In UoE Digital, being user-led runs throughout everything we do. We put our users at the heart of all decisions, basing choices on continuously gathered user-insight to ensure everything we do is in service of the user. Here is what one of our UX Researchers, Amelia Johnson has to say about how UoE Digital follows a user-led approach through our Digital Strategy, ways of working, and product development:
Our user-led strategy
Our 2030 Digital Strategy was created from insight into our users’ wants and needs and we continue to put users at the heart of everything we do. Being user-led in our work is a newer concept we are using to create products/processes for our users, with our users – this has been proven to be an extremely powerful way of working in other sectors.
It is vital to put the user’s needs at the centre of all our work to produce desirable processes and products. As a result, users are more likely to have a positive experience when using our products or processes and be able to complete the tasks they need without issues.
User-led ways of working
We currently have three UX Researchers in the team who focus on speaking to our users to understand their experiences at the University. The research is used to inform high-level decisions about new products, and also more on-the-ground decisions about product iterations – for example, releasing monthly versions of the new UoE App. This research can then be turned into a visual artefact, such as a journey map or persona, which can be used to visualise the research findings.
There are many methods to conducting user research and they depend on the objectives of the research. User Experience (UX) research can be split into qualitative (words-based) and quantitative (numbers-based) methods. We typically start with qualitative research to understand the experiences of the users, good and bad. This can be through methods such as semi-structured interviews, diary studies and focus groups. If needed, we can then validate those findings through quantitative methods, such as surveys, with a larger group of users (e.g. 50+).
How are we building a user-led product?
The new University of Exeter App is a great example of how we are building a user-led product. In 2021, the team carried out a huge research piece into the broad student experience and highlighted 15 pain points, including:
“Struggling to find an appropriate space to study”
“Challenges navigating the information resources at the University”
“Struggling to reach the right person for support”
These pain points have then been transformed into features within the new app. Throughout the process of designing the features, users have given their feedback at each stage about things they liked, disliked and what could be improved. This iterative method of regular, small changes has allowed the app to become totally user-led in what it contains. When it comes to testing how easy the app is to use, we have carried out usability tests with students – this means setting out tasks for users to complete whilst observing how they complete the task, whether they hesitate and how long it takes, etc.
Who can get involved?
Students:
If you would like to be part of this user-led approach to creating a better University experience at Exeter, please sign up using this form.
Academic and Professional Services Staff:
Throughout the 2023/24 academic year, we are going to explore the academic and PS staff experience at the University, so we may be asking for your input! In the meantime, come and join our Digital Demo’s every 2 weeks to hear about what Digital have been up to over the last fortnight. Feel free to also email uoedigital@exeter.ac.uk if you want to chat with us more about our user-led approach.
Anyone else:
If you are someone external to the University and interested in talking to us about our user-led approach and UX research, please email uoedigital@exeter.ac.uk
-Written by Amelia Johnson, UX Researcher