Project Background: 

Hands-on intensive focusing on ethnographic interviews and user testing. The Intensive included planning, conducting, and synthesizing research with real users. The goal of the intensive was to better understand neurodiverse users technology habits and patterns, gaining invaluable insights to make our current and future work more accessible.

Approach: 

A group of 5 design researchers reviewed any existing documentation related to the sampling experience. This included old interviews, surveys, and marketing data. I also met with members of the marketing team to discuss the current process. These efforts were aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding of the sampling process and closing any knowledge gaps.

The second phase of research focused on conducting 10 ethnographic interviews with customers who had recently requested product samples. The goal was to map out the end-to-end process of requesting a sample. Key objectives included understanding where the physical product sample influenced purchasing decisions and identifying any pain points in the experience.

The final phase of research involved launching a survey to explore the time and effort required for product reviews. The goal was to understand how much time reviewers spend evaluating single products versus multiple products and whether they continue their evaluations outside of scheduled in-person sessions. Key objectives included identifying the overall time available for reviewing samples or full products and determining if the review process involves multiple stages. These insights were designed to shed light on the workflow and challenges associated with product evaluations.

Insights & Impact:

Our mixed-methods research provided a comprehensive view of the sampling experience, aimed at boosting the team’s confidence in making major strategic decisions based on the data. This in-depth exploration identified five key areas in the sampling process where the team’s impact could be most significant, highlighted the crucial role of certain print samples, and uncovered opportunities to enhance their digital strategy.

To raise awareness of these five key areas, I developed a task analysis presentation that detailed the various stages of the sampling process. This presentation was shared with three separate teams to ensure alignment and support the strategic goals moving forward.