User research for the Internet of Things

Description

How to conduct research regarding the integration of connected products in our users’ daily lives? From learning to use these sets of objects dispersed in the home environment, to assimilating them into a daily routine, and to their disuse, the adoption of the Internet of Things is characterized by a multitude of contact points of which users are often ignorant.

What is the best way to organize a study over a period of time? Our method was to “follow” users over a one-week period, by means of a diary in which they made entries every morning and evening, and by photos they took of their environment.

What difficulties did we encounter?

• Recruiting well: Seeking candid and verbally expressive people
• Designing a diary: Mixing qualitative with quantitative
• Coaching your users in order to obtain what you need: Reminders, instructions, structuring the diary
• Encouraging your users to reveal their inner self: The “Show and Tell” method

Despite diaries full of observations, how to fill in the gaps of missing information? How to deal with a large quantity of raw material? We collaborated with an anthropologist in order to:

• Understand behaviors: Opting for “How” instead of the “Five Whys” during interviews with users
• Segment users into personas: Evaluating behaviors and attitudes
• Establish hypotheses and working assumptions