Managing the challenges of introducing user research - anecdotes from a mobile game studio
During the last decade, user research has been a key component of the product development process. Within the games industry there has been a significant effort that focuses on introducing and integrating user research as part of an initiative centralized on ‘player first’ culture. Numerous challenges exist when doing so, which are particularly apparent to studios and teams that have never had any prior exposure to any form of user research.
In this talk, I will share the key challenges that I faced during the introduction of user research to a mobile games studio. Using Donald Schon’s reflective practitioner’s approach I will reflect on those challenges through a series of personal anecdotes. These helped in the construction of DECEMA – a frame of reference whose aim is to help UX practitioners when introducing user research to development teams and organizations.