Tools and resources
Tools
User researchers use a range of tools and resources to help them to achieve their goals - many of these are shared by other disciplines across the DDaT directorate, but include:
- Microsoft Teams (for interviewing, communicating and attending ceremonies)
- Microsoft packages (e.g. excel, word, powerpoint etc.)
- Slack (for engaging with colleagues situated across government)
- Camtasia (for recording and editing)
- Miro (for research tasks such as affinity mapping as well as planning and reporting)
- Confluence/Jira - for logging work activities and managing sprint-based work
- Sharepoint (for all data storage)
User researchers at the NHS BSA also log their research activities in a fortnightly ‘Research Roundup’. Here, user researchers outline what work they have conducted over the past two weeks, which of their assumptions were the most risky, and outline any ‘nuggets’ of wisdom they can share with their peers based on their most recent research activities.
Equipment
Our user researchers have access to an array of technology to be used in their role. User researchers are typically issued with a Macbook and licences to the software programs listed above. To ensure safety while on face to face research, researchers are also equipped with lone worker devices and a work smartphone. Researchers also have access to recorders, ipads and various other technologies to assist them in their research pursuits.
Resources
User Research Surgery
Our user research community also has access to a number of additional resources. For example, we have a fortnightly User Research ‘Surgery’, where researchers can come together to help each other solve problems and learn from more experienced others.
User Research Community
Our user research community meets on a fortnightly basis to share best practice, troubleshoot issues, communicate with one another, and explore how we can develop and grow as a community of practitioners. At present, one community meeting per month is held face to face to ensure that we are able to participate in more active tasks and to help build a sense of community through real-world engagement.
Our community has several benefits to user researchers. As well as sharing of knowledge, our community is the ideal place for user researchers to identify opportunities to shadow and learn from other more experienced staff.
Research Operations (ReOps) Team
The NHS BSA has recently developed a new Research Operations Team, this team provides significant support to user researchers with contributions towards recruitment, information governance and other research administration tasks. Having ReOps support leads to significant time-loss savings, meaning that our user researchers can focus on understanding user needs.
Matrix Management
All of our user researchers are set within a matrix management structure. This means all of our user researchers have three managers who they can turn to in times of need depending on the nature of the topic. These consist of:
- A dedicated team manager (for direct line management and pastoral care)
- An agile delivery manager (for workflow and project specific queries)
- A professional lead (for subject specific queries and professional development)
Dedicated Mentoring
All of our user researchers have access to a more experienced mentor. Mentoring is designed to move away from project-specific work and focus on critical self-reflection and career/role development.
Service standards
The UK government service standard is set of 14 criteria which help us create and run good digital services. In addition to the 14 core criteria, the NHS has 3 extra points for health and social care.
These service standards are designed to help teams:
- address the different needs of users
- navigate the complexities of delivering digital services across government and health and social care
Depending on certain criteria, teams are often assessed against the service standard during the lifetime of a service.
Other toolkits
User researchers are also encouraged to look outside of the organisation for existing toolkits, a number of these exist, example:
- Human Centred Design Tools - Victorian Government, Australia
- Digital Society School Design Toolkit - Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
- Microsoft Inclusive Design
- Austin Center For Design
- Hyper Island’s toolbox
- Laws of UX
- Open Design Kit from Bocoup
- Service Design Toolkit
- uxdesign.cc – UX Design Methods & Deliverables
- UX Mastery – UX Techniques
- All about UX
- 18F Method Cards
Improve the playbook
If you spot anything factually incorrect with this page or have ideas for improvement, please share your suggestions.
Before you start, you will need a GitHub account. Github is an open forum where we collect feedback.
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