Background
During my time as a UX Researcher at GAIM Immersive Technology AB in Malmö, Sweden, I was part of a team of three researchers tasked with understanding user behavior within GAIM’s hunting simulator platform.Our goal was to explore how were interacting with the product from onboarding to long term users, and identify opportunities for improvement through a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
The project focused primarily on qualitative insights, gathered through extensive interviews and observational studies. These insights informed a series of strategic UX deliverables that have since helped guide product decisions across the organization, from development to sales and marketing.
Role & Contribution
- Collaborative work on the creation of a new Agile Workflow
- Planning and conducting pilot and main In-Depth Interviews
- Leading blind tests (Contextual Inquiries)
- Designing and analyzing User Surveys
- Synthesizing insights using Thematic Analysis
- Leading the creation of User Personas
- Collaborative work on the Customer Journey Map
- Collaborating with marketing and product teams to deliver key Insights
Tools
Jira
Miro
Figma
Dovetail
SurveyMonkey
Methodology & Methods
Our approach was grounded in Human-Centred Design and followed an Agile sprint cycle of two-week sprints with monthly feedback sessions with the Chief Executive Officer and Head of Sales.-
Preliminary Research
We began by conducting Pilot Interviews to test and refine our new questionnaire. Alongside this, we carried out basic market research to gain a broader understanding of the hunting community. We also spent a lot of time testing and learning the product itself. -
Main Study
We conducted In-Depth Interviews with GAIM's hunting users, many of whom had unique routines and expectations. I also ran Blind Tests with new users, observing their interactions with the GAIM system and noting usability pain points and delights. -
Quantitative Inputs
To supplement our qualitative work, we distributed surveys to the user base via GAIM's Newsletter and analyzed the feedback for patterns, which helped mainly to triangulate our findings and substantiate our qualitative data. -
Analysis and Synthesis
We performed a Thematic Analysis to surface common themes across interviews and tests. This was performed on the collaborative UX platform Dovetail. These Insights were documented on Dovetail and used to create a range of UX deliverables.
Deliverables
- Insights (Dovetail): Thematic documentation of key findings.
- Customer Journey Map: End-to-end visualisation of user interaction across all product touchpoints. This journey map acts as a living visualisation that changes alongside the product. It is now displayed in the main meeting room at the office and is updated frequently.
- Persona Foundation Document: Core patterns and attributes that shaped our personas. This document acted as a database to collect all user behavioural data.
- 3 User Personas: Actionable profiles used by multiple internal teams across GAIM.
- Persona Journey Maps: Detailed mapping of each persona’s experience across the product lifecycle using the Customer Journey Map.
- Comprehensive UX Report: Final report capturing the research process, analysis, and recommendations.
Key Takeaways
- Developed a deep understanding of hunters and hunting affiliated people and organisations in Europe and North America.
- Created persona artifacts that continue to be used across the organization.
- Gained hands-on experience of working within a start-up.
- Learned how to communicate research findings visually through various UX deliverables.
- Mastered the use of online collaborative working platforms like Miro & Dovetail.
