Research to insights via Sticky notes

My mood has improved significantly since my last blog post. I conducted the Usability Study with five participants, and it turns out my low-fidelity app was just right for this stage in the design process. I received excellent feedback during the study. I think if my app had been more advanced, I would have even more design work to undo and redo.

As I read the course material for turning the Study results into actionable insights, I thought the process would be cumbersome and possibly even a waste of time. When I conducted the Study, I took notes in a spreadsheet. Next steps involved writing each observation and quote onto a slip of paper (or Sticky note) and then shuffling the notes around to identify themes and patterns. (I could have copied/pasted information into a digital tool, but I decided to use paper and colored pens.)

Transcribing all of the observations/quotes was indeed time-consuming, but when I started to arrange and rearrange the notes by theme, I understood and appreciated the method. It's so easy to shuffle through and move the notes, like playing cards. The themes and patterns quickly made themselves apparent (see below). Next up, insight identification!