Introduction
As someone who has never designed a questionnaire before, I was and still am very apprehensive about designing one. I spent some time thinking and researching the right type of questions to be put forth to the participants to elicit the right answers.
So, for this week’s assignment, I developed questionnaires for the ToDo application from the previous assignment. The questionnaires were designed to gather feedback from two different types of users – business professionals and students. I did so because this would help me with my final project. I used these personas with the Todo App in mind, which I will use as my final project. I divided the process into two stages – user research and usability testing.
UX Research
As a UX researcher aiming to identify user needs and understand their problems, it’s crucial to frame questions that delve deep into users’ experiences, pain points, and challenges.
- Start with Open-ended Questions: Begin the interview or survey with broad, open-ended questions to encourage participants to share their experiences freely.
- Explore Specific Pain Points: Once the conversation flows, dig deeper into specific areas where users encounter difficulties or frustrations.
- Probe for Context and Details: Follow up on users’ responses with probing questions to gather more context and detail about their problems. This helps you understand the underlying reasons behind their challenges.
- Ask About Workarounds or Solutions: Inquire about any workarounds users have developed to cope with the identified problems. This can provide insights into potential solutions or improvements.
- Probe for Unmet Needs: Explore areas where users feel their needs need to be adequately addressed by the current product or service. This can uncover opportunities for innovation and improvement.
- Encourage Stories and Examples: Invite participants to share anecdotes or real-life examples that illustrate their challenges and frustrations. This provides a richer context and helps you empathize with their experiences.
In the Context of the ToDo App, some of the questions are shown below:
| Questionnaire | Busy Professional Persona | Student Persona |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Can you describe a typical day in your professional life?
What are the main tasks you need to accomplish daily? |
Can you walk me through a typical day or week in your life as a student?
What are the main academic responsibilities and commitments you juggle? |
| Pain points /
Challenges |
What are the biggest challenges you encounter while managing your workload?
Can you walk me through any specific instances where you felt overwhelmed or frustrated with your tasks? |
How do you approach studying and completing assignments?
What are the biggest challenges you face when staying organized and productive? |
| Time Management | How do you prioritize your tasks and manage your time effectively?
Are there any time-consuming activities or processes that you find particularly burdensome? |
How do you prioritize your academic tasks and manage your time effectively?
Are there any distractions or time-wasting activities that impede your studying? |
| Collaboration | How do you communicate and collaborate with colleagues or clients?
Have you experienced any difficulties in coordinating with team members or stakeholders? |
|
| Learning Environment | What resources do you rely on for studying and learning?
Could any aspects of your learning environment (e.g., classroom, library) be improved? |
|
| Technology | What tools or technologies do you currently use to streamline your work?
Are any gaps or limitations in your current tools hinder your productivity? |
What role does technology play in your academic life?
Are there any digital tools or platforms you find essential for your studies? |
| Work-Life Balance /
Extracurricular |
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance amidst your busy schedule?
Are there any aspects of your work life that could be improved to alleviate stress? |
How do you balance your academic workload with social and extracurricular activities?
Have you encountered any difficulties in maintaining a balance between your studies and other commitments? |
| Future needs /
Aspirations |
What improvements or features would make your work life easier and more efficient?
Where do you see opportunities for innovation or enhancement in your professional workflow? |
What are your long-term academic and career goals?
How do you envision technology supporting your academic journey and future endeavors? |
Usability
The questions may vary depending on the type of usability testing being carried out.
5-second test
- First Impression: These questions capture participants’ initial reactions and perceptions of the product or interface within the first few seconds of exposure.
- Clarity and Memorability: These questions assess how well participants remember and understand key information presented in the interface.
Walk-around and Exploration Tests
- Exploration Behavior: These questions aim to understand how participants navigate through the product or interface and which features they explore.
- Discoverability: These questions assess how easily participants can find specific features or information within the product.
Essential Tasks Test
- Task Completion: These questions evaluate participants’ success in completing essential tasks within the product.
- Efficiency and Effectiveness: These questions assess participants’ efficiency in completing tasks and overall satisfaction with the process.
Surveys/Questionnaires
- Demographic and Background: These questions gather information about participants’ demographics, experience, and usage patterns.
- Experience and Satisfaction: These questions assess participants’ overall experience with the product and their satisfaction level.
- Feedback and Suggestions: These questions invite participants to provide feedback and suggestions for improving the product.
In the Context of the ToDo App, some of the questions are shown below:
| Questionnaires | Busy Professional Persona | Student Persona |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Second Tests | ||
| First Impression / Memorability | What are your initial thoughts or impressions upon seeing the Todo app interface for the first time? Does the app’s design convey professionalism and efficiency? |
Based on the initial impression of the Todo app’s homepage/landing screen, how likely are you to use it for organizing your academic tasks?
Does the app’s design and messaging resonate with your needs as a student? |
| Walk-around and Exploration Tests | ||
| Exploration Behavior / Discoverability | Please navigate through the app and explore its features. What stands out to you as particularly helpful or relevant to your workflow?
Are there any aspects of the app’s design or functionality that could be improved to accommodate your busy schedule? |
Take some time to explore the app’s features. Which features would most benefit keeping track of your assignments, deadlines, and study sessions?
Are there any functionalities or design elements that are confusing or less relevant to your academic workflow? |
| Essential Tasks Test | ||
| Task Completion / Effectiveness | Imagine you have a list of tasks that need to be completed urgently. Can you use the app to quickly add, prioritize, and manage these tasks?
How intuitive and efficient did you find the process of setting deadlines, categorizing tasks, and marking them as completed? |
Suppose you have multiple assignments and exams coming up. Can you use the app to create a study schedule, set reminders, and track your progress on each task?
How easy was it to find and use the features essential for managing your academic workload? |
| Surveys/Questionnaires | ||
| Experience and Satisfaction | On a scale of 1 to 5, how well does the Todo app meet your needs for organizing and prioritizing your professional tasks?
What features or improvements would make the app more indispensable for managing your busy work schedule? |
Rate your satisfaction with the Todo app’s effectiveness in helping you stay organized and productive as a student.
What additional features or enhancements would make the app more conducive to your academic success and time management? |
Conclusion
In my learning journey as a UX researcher, I realized that questionnaires are valuable tools for gathering systematic user feedback, which can inform the design, development, and optimization of user experiences. The questions should be clear, unbiased, relevant, and suitable for the participants.
As a UX researcher, does this blog help you with insights in drafting your questionnaires?
( I hope I am learning to frame some questions here 🙂 )
References
Pervaiz, Muhammad Ahsan. “UX Design Process Simplified from User Research to Usability.” Packt Publishing, January 2020, https://learning.oreilly.com/course/ux-design-process/9781800208797/.
ChapGPT 3.5 prompt. (February 2024).
- For user research and usability testing, what would be the criteria for asking good questions in one-on-one interviews, group discussions, and surveys?
- As a UX researcher conducting research to identify user needs, how would I ask questions to understand user problems for a busy professional and a student persona for a ToDo app?
- As a UX researcher conducting usability testing and conducting – 5-second tests, walk-around and exploration tests, essential tasks tests, and surveys/questionnaires, how would I ask questions for a specific to busy professional and a student persona for the Todo app, elaborate more?