3 truths of experience research
Unintentional UX truths from the zen of Matthew McConaughey
I recently read Matthew McConaughey’s memoir Greenlights. It was a light-hearted trip through the life and times of Mr. Alright, alright, alright which was equal parts funny stories and Zen-wisdom.
The title Greenlights comes from Mr. McConaughey’s use of a stoplight metaphor to categorize life experiences as either positive (green lights) and worthy of pursuit, or as negative (red lights) which are opportunities for green lights through adaptation. The collection of stories became a set of personal core values which I found applicable to the work I do as an Experience (UX) Researcher: Listen for understanding, know where you’ve been, and practice radical candor.
Listen for understanding
They are not trying to win arguments of right or wrong. They are trying to understand each other.
The story goes that two men were having a heated argument about whether a woman was right or wrong in her life choices. Mr. McConaughey weighs in and takes one side in the argument, only to be scolded by the man who was “right” that being right wasn’t the point; the point was they were arguing to understand, not to be right or wrong. I’ve heard variations on the following:
They [the users] always complain about something.
They aren’t using the tool the right way.
Statements dripping in disdain and lacking in empathy. Us versus them.
Do we know the people using our tools so well that we practically feel what they feel? Our primary mission is to enable both head knowledge and heart knowledge. Contextualize use. We eventually need to show and confirm, but first we need to ask and listen for understanding.
Know where you’ve been
So, here I am, fifty years in, looking back to look forward.
We have to know where we’ve been to know where we are going. We have to understand the “as-is” to know if the “to-be” is sufficient to meet the goal. I see too often that the team is eager to jump straight to designing something new.
Designing is fun. Everyone is a Designer.
Slow down and take a breath.
One of my favorite research methods is Benchmarking as it establishes a baseline from which to compare future design enhancements, it creates a level of understanding and forces radical candor to educate on hard truths.
Practice radical candor
I believe the truth is only offensive when we’re lying.
We are all searching for what we believe to be the truth. As Experience Researchers, we don’t really ever find the truth but rather some better approximation of the “truth.” Insights that our colleagues, managers, executives, company, or shareholders never would have recognized had we not done our jobs.
Sometimes that truth is hard news.
It is news that someone doesn’t want to hear but that’s not the Truthteller’s monkey to carry. Maybe it’s not really about lying about uncomfortable truths but rather pressure-shaping them to be something they are not in order to perpetuate a lie. That is, internal politics shape the narrative to de-weaponize the data. It is self-preservation to not want to hand someone a weapon but when the mantra of data-driven is combined with a culture of embracing risk and failure, the predators are de-fanged.
We bring data to the table and have a moral responsibility to tell the truth as we honestly know it. To do otherwise is to bring disrespect to the humans, whose voices we represent.
Do you agree with these truths?
