In the previous two articles, we talked about two types of questions that cannot be asked during user interviews: yes or no questions and why; In this article, let's explain the third point: don't ask for advice. This is also a common mistake that many people make, and it is recommended to read it carefully.
When I was in the early years of the industry, my boss told me, "We consult consultants, and we have to talk about three points when we open our mouths." ”
What a coincidence! There are also three points that cannot be asked of the user. In addition to the previous saying of not asking right and wrong, "Why can't you ask right or wrong?" and not asking why, "Asking why, is a mistake!" In addition to that, there is a third point, which does not ask for advice.
"The farthest distance in the world is not the distance between life and death, not the distance between heaven and earth, but I am sitting in front of you, and you ask me what advice I have."
If a straight man asks a favorite girl: "Do you have any suggestions for me chasing you?" "Do you think he's nervous?
Asking users for advice is generally not very good. Users often have common sense but no knowledge, and if they ask for a solution, they will get a cheap, hypothetical solution.
"If you ask a user what they want, they'll tell you a faster horse!" Users are all emotionally intuitive first, rational secondary. They make decisions based on their feelings, and of course they communicate with you based on their feelings. In the user's cognition, a faster horse is the most no-brainer solution. You ask Him directly, and He will give it to you.
A group of professionals racking their brains and can't come up with a solution to the problem, the user can count it with a roll of his eyes? It's not scientific. Wake up! This kind of story is more like a joke. Even if there were, the probability of its occurrence is negligible. Otherwise, even Zhang Xiaolong, who was as calm as water, couldn't help complaining that hundreds of millions of people wanted to teach him how to do WeChat every day.
One might argue that there are products that users use every day. He didn't come up with the solution at the moment of the interview. Maybe he's already thinking of a solution and just waiting for us to go.
In this regard, I can't help but want to break everyone's illusions. The vast majority of users are busy involuting and lying flat. I don't have time to dig hollow out every day and think about how a certain product can be improved. At the time of the interview, their mentality was no different from that of teaching Zhang Xiaolong: "Since you are so sincere in asking, why should I open my mouth?" ”
Generally speaking, when we make a product, our daily work life is this product. Many people have a delusion in a trance. I think that every user cares very, very much about this product just like themselves. In fact, the user has been exposed to so many products in his long life journey, if each one of them cares as much as you do, his life would have been blown up.
Therefore, not only should we not actively ask the user for the suggestion, but even when they actively mention the suggestion, we should not focus on the suggestion itself, but discuss with him what is the problem behind the suggestion.
If you can't ask for advice, then what should you ask?
There is only one core: ask the facts. Why do users give a suggestion? Because this suggestion may correspond to a trouble. In the course of the interview, try to focus on why the trouble is a problem, and on that basis, what attempts he has made to solve the problem, etc. No matter how successful he thinks his attempt is, the most important thing is not the attempt itself, but the understanding of the relationship between the attempt and the problem he is experiencing.
What he thinks and what he does will have a completely different meaning. In a sense, the fact that he just wanted not to do this act also shows that the pain point doesn't seem to hurt that much, doesn't it? And his substantive attempt to solve the problem, whether successful or not, is itself worthy of a more detailed discussion with him.
What the user does is far more important than what he thinks.
Speaking of which, I am reminded of an example mentioned by a former colleague when he gave a lecture to college students. She used the example of "I like coffee" that I often use when explaining the need to distinguish between facts and opinions in interviews. One of my classmates argued that the expression "I like you" is a fact! Can you briefly think about it, is it true that "I like you"?
In the eyes of a user researcher, this is certainly not true. When you hear a user say, "I like XX", a series of questions should come to your mind.
What is the specific manifestation of how he likes her? How well do they know each other? Will he share his unknown past with her? To what extent are they each involved in each other's lives? What did he do that he wouldn't have done before he knew her? ……
All of this should be translated into an invitation to the beginning of the other person's narrative. "Tell us your story. How did you meet? ……”
There is one additional point that needs to be clarified. You can also see it as an exception to not asking for advice.
When we interact with our users, we sometimes use an approach called participatory design. It means that we invite users to become designers to solve specific problems they encounter in real life. This approach is less about identifying needs, more about seeking inspiration. At the same time, we will also have certain requirements for participating users. In addition to the regular good talk, it will also be good at solving problems with hands. For example, I often go to the maker center to play, or I like to participate in problem-solving activities, such as hackathons, various innovation activities, etc. In the course of ordinary user interviews, such users are occasionally encountered. In this scenario, it is not unreasonable to discuss some solutions with users appropriately.
As a user researcher, you must have a strong obsession with the pursuit of facts. In fact, the "three no's" in the interview are all teaching you how to dig up the facts. Not asking questions about right and wrong teaches you to explore the facts as much as possible. Teach you to invite the other person to tell the truth without asking why. Not asking for advice teaches you to focus on the facts. The meaning of user-centricity is not to enshrine what the user says as a golden rule, but to actually understand the user, understand his desires, and understand the troubles he encounters.
The work of user research may seem simple, but in fact there are many details that need to be paid attention to and practiced constantly. The "three noes" seem simple, but the practice is never-ending. Knowing these "three no's" won't help you become a good user researcher. Only by thinking deeply, practicing continuously, and having a sense of reverence for each project can you let your abilities grow over time.
This article was originally published by @Gump on Everyone is a Product Manager. Reproduction without the permission of the author is prohibited
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