By Nate Brown
When I was a young boy I loved to play baseball, there was nothing like waking up early on a cool Saturday morning to head to the ballpark. In ninth grade, I started going through a long and painful slump. This meant I was constantly not hitting the ball well and I couldn't get out of the rut I was in. As a naturally stubborn kid, I denied any help offered to me as it was something I thought I could work through myself. Finally, after an embarrassing game of multiple strike-outs, I went to my hitting coach for help. This coach was able to help me identify the issues in my swing and things started to improve after lots of repetition and practice. Looking back, the ironic thing is that the help was always there for me, all I had to do was ask.
This story symbolizes well a routine I see researchers get into often across many industries. A company will have an established user experience team that has for a long time been conducting the same old research on their assets. Having consistent testing is great and conducting similar methods across research initiatives is key to tracking key performance indicators. Yet I see all too often teams who are stuck in the rut of repetitive testing. This can lead to a lack of empathy for your client base because just like human-centered design itself, things are always changing. Sometimes, all that is needed to stir the pot and generate new excitement within a UX research team is an outside perspective.
What is a UX Consultant
A user experience consultant is at the simplest level, someone from outside a company that comes in to provide support and insight to the research practice. Ideally, a consultant would be well-versed in the many methodologies of qualitative and quantitative research. But bringing in someone who specializes in a specific field can also be very beneficial.
Before going on the search for a consultant to bring in, the research team in question should clarify the desired outcome they wish to achieve by bringing in help. While there is a multitude of reasons why a company might hire external help, here are the three that are the most common.
Specialized Research - If a team doesn’t have expertise with a specific method of research that needs to take place, it’s best to bring in a consultant that specializes in the methodology. This prevents a company from having to hire and onboard a new employee which can take valuable time and budget. Consultants are ideal because there is no long-term commitment and the service is specific to the needs of the project.
Lack of Team Bandwidth - Design cycles are dense with work and it is not uncommon for even large research teams to need external assistance. It is more likely the case with smaller teams that don’t have many researchers if any at all. However, it can also happen in large organizations where lots of different departments in the company have testing needs. Having a consultant come in even temporarily allows the team to breathe and refocus on the important tasks.
Technical Training - One of the most valuable offerings a consultant can provide is training to a UX team. That is because the benefit is exponential as even when the consultant has completed their scope of work, the team still retains the knowledge gained. Even the most experienced researchers can still learn new things from others in their field. There is a saying in UX Design that states “you are never truly finished”. While that saying normally refers to a design being built, it also pairs well with the knowledge one has of their field of work. Continuous improvement is the only way to stay current and relevant in a faced paced industry like user experience.
Consultants for Different Company Sizes
Not all research practices are created equal. Let’s face it, a Fortune 500 company with a huge research budget will vastly out-compete the tech startup with no dedicated researchers on the roster. A consultant can fit into just about any company scenario and the great ones will have worked with many differently-sized companies. Let’s take a look at the differences between how large and small teams utilize external consultants.
Large Enterprises - Big companies normally mean big research teams. However, there are many thousand-plus employee companies that have not embraced user experience at all. As smooth digital experiences become more demanded by consumers, it's not surprising to see big conglomerates begin to jump on the UX bandwagon. Consultants can help evangelize UX research to business stakeholders as sometimes an outside voice from an expert can help drive home the importance of user experience. For established UX practices, a consultant can be an outside perspective that brings new and refreshing insights to the team.
Small to Medium Size Business - It is more likely that smaller-sized businesses only have a few researchers on staff. Help from consultants here can be more than just providing bandwidth to the team. Consider also the reason for technical training for small research teams. Giving company personnel more knowledge and tools will only serve to improve the research beginning conducted well after the consultant is gone. If the research team is nonexistent. A consultant offers an experienced researcher that is cheaper than hiring a full-time team member and is also much more time-effective. I have seen teams that completely outsource their research needs to external consultants.
Where to Find Help
In the modern era, finding help can be easier than ever. There are many places one can find a qualified researcher that is the right fit for the job. Many agencies solely offer user experience services and even independent consultants can be great in a pinch. Places like LinkedIn make it easy to quickly search for relevant consultants and review their qualifications. The ideal setup would be a team of consultants that are directly attached to a user experience research tool.
That is exactly what the Userlytics Professional Services team provides. This group of
highly skilled UX researchers work directly with clients of Userlytics on anything from moderating sessions to training teams on specific research methodologies. The benefit of hiring a consultant through a tool like Userlytics is that the research conducted happens directly through the platform for easy access and reference later. It also allows for easy payment as clients can pay for services with credits that are already in their accounts. If you are interested in what services the Uselytics research team can provide, check out our Service Offerings here.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss research strategy together, please feel free to contact me at nbrown@userlytics.com.
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