Beyond the Data – User Research for Complex Information Challenges
Aired: August 14, 2019
Presented by: Factor’s Bram Wessel and Sara Ingham
Topic: User Research for Taxonomy and IA
About this Webinar:
Qualitative Insights are Key to Developing IA and Taxonomies that Actually Work
It is pretty well known that “data” is important for your organization to build robust taxonomies and maintain a strong Information Layer. However quantitative data should be only part of how your organization seeks to understand customer or user information needs. Qualitative User Research insights are key for developing IA and taxonomies that actually work.
“Quantitative data can show you what is happening, but qualitative research can show you why something is happening.” —From The Factor Field Guide to User Research for Taxonomy Design
In this Webinar we discussed:
- The importance of understanding your users’ needs and information behavior at the beginning of any complex information project.
- The difference between generative and evaluative research and how the two methods can actually work in tandem to give you the best insights.
- Why you might not actually understand your users as well as you think you do. (Sorry!)
- Why User Research can take a lot of the guesswork out of IA and the taxonomy building process.
- Why user research can save your organization time and money.
- Examples of the benefits of user research for some projects we’ve been involved with.
- Some quick ways to add research into your current taxonomy building practice that is covered in our Field Guide.
Attendees received a copy of our E-book “The Factor Field Guide to User Research for Taxonomy Design — A Quick Guide to Building the Taxonomies People Need”
