Text reads: Prepare.
Knowing what you want to say and how you want to say it will help you feel less overwhelmed
when it's time to present. Finalize your presentation and practice it many times before the big
day, so you feel comfortable with the content. Next icon is a smiling cartoon brain. Next to it
reads: Think positively. Visualize yourself giving an awesome presentation. Don't spend time
worrying about everything that could go wrong or what mistakes you might make. Instead,
focus on nailing it and imagine the feeling of triumph when the presentation lands well. Next
icon is a person standing, smiling with their hands on their hips. Text reads: Try a power pose.
A power pose is a posture that helps you stay positive and confident. The most well-known
poser pose is called The Wonder Woman, where you stand tall with your chest out and your
hands on your hips. Search for videos of Amy Cuddy giving TED talks about power poses to
learn more. Final icon is a profile of a person's face, and lines indicating air is coming out of
their mouth. Next to it reads: Don't hold your breath. Take deep, steady breaths as you
prepare for your presentation. This helps reduce anxiety and keep oxygen flowing.
First icon is a person sleeping; to the right, it reads: Get a good night's sleep. Being well rested
will allow you to approach the stage -- or the front of a meeting room -- with a clear mind. A
full sleep can also help you concentrate during your presentation. Second icon is a checkered
flag; to the right, it reads: Remember the goal. You're giving a presentation to share
information. The audience will be focused on getting the information they need, not watching
any immediate mistakes you might make. Third icon is a person resting their head in their
hands. Next to it, it reads: Know that it's okay to make mistakes. Tripping over words or taking
a moment to gather your thoughts is not a big deal. Most people have given presentations
themselves, so the audience will understand what it's like if you stumble or pause. Stay relaxed
as you move through imperfections.

You can do this! With some practice and dedication, you can overcome stage fright and
become a great public speaker, too. Stay confident in your abilities and keep practicing. And
who knows, you might even give a TED Talk on UX design some day!

Tips for giving an effective presentation

If you’re intimidated by giving presentations, you’re not alone! Public speaking makes many
people nervous. But as with most things, the more you do it, the more natural it will feel. With
time and practice, you’ll become more confident in your public speaking skills. Here are some
quick tips to help you start to improve your public speaking abilities.

Speak clearly and slowly. A common side effect of being nervous while presenting is that you
might start to speak too fast. You want the audience to be able to understand everything you
say and have time to digest it. So, it helps to pace yourself while you speak. You might even
consider tapping your toe within your shoe to keep a rhythm while you speak.
Allow for pauses. Pauses display confidence and help set the pace for your presentation. Some
ideal times to stop for a pause include when you pose a question to the audience or when you
transition to a new section of your presentation. Adding a meaningful pause is also a great way
to make sure that you aren’t speaking too quickly!

Make eye contact. As you present, try to make eye contact with different people in the
audience. Make eye contact with one person for 3-5 seconds before moving on to the next
person. This helps you connect with members of the audience and keeps everyone engaged in
your presentation.

If looking someone in the eye makes you uncomfortable, here’s another tip you can try: Look
at a person’s forehead instead of directly in their eyes. Or try to look at each person at eye
level, but look directly past at the wall behind them as you scan the audience. This will make it
seem like you’re making eye contact with the audience without actually doing it.

When presenting virtually, make sure to look directly at your webcam. This will help the
audience feel as if you’re looking at them, even though you’re not in the same room. Try
posting your notes to the side of your computer screen so you're not glancing down during the
presentation.

Be concise. While it’s great to use stories and data to keep your audience engaged, be sure
that everything you share adds value to your presentation. Keep the information you present
concise and to the point. A study found that the average human attention span is now shorter
than that of a goldfish: It’s fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 (or around the time smartphones hit
the scene) to 8 seconds today. This means you have a very short amount of time to hook your
audience and keep them engaged!

Have confident body language. You should move naturally in the free space that you have,
and move around the room to engage your audience. Smile and nod as you speak to put your
audience at ease. Avoid crossing your arms, having your hands in your pockets, or playing with
your hair or clothes.

When you present virtually, you don’t have the advantage of using your entire body to make
an impact and engage the audience. You have to rely on your face, so make sure your
expressions are animated and expressive, and use hand gestures that are visible within the
webcam's screen.
Know your audience. Your tone and the content of your presentation should be appropriate
for the audience that you are connecting with. For example, your presentation will be more
informal and might use different terminology when you’re with a group of colleagues versus
external clients. Similarly, let your audience know you. Be yourself and let your personality
shine. This will help you appear more genuine and can strengthen trust between you and the
audience.

Handling questions and objections

There will be times where your audience has questions about the information you're
presenting, and you’ll probably leave time at the end of your session specifically to answer
those questions. You might even face objections to the insights you presented. Here are a few
tips to handle questions and objections with ease:

 Know your material well. Practice, practice, practice! The more you know your
material, the easier it will be to speak about it when questioned. Remember to tie your
presentation back to the research insights themselves, and you’ll have a solid
foundation to stand on as you present. If there are areas in your presentation that you
think might raise questions or concerns, do extra research and prep beforehand.

 Repeat the question. Always repeat the question that an audience member asks, in
case the rest of your audience didn’t understand or hear it clearly. You can ask the
audience member to clarify if you are unsure of the question they’re asking.

 Don’t get defensive. Remember that objections aren’t personal. Be polite and
professional while answering questions from audience members. If there’s a
disagreement, make sure it’s about an idea and not directed at a person.

 Be concise. There’s usually a limited amount of time for questions after your
presentation, so don’t spend too much time answering one question. If possible, allow
everyone who wants to ask a question the time to ask one. If you’re running short on
time, let the audience know that they can reach out to you or your team with
questions after the presentation.

 Don’t rush to respond. Audience members can ask difficult questions! If you are
unsure about how to answer a question, you can say “That’s a good question. Let me
think about that for a moment.” If a few seconds isn’t long enough to find a good
response, you can say, “I might need to think on that some more. Can I get back to
you?”

Being a great public speaker means displaying confidence. That almost always comes from
being familiar with your content, speaking clearly, and learning how to tell a story that engages
listeners. Having confidence also lets you actively engage with questions from a place of
curiosity about new perspectives, instead of feeling defensive. So get practicing and put these
tips into action!