Evaluation: Qualitative
”By doing qualitative research, you aim to gain narrowly focused but rich information about why users feel and think the ways they do.” [1]
- To learn more about the difference between qualitative and quantitative evaluation look at this card.
- Qualitative research focusses on the “why?”.
- Contrary to its quantitative "counterpart," qualitative research can assist you in revealing unspoken truths about your users' motives, hopes, wants, pain areas, and more to support you in maintaining the focus of your project throughout development [1].
- Around 5 testers are recommended for qualitative research.
Methods
There are many different methods you can use for qualitative studies. From our experience, we recommend one or all of the following methods for the qualitative evaluation of UX and usability in autonomous driving:
Interviews [1]
Structured: Users are asked the same set of specific questions.
Semi-structured: You converse more naturally with users while adhering loosely to a set script of specific questions. You spontaneously ask further questions regarding a topic if necessary.
User Observation [1]
You observe people as they use your design and take note of their gestures, expressions, and emotions as they try to complete tasks.
Think Aloud Testing
“In a thinking aloud test, you ask test participants to use the system while continuously thinking out loud — that is, simply verbalizing their thoughts as they move through the user interface.” [2]
Sources
[1] - Interaction Design Foundation "Qualitative Research" URL: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/qualitative-research [Accessed September 2022]
[2] - Jakob Nielsen "Thinking Aloud: The #1 Usability Tool" URL: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/thinking-aloud-the-1-usability-tool/ [Accessed September 2022]. 1 (2012).