Grab: A Case Study in UX Research
Recently, I had the opportunity of experiencing what I somewhat generously consider a micro-internship at Google. My alma mater, San Jose State University, offers a special course called “Braven” which trains students to prepare for careers and offers recent graduates resources and opportunities. I took this course and in turn am considered a Braven alumni, or “fellow.” Since graduation, I’ve been finding ways to use my skills and learn new ones to become a UX (user experience) Researcher. When I heard that Google had joined forces to offer fellows in the Braven network first-hand information on the field and a competition judged by professions from their own UX team, I was ecstatic and jumped in head first.
What I did:
After a few informational sessions, the UX team at Google walked us through the prompt for the challenge; we were to create an app concept that seeks to make garage sales easier for buyers and sellers. The scope of the project we were tasked with could be as broad or as thorough as we wanted it to be. Given my personal career goals, I chose to focus on the foundational user research that would guide the creation and refinement of a garage sale app.
As someone on the outside wanting in, I’ve done my fair share of deep dives into Reddit discussions, YouTube videos on the tips and tricks of getting into the field, UX specialization courses via Coursera, and a sincere commitment to the grind. This was, however, my first legitimate attempt applying some of these research methods in a real-life context.
How I did it:
Initially, I was in a bit of an uncertain, limbo state, but after attending the first set of office hours hosted by the Google UX team I was inspired and developed some strategies for how I could conduct research. I reached out to a list of contacts, family and friends, who have experience either buying goods, selling, or both via an online marketplace. “What is something you like about Facebook Marketplace? What is something you’d like to see improved?” I asked — a standardized question that all 8 interviewees received. But the real insights started to appear several questions in, when participants would recount some of the annoyances and unmet needs they have experienced. It was this sort of “airing of grievances” that gave me some insight into what users want to see improved.
I supplemented these qualitative interviews with an analysis of posts on some popular websites offering peer sales (i.e., Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Offerup, Nextdoor), an idea that was actually given to me by a friend I interviewed. That “go to the source” approach actually led me to some interesting statistical findings:
- Across all categories, slightly over half (55%) of the postings were by women, 34% were posted by men, and the remainder (11%) by small businesses
- The gender statistics sometimes vary by category (Apparel: 90% female; no dominant group for electronics; Home Improvement: 83% male)
- Posts remained online for an average of 4 days
Lastly, for good measure, I conducted a competitive analysis. This was actually a research method shared during one of the informational sessions by a Google UXer. The idea is fairly straightforward: to understand a given industry, you ask and answer critical questions about some of the top competitors. Despite its relatively intuitive logic, I had never heard this strategy discussed in UX research circles before. I found some great guiding questions from this article.
With the resultant amalgamation of research, I discovered that the biggest needs that are either not adequately met or not met at all are the following:
1. Security (physical safety & the guarantee of payment)
2. Up-to-date posting information
3. Product details
These details would be used to inform design solutions, which I brainstormed and subsequently received feedback on. And with that, Grab (thanks to a select few interviewees who helped me pick a name), a young but grounded concept for a garage sale app was born.
This is an image of my good faith attempt at showcasing some of the solutions I arrived at through the user experience research I conducted. My ideas are more fleshed out than the design provides, but I actually intend to continue developing Grab; if nothing else, it will guarantee myself some hands-on UX research practice.
What I learned:
- Companies like Google seek individuals with specialized UX skills
Admittedly, and although I’m working on improving it, I’m not a designer. I’m both more qualified and naturally curious as a researcher which is why I want to specialize in UX, although specialization shouldn’t be considered a golden rule. From what I know, some companies look for individuals who have proficiency with specific skills in UX, while others look for someone who can provide general skills. Google’s team appears to be composed of the former. Their UX team consists of individuals with the following titles: researcher, designer, writer, and program manager. It was for that reason that I focused mainly on discovering research methods and strategies for a project like this. Depending on what your career goals are, you might want to learn UX skills in general or focus them more intensely.
- Let yourself be led to solutions
In life, there can be a tendency to approach problems with a prescribed solution in mind. The great thing about user experience research is that you don’t always have to create the solutions. Instead, you let someone who is naturally using your app, product, service, what-have-you, explain their experience. From there, you can find yourself led to the ideas that would improve your project. Some of the other fellows who participated in this challenge shared that this concept also provided them with some unique ideas.
- Find ways to get your feet wet
This was a great project. Something that everyone was excited to participate in, that we could tailor to our interests, and that we could receive feedback on from a group of industry professionals. Which begs the questions: when will another opportunity like this come again? What if the email got buried in my inbox? What if I never had the chance to begin with? Neither I nor anyone has to sit patiently waiting for a career offer, an internship, or a stroke of luck to practice and grow their skills in this field. UX Research is absolutely something you can do on your own volition, and maybe your resume could even be better for it.
- Lastly, have fun
Yes, it sounds (and probably is) cliche. Let’s not ignore the fact that the UX job market quite literally is a competition. Yet, I’m a firm believer that you can foster passion for something the more you’re able to have fun with it. And while we can get caught up in endless spirals comparing our technical skills and our quantified, on-paper accomplishments, if you can’t have fun then you might find yourself wishing you were doing something else. Learning how to have fun with this work can also be a skill that sets you apart from others, but it will inherently serve to benefit you as well.
I want to give special thanks to Braven, Google, and everyone else who participated in this challenge.
