Business communication desktop app — Empathise Part 1: Creating and developing research questions

Workshop on Generating Research Questions

Identifying Essential Knowledge

In order to generate a diverse range of research questions, a workshop was conducted involving the participation of the UX team and the Product team. The session was facilitated by Iwona Gonciarz. During the workshop, attendees focused on formulating questions that serve various purposes, including gathering contextual information and specific details, exploring unspoken aspects, and eliciting comparisons to reveal underlying frameworks and cognitive models.

Progression of Question Development

Subsequent to the initial workshop, the process of refining the questions ensued, encompassing the following sequential steps:

Step 1 (5 minutes) — Recapitulation of Project Outcome, Problem Statements, and/or Hypotheses During this phase, the participants revisited and summarized the project’s objectives, problem statements, and potential hypotheses.

Step 2 (15 minutes) — Question Generation — During this stage, participants engaged in two key activities: either selecting questions from the existing question board or brainstorming new research questions individually, taking into account the project’s outcomes and hypotheses. Additionally, a review of prior research was conducted to identify existing knowledge and ascertain areas where information gaps exist.

Step 3 (10 minutes) — Question Organization — The participants proceeded to organize and categorize the generated research questions into thematic or topical areas, enabling a coherent structure to emerge.

Step 4 (15 minutes) — Development of Interview or Survey Questions — In this step, participants dedicated time to contemplating the formulation of interview or survey questions that would effectively address and provide insights into the identified research questions.

Step 5 — Prioritization (Optional — 5 minutes) — A brief optional session was conducted where each participant had the opportunity to prioritize the most crucial questions. Each individual was allotted a vote for selecting their top six questions of highest significance.

Research Questions — What do we want to learn?
(users’ goals, needs, pain points, and expectations)

Interview Questions — Elicit a specific story

Interview Question Preparation

Pre-Test Questions

Essential Inquiries:

1. Kindly describe your experience using the current desktop application or a specific functionality.
2. What challenges or issues do you encounter while using this application?
3. In your day-to-day activities, what significant communication obstacles do you face?

Recommended Inquiries:

1. Do you primarily work from home, hotels, coffee shops, offices, or in a hybrid setting?Are you required to switch lines or external caller IDs for making calls?
2. Regarding internal communication, what is your preferred method of interaction with colleagues?
3. If the participant mentions that they cannot use the app in the office due to a firewall restriction: If given the option, would you choose to make and receive calls using the desktop app or the desk phone? Please explain your reasoning.
4. How would you describe or explain the CounterPath App to someone unfamiliar with it?

Optional Inquiries:

1. Do you find the CounterPath App sufficiently user-friendly and intuitive?
2. What are your thoughts on the current desktop application?
3. When utilizing the existing desktop app or specific feature X, do you feel confident in your ability to navigate and operate it effectively?

Post-Test Questionnaire

Essential Inquiries:

1. In your opinion, does the current desktop application adequately fulfill your requirements?
2. Which specific features of the desktop app contribute to its ease of use?
3. Among the available features, which ones are of utmost importance to you?
4. Are there any additional features you would suggest incorporating into the desktop app?
5. Have there been instances where you preferred using an alternative communication tool? If so, what prompted this preference?

Recommended Inquiries:

1. Have you utilized other applications similar to the existing desktop app? If yes, which UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) apps have you used?
2. When communicating with internal individuals, do you primarily rely on voice calls or messaging? Or do you employ other methods?
3. Could you provide an example of a situation where the desktop app facilitated problem-solving?

Optional Inquiries:

1. Is there anything you wish was different about the current desktop app?
2. Regarding the other UCaaS app you mentioned, could you share two aspects you appreciate and two aspects you find unfavorable about it?

Continue reading … Business communication desktop app — Empathise Part 2: User interviews

Business communication desktop app — Empathise Part 2: User interviews