EMPATHIZE
CONDUCTING THE RESEARCH
I was brought onto this project just after the kickoff. So rather than being able to ask questions, I dove into all the provided data, articles and video recordings we had collected from the client to establish a foundation of knowledge about the project, the industry, hidden assumptions, and any other nuggets I could find. Once I was up to speed, I met with the team to begin planning the first phase of our project.
RESEARCH PLAN
Like any great exploration, we needed a map to guide us throughout our journey. Alongside my partners, I crafted a research plan to describe what our research goals would be, our methodology, recruitment strategy, and discussion guide.
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Before we wrote our research plan, we interviewed separate stakeholders from the product team to learn more about their goals for this project. As employers themselves, they had intimate knowledge of the industry they were building an app for, so we wanted to hear from them firsthand.
USER INTERVIEWS
When one of our Senior Designers was no longer able to keep up with the workload due to outside circumstances, I stepped in to take ownership of the Employer research. By the time we wrapped up interviews, we had interviewed a total of 13 employers, and 9 job seekers.
PAIN POINT
Our original plan for recruitment relied upon the client supplying candidates from their database. However, because of specific demographic requirements and a lackluster response, we came to a standstill.
HOW I SOLVED IT
I introduced the team to the online recruitment platform UserInterviews.com, and we were able to find the remaining candidates required to complete our interviews.