Below are the stages and steps that I follow in most of the projects I participate:
Plan
Request
- Research request as a briefing document, to be completed by the Stakeholder
Define
This is the core activity and the stepping stone of any research project.
- Starting the project with the team - Planning Workshop to understand what problems teams and the business are trying to solve and align user research activities to inform decision-making and action
Arrange
- Logistics: feasibility checking, budget and collaborators, governance and personal data privacy, recruiting and participant’s experience, plan for the sessions, incentive handling)
- Sessions preparation: tools and environment definition, facilitation and data collector artifacts (i.e. prototypes, design options, cards, scripts), iterations with Stakeholders, mock test with colleagues.
Collect
Execute
- The first session(s) execution and review of the questions. Share the raw data with Stakeholders to ensure we get the information we seek.
- * Handle participation, NDAs and incentives
- Mid-project check with the rest of the team and Stakeholders.
- Finish the sessions
Understand
Analyse
- Debrief of the execution and selection of the analysis method
- Data analysis
Modelling data
- Sense-making of the data is synthesised on models such as Value Proposition Canvas, Empathy maps, Personas or Journeys.
- Report building
Spread
Distribute
- Sharing sessions with Stakeholders and collaborators
- Knowledge management (put the data into the repository, update the projects register, mail with key learnings or newsletter writing)
Systematise
- Update templates with new tools that have been useful during the last project
- Update Stakeholders and Collaborators databases when needed.
- Performance metrics update with numbers that help track the impact of the research practice for the product roadmap
- Update the Codebook when available.
