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How to keep user research going in these difficult times

I attended the panel session hosted by DxW digital on how to keep user research going in these difficult times. They are writing up a post too which I’m sure will be much more thorough (and I will link it here when it comes out) but I thought I’d share here the key things that stood out for me. I also have detailed rough notes on Google docs ( please request access if you want to read). I’m hoping when I get time during the weekend I’ll add my thoughts into this piece too.

7 Key Points (from panel)

1. We need to be thinking of not how we replicate what we did before, but what are the needs/outcomes we really want to achieve (do we really need to do a workshop for example?) – @DhruvSharma101

2. Jonathan Nichols: @GDSTeam are releasing a blog on remote UR as well as list of remote UR tools very soon. @DhruvSharma101 has created a google doc repository too, structured against use cases, rather than type of tools.

3. We need to think now about knowledge management, more important now than ever. How do we emboard people new to the organisation without a knowledge repository? – @lily_dart (also what happens if user researchers fall ill/need caring leave?)

4. Ethics and safeguarding are both important. How do we go about doing safe research with children? We also need to do research with those that are digitally excluded, and we need to find a way to do that – @svmboyd

5. There’s an interesting opportunity potentially to connect ourselves into the grassroots local networks who are engaging with those that are socially isolated. We also need to remember that we have phones and can do interviews over phone – @lily_dart

6. Should we continue doing research? Balance the risk of doing it against not doing it. Is this going to burden participants or is the environment going to affect the outcomes of the research? We need to look at each case. This may be an opportunity to do internal user research? (all)

7. And last but definitely not the least, be kind, with ourselves, colleagues, and participants and be honest with participants about our constraints. It is really hard balancing work on childcare & we don’t have all the answers yet – @RochelleLGold and all.

To read more detailed rough notes, please request access here.

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