作者：Natalie Golub

在进行用户研究时，我的工作主要是收集人们使用产品的相关信息，并通过分析动态以及排除异常值而获得真正有帮助的内容。所以我总是能够很自然地联想到《Homeland》（游戏邦注：著名的美剧》中致力于捕捉恐怖分子并为美国政府提供情报的聪慧女特工Carrie Mathison。与Carrie一样，我对孩子们是如何使用数字产品也充满好奇，并且有时候我会找到一些违背常理的发现。如果你认为面向儿童进行测试比调查一个红色代码的安全性来得简单，那么请替代我去访问一个5岁孩童，要知道，待在一个双镜研究实验室里并被设计师，项目管理者以及程序员等所包围的孩子们会很容易出现情绪崩溃的情况。

作为用户研究员，同时还梦想着成为一名密探，我列举了《Homeland》在用户研究方面所教会我们的一些内容。如果开发者可以巧妙地使用这些信息便有可能创造出更加出色的游戏。

1.记录证据

作为聪明的研究员/CIA情报人员，你必须清楚如何有效地记录信息。不过Carrie在搜索并分析相关者的信息时使用的非常手段（游戏邦注：如在床上安装摄像机等）则不适用于用户研究中。相反地，用户研究员应该掌握一些更加轻松的方法去记录研究。研究室中总是会装备着一些专业的用户研究软件，如Morae，而如果是记录式访谈则可以使用一些更方便的设备，如iPhone或Flip相机。

记录访谈的目的并不是为了炫耀设备，而是确保你和其他成员在写报告或进行产品迭代，甚至是开发新产品时能够浏览到必要的信息。所以请务必记录下研究过程中的所有重要内容。

KidCamera（from gamasutra）

2.建立密切关系

Carrie比谁都清楚，得到目标对象的信任能够帮自己更有效地获得所有有价值的信息。她通过创造了一种值得信任的环境让目标在回答问题时能够放下所有戒备。尽管我们不能在用户研究中扮演红白脸的角色，但是我们却可以想办法让参与者放宽心态。不管是儿童还是成人，他们在面对研究人员时总是会倒向对方的看法而保留自己的个人观点。儿童特别容易受到研究人员的影响，所以我们就更需要呈献给他们一种舒适的环境，让他们能够按照自己的想法回答问题。避免引导性问题是帮助研究人员获得精确信息的主要方法。

研究实验室总是会让人们感到不自在——不管是专门的研究室还是由教室改造的临时场所。我们总是不习惯在使用新产品时有个陌生人在旁边死命盯着，并不断询问我们的想法。不管是面对成人还是儿童，我都喜欢以相同的方式开始对话。在营造出一种休闲轻松的对话环境后（如提供孩子们最喜欢吃的食物），我总是以如下内容作为开场白：“你们的回答并没有对错之分，我只是想知道你们的真实想法，如此我们才能创造出更有趣的内容。”对于儿童们来说，我的这番话能够让他们觉得“自己是世界上最先玩这款游戏的孩子之一！”这不仅会让他们因为自己的与众不同而兴奋，同时也能够让他们更愿意去传达自己的想法。

kidsholdinghands（from gamasutra）

3.与其他特工合作

尽管Carrie更希望独自解决所有问题，但是有时候她也不得不认可其他成员的观点。在用户研究中，通常每个项目只会分配一名研究员。在项目经理，制作人，设计师以及工程师之间，研究员，就像Carrier总会觉得自己孤身在寻找真相，并不得不与别人的反对和政治性规则相抗衡。

但是尽管所处的经历和扮演的角色不同，开发团队中的其他成员都能够成为你的同盟，并帮助你获得更有价值的信息。在研究过程中与旁观者和投资者交流不仅能够拓宽你的视野，同时还能帮助你更好地理解研究的真正目的，也就是你一开始进行研究的原因。就像Carrie会在调查时与其他特工进行交流，并在访谈期间与旁观者进行交谈。

kidphone（from gamasutra）

4.使用图像去传达信息

Carrie墙板上的各种信息（根据各种时间轴或类别）在其发现过程中非常有帮助。同样重要的是，她还必须能够与别人交流这些信息。记录研究会议并不能为当前或今后的发现提供有效的信息。而在报告中添加视频则能够帮助我们更好地进行交流并理解其中的问题，或突出那些我们认为特别重要的挑战。同时我们还必须以容易理解且具有描述性的方式去组织所有信息。如果能够同时提供视频或相关图像，孩子们将有可能提供更加有价值的信息。

kiddrawings（from gamasutra）

5.信息必须具有行动性

呈现出经过评估和分析的数据非常有帮助，但是你的研究结果也必须包含可行动的结果。如果Carrie的发现只是单纯的发现结果，她便不可能受到如此的尊重。她总是会事先考虑任何，并思考下一步的行动，以及这样的行动是否有意义。研究员能够发现孩子们不理解游戏的指示自然是件好事，但是仅仅如此却还不够。只有当你知道“为什么”会出现这种情况并引导着团队去解决问题时，你才算真正完成任务。

kidschalk（from gamasutra）

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

What Homeland can teach us about user research

by Natalie Golub

When performing user research, my job is to collect information on how people use a product and then to sort out the truth by deciphering trends and eliminating outliers. So naturally, I relate to Carrie Mathison, Homeland’s weirdly intense intelligence officer who is obsessed with capturing terrorists and providing security for the United States. Like Carrie, I am obsessed with understanding how children use digital products, sometimes disclosing findings that are against popular theory. And if you think kid testing is any more predictable or calm than investigating a code red security threat, then please feel free to step in and take my place next time I am interviewing a five year old having an emotional breakdown in a double mirror research lab with designers, project managers and producers observing my discipline tactics while I attempt to continue the interview.

As a user researcher, living the double life as a wannabe-spy, I have compiled a classified list of lessons that Homeland can teach us about user research. Use this information wisely, for the purpose of good vs. evil, and at your own risk.

1) Document your evidence.

As an astute user researcher/CIA intelligence officer, you must vigilantly document your subjects. Though Carrie applies extreme measures to retrieve and analyze participant information (like installing cameras in bedrooms, ahem), such effort is not socially acceptable in user research. Instead, consider documenting your research in ways more easily accessible. While research labs are often equipped with professional user research software, such as Morae, recording interviews can be done with more easily accessible devices, such as an iPhone or Flip camera.

The goal of documenting interviews is not to show off fancy equipment, but rather to create a history that you and others can browse for information during the report writing, and perhaps, during product iterations or even future product development for new projects. Record everything in your research session that you can.

2) Build a rapport.

Carrie knows better than anyone that gaining the trust of her subject in crucial to withdrawing valuable information. Through risky and morally questionable tactics, Carrie tends to retrieve important data, that others cannot. She creates a trusting environment where her target in question feels comfortable confiding in her about personal matters. Though we all might not have access to a woody lake home to conduct user research, or the opportunity to play the role of good-cop, small attempts to make the participant feel comfortable go a long way. Whether a child or an adult, the participant often brings a natural tendency to want to please the researcher or withhold personal information. Children are especially susceptible to researcher bias, and therefore have a strong urge to answer or perform in a way that they believe is satisfactory to the grown-ups in the room. Staying far away from leading questions is imperative to uncovering accurate information.

A research lab, whether a designated research room or a classroom turned makeshift research space, is an unnatural environment. We do not usually have strangers looking over our shoulder while we use a new product, and inquiring about our thought process throughout. Whether interviewing an adult or child, I like to start every session the same way. After making casual and comfortable talk (e.g. finding out the child’s favorite thing to eat for breakfast), I always use the same line: “There are no wrong or right answers. I really just want to know what you think so we can make this better.” For children, this line always precedes my signature description that they, “one of the first kids in the whole world to play with this game!” Not only does it get children excited about participating because they feel special, but it makes them feel important and motivated to contribute.

3) Collaborate with your fellow agents.

Despite her inclination to solve everything on her own, Carrie is sometimes forced to acknowledge the necessary perspective of others. In a user experience study, there is often only one researcher assigned to the project. Working amongst project managers, producers, designers and engineers, a researcher, much like Carrie, can feel alone in the fight to discover the truth and work against others’ biases and politically charged desired outcomes.

However different in experience and roles, other members of the product development team should become your allies, and tools to access valuable perspectives. Communicating with research onlookers and investors during the study itself can not only broaden your own observations, but it can help you further understand their ultimate goals for the study, which is, afterall, the ultimate reason you are conducting research in the first place. Just as Carrie communicates with her fellow intelligent officers during investigations, talk to the onlookers between sessions whenever possible.

4) Use visuals to convey information.

Carrie’s wall board, covered with miscellaneous information and organized according to timelines or categories is crucial in her own discovery process. And equally important, it is imperative to her ability to communicate this information with others. Recorded research sessions are not just important to offer information to be used for current or future discovery. Including videos in reports is an excellent way to communicate hard to understand issues, or to highlight challenges that you deem particularly important. Assemble your evidence in a clear, easy to understand, and descriptive way. Saying that children tend to be unintentionally active an incorrect hotspot is even more powerful when accompanied with video and a corresponding graph.

5) Information should be actionable.

Presenting evaluated and deciphered data is helpful, but your research results should be accompanied by actionable outcomes. Carrie would not be so highly respected if her discoveries were just… discoveries. She is always thinking ahead, providing the suggested next move, and considering the work that such recommendations will take. Discovering and presenting the finding that children didn’t understand the game’s instructions is great, but not enough. You’re mission is on its way to completion when you have come up with a recommendation that considers the “why” and directs the team to a fix.(source:gamasutra)