Well, yes and no.
Just think about Covid. There’s plenty of data out there. Which, actually, might be the main problem. There’s just too much of it for the average Joe or Jane.
In that regard, this really becomes more of a question of, “Who am I going to trust to make sense out of it all?” Indeed, it all kind of boils down to the old question, “What’s your source?”
Now, I’m not going to do my own research on this particular issue. I will do plenty of research, though, on where my data's coming from.
Even if I trust the source, though, I’m going to be a lot less trustful when that source simply dumps a bunch of data in my lap. How am I supposed to make sense of it? Isn’t that their job? Why would they put the burden on me? I’m not buying it.
How does all this apply to UXR? Well, think of your own client. They’re probably drowning in data. Your report out for a usability test, or competitive analysis, or 3rd party research, or whatever is not the only data they will be dealing with that week. They’re probably also got a ton of stuff from analytics, vendors, dashboards, KPIs – you name it.
So, the question is really, "How can my stuff rise to the top of the pile?" And the answer to that should be, “How can I make it easier for them?”
Clients need reports that:
- Are short & sweet
- Get to the point
- Are clear & well-organized
- Are actionable
- Are convincing
- Involve at least some data (number of users, quotes, clips)
- Build trust
Remember, the report is not about you - your methodology, findings that only you find interesting, interminable FYIs, clever but hard-to-interpret diagrams, simple brain dumps (because those are so much more easy to do), fascinating one-offs or rat holes ... It’s about the system you’re evaluating. In particular, it’s about how it’s performing & how that can be improved. And that needs to get to your client. When it really comes down it, it’s really all about that audience of yours.
