Building a UX Research Practice

In 2018, Assent’s design environment was fragmented, lacking a unified approach to user experience (UX) research. Design validations were inconsistent, often relying on biased insights without systematic methodologies. The absence of a structured participant recruitment process further hindered the ability to gather diverse user feedback, leading to design decisions that didn’t fully align with user needs.

Strategic Initiatives

Recognizing the need for a cohesive UX research framework, we embarked on a mission to equip our product teams, the “Mountaineers,” with the tools and processes necessary for effective UX research.

Implementing Advanced Research Tools

Dovetail - We integrated Dovetail to streamline the synthesis of user insights. Its AI capabilities significantly reduced the time required to analyze feedback, transforming a process that once took days into one completed in minutes.

UXtweak - To enhance our design validation processes, we adopted UXtweak. This platform facilitated remote unmoderated click tests and scenario task analyses, enabling us to gather objective data on user interactions and preferences.

Establishing a Robust Participant Recruitment Process

In-Product Interception - We introduced prompts within our product to invite users to participate in UX research. This approach allowed us to engage users directly, gathering valuable feedback to inform our design decisions.

Cross-functional collaboration - Building a participant pool required coordinated efforts across multiple teams. We worked closely with Product Operations and other departments to create and maintain a comprehensive list of potential research participants.

Outcomes

Expanded Participant Pool: Our concerted efforts led to the growth of our participant list from zero to over 500 active contributors. This diverse pool provided a wealth of perspectives, enriching our UX research.

Accelerated Time to Insights: Leveraging Dovetail’s AI-driven analysis tools, we reduced the time to synthesize user insights from three days to mere minutes. This efficiency allowed for more agile and informed decision-making in our design processes.