The Handbook of Global User Research

by Robert Schumacher

Overview

User research is global – yet despite its pervasiveness, practitioners are not all well equipped to work globally. What may have worked in Nigeria may not be accepted in Russia, may be done differently in Brazil, may partly work in China, and may completely fail in Kuwait. And what often goes less noticed, but can be equally vexing are technical, logistical and planning issues such as hiring qualified translators, payment procedures, travel issues, setting up facilities and finding test participants.The Handbook of Global User Research is the first book to focus on global user research. The book collects insight from UX professionals from nine countries and, following a typical project timeline, presents practical insights into the preparation, fieldwork, analysis and reporting, and overall project management for global user research projects. Any user experience professional that works on global projects — including those new to the field, UX veterans who need information on this expanding aspect of user research, and students — will need this book to do their job effectively.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780123748522
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	10/15/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert Schumacher, Ph.D., User Centric, Inc. Managing Director

Robert M. Schumacher is Managing Director at User Centric, Inc., a leading global user research firm, and CEO of User Experience Ltd., the first foreign-owned user research firm in Beijing, China.. He was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the User Experience Alliance. He speaks frequently on user experience and user research at national and international conferences, holds several patents, and has written dozens of professional and academic papers. In 20 years of professional experience, Bob has held technical and management positions in the telecommunications industry in human factors, new product development, and project management.

Table of Contents

1. Foundations and definition of user research2. Project management for global research3. Preparation4. Fieldwork For Global User Research Projects5. Analysis and Reporting6. Global user research methods7. User research throughout the world8. The role of professional organizations in user research9. The impact of culture on user research10. Closing Thoughts

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

First book to provide practical, no-nonsense approaches for practitioners conducting global user experience research!

Editorial Reviews

"Our products increasingly are finding their way around the world. Usable designs need to reflect the diversity of those global users if they are going to be successful, and not just the perspective coming from one lab in a corporate headquarters. Robert Schumacher’s Handbook of Global User Research is like a GPS system for navigating the complexities of that diversity. It is packed with an incredible amount of practical advice, useful tips, and warnings about potential disasters." —Arnie Lund, PhD, CUXP, Director, User Experience, Microsoft"Collectively, the authors bring decades and decades of hands-on experience to this book—-and it shows. The Handbook of Global User Research offers a wealth of practical tips and advice you can readily rely on in your daily work. But it’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts: this book provides in-depth discussions and history of each topic covered. Anyone doing user research across borders should have a copy of HGUR on their shelf." —James Kalbach, User Experience Consultant, LexisNexis, author of Designing Web Navigation.

From the Publisher