{"id":7924,"date":"2021-06-25T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/?p=7924"},"modified":"2021-06-30T17:25:27","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T22:25:27","slug":"strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Picture yourself in the following scenarios&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">How might you react if a research participant said something <strong>racist<\/strong>, was almost <strong>naked<\/strong> from the waist down on Zoom, suddenly burst into <strong>tears<\/strong>, or was morally <strong>offended<\/strong> by the choice of snacks provided by the research facility?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or&#8230; what if one of your observers started <strong>flirting<\/strong> with one of your research participants, <strong>complained<\/strong> in front of everyone (including your boss!) that the research wasn\u2019t uncovering anything new, or made a <strong>bigoted<\/strong> <strong>comment<\/strong> about a participant?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>I recently attended a panel discussion hosted by the <a href=\"http:\/\/QRCA.org\">QRCA<\/a> called <strong>\u201cUncomfortable Situations I Wish I Knew How to Deal With\u201d<\/strong> where panelists and attendees shared frank and really uncomfortable situations they\u2019ve encountered in the past&#8230;and then discussed different ways we might handle them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the strategies I learned in the webinar or have used myself&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) Hypothesis Mapping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An executive stakeholder frustratingly exclaims \u201cWe already knew all this!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How\u2019s that for deflating the air from your research sessions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the purpose of a research study is to validate what the team already knows or believes (hey, CYA).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if the goal of the research study is to uncover <em>new<\/em> insights, what are some ways to help clients or observers feel like the research was a worthwhile investment of their time and resources?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My go-to method with all research planning is to find out from the project team or client what they already know, what they don\u2019t know, and what they <em>think<\/em> they will learn to help me identify more targeted, actionable research questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be implemented formally or informally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Conduct stakeholder interviews<\/li><li>Conduct a questionstorm<\/li><li>Conduct a <a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/ux-word-of-the-day-hypothesis-map\/\">hypothesis mapping<\/a> workshop&nbsp;<\/li><li>Conduct an empathy mapping workshop<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) Role-Play \/ Rehearse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To widen your toolbox for dealing with uncomfortable situations, consider practicing how you or your team might handle different scenarios\u2014either through role-playing exercises, rehearsing what you might say, or chatting with experienced researchers about their suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, you might decide that different situations require different approaches\u2014depending on the research method, environment, or research topic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a research participant says racist or sexist comments, you might decide to just let those comments go\u2014either because the study is being conducted one-on-one (rather than a group setting) or the participant\u2019s beliefs are at the heart of what you want to understand about your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in group settings, you may decide to take a different approach if uncomfortable comments are made in front of (or about) other research participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my own experience, here are some approaches I&#8217;ve used:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Know where the \u201chide video\u201d and \u201cstop screen share\u201d buttons are when using web conference platforms.<\/li><li>Unafraid to say \u201cthank you for your time and feedback\u201d and end the session early.<\/li><li>Designate someone to run interference and support me in-session (e.g., an observer can be heard laughing in the backroom at a comment the participant just said).<\/li><li>Ask the participant to clarify their statement or to expand on what they\u2019ve just said.<\/li><li>Express sympathy to the participant about their experience. When conducting CX research, I will <a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/ux-is-everywhere-even-in-user-research\/\">apologize<\/a> if they share a story about poor customer experience and then follow-up to ensure the participant&#8217;s issue is properly resolved after the session.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) Session Set-Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes your best defense is a thoughtful offense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the session (or at the start of your research session), think about what you might say to ensure participants feel physically and psychologically safe\u2014and what will be expected of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/codeofconduct.png\" alt=\"No driving during research session, must wear pants during research session\" class=\"wp-image-7945\" width=\"131\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/codeofconduct.png 262w, https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/codeofconduct-74x150.png 74w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 131px) 85vw, 131px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, I have had to explicitly tell research participants NOT to drive a car during our conversation or I will immediately terminate the session. I\u2019ve heard other researchers explicitly require participants be fully clothed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider how your facility or research study will be inclusive of different cultures and abilities. For example, if your research facility will be providing snacks to participants\u2014ensure the options accommodate dietary restrictions and are sensitive to different cultures and religious beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) Stakeholder Code of Conduct<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A code of conduct provides guidelines and expectations to our stakeholders and research observers. That is, how do you expect everyone in the observation room to behave during and after research sessions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my own practice, I refer to a code of conduct as an \u201cobserver guide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, I call out in my observer guide that the backroom and one-way mirror are NOT soundproof and to keep voices low and to avoid laughing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Most Recent Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-alpha monsterinsights-popular-posts-styled monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-columns-1\"><ul class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-list\"><li ><a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/usability-toolkit-participant-scheduling\/\"><div class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-text\"><span class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-title\" >Inside My Usability Toolkit: Participant Scheduling<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/ux-word-of-the-day-wayfinding\/\"><div class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-text\"><span class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-title\" >UX Word of the Day: Wayfinding<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/3-tips-for-more-successful-prototype-testing\/\"><div class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-text\"><span class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-title\" >3\u00a0Tips for\u00a0More Successful Prototype Testing<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/friday-finds-professional-services-bios\/\"><div class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-text\"><span class=\"monsterinsights-widget-popular-posts-title\" >How to Engage Your Users: Professional Services Bios<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-bright-blue-background-color has-background no-border-radius\" href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/contact\/\">Contact june ux<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Picture yourself in the following scenarios&#8230; How might you react if a research participant said something racist, was almost naked from the waist down on Zoom, suddenly burst into tears, or was morally offended by the choice of snacks provided by the research facility?&nbsp; Or&#8230; what if one of your observers started flirting with one &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-user-research-3"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions - June UX<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions - June UX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Picture yourself in the following scenarios&#8230; How might you react if a research participant said something racist, was almost naked from the waist down on Zoom, suddenly burst into tears, or was morally offended by the choice of snacks provided by the research facility?&nbsp; Or&#8230; what if one of your observers started flirting with one &hellip; Continue reading &quot;Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"June UX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-25T12:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-06-30T22:25:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/codeofconduct.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kristine Remer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@kristineremer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kristine Remer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/\",\"name\":\"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions - June UX\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-25T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-06-30T22:25:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9239f257eb7b6082954622f7bb7a13bb\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"June UX\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9239f257eb7b6082954622f7bb7a13bb\",\"name\":\"Kristine Remer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04287e5398aef336c1ac28a3811a49c9a8ab86020c33349ef1f186ade6efc3c7?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04287e5398aef336c1ac28a3811a49c9a8ab86020c33349ef1f186ade6efc3c7?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kristine Remer\"},\"description\":\"Kristine Remer is a CX insights leader, UX researcher, and strategist in Minneapolis. She helps organizations drive significant business outcomes by finding and solving customer problems. She never misses the Minnesota State Fair and loves dark chocolate mochas, kayaking, escape rooms, and planning elaborate treasure hunts for her children.\",\"sameAs\":[\"linkedin.com\/in\/kristineremer\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kristineremer\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/author\/klremer\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions - June UX","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions - June UX","og_description":"Picture yourself in the following scenarios&#8230; How might you react if a research participant said something racist, was almost naked from the waist down on Zoom, suddenly burst into tears, or was morally offended by the choice of snacks provided by the research facility?&nbsp; Or&#8230; what if one of your observers started flirting with one &hellip; Continue reading \"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions\"","og_url":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/","og_site_name":"June UX","article_published_time":"2021-06-25T12:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-06-30T22:25:27+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/codeofconduct.png"}],"author":"Kristine Remer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@kristineremer","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kristine Remer","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/","url":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/","name":"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions - June UX","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-06-25T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-30T22:25:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9239f257eb7b6082954622f7bb7a13bb"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2021\/06\/strategies-for-avoiding-uncomfortable-situations-during-ux-research-sessions\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Strategies for Avoiding Uncomfortable Situations During UX Research Sessions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/","name":"June UX","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9239f257eb7b6082954622f7bb7a13bb","name":"Kristine Remer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04287e5398aef336c1ac28a3811a49c9a8ab86020c33349ef1f186ade6efc3c7?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04287e5398aef336c1ac28a3811a49c9a8ab86020c33349ef1f186ade6efc3c7?s=96&r=g","caption":"Kristine Remer"},"description":"Kristine Remer is a CX insights leader, UX researcher, and strategist in Minneapolis. She helps organizations drive significant business outcomes by finding and solving customer problems. She never misses the Minnesota State Fair and loves dark chocolate mochas, kayaking, escape rooms, and planning elaborate treasure hunts for her children.","sameAs":["linkedin.com\/in\/kristineremer","https:\/\/twitter.com\/kristineremer"],"url":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/author\/klremer\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7924"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7948,"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7924\/revisions\/7948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}