While it is an honor and a privilege to be able to attend road shows, customer meetings, on-site training, and events hosted by your company, it is often unfamiliar territory for UX designers. Just like other user research methods, we can use these opportunities to learn from the people who use our software.
At Seeq, we hosted a Philadelphia roadshow. While I work 100% remotely, I sometimes get a chance to participate in on-site events. Since Philadelphia is really close to me, I decided to attend this event in person. I was a little nervous. During this event, several of our customers presented their use cases and gave demonstrations on how they use Seeq’s software. In addition, it was a great time for users in the region to come together, discuss use cases, discover possible solutions, network, and have a good time. As a UX designer, it was my plan to simply be a fly on the wall, absorb as much knowledge as possible, and learn whatever I could. I learned a lot from hearing people talk about a product, found ways to strike up conversations with users, and had interesting discussions over drinks.
If I could go back and do it again, I would give these tips to anyone given a similar opportunity:
- Be confident. Introduce yourself and start random conversations. Tell people your role and who you are to make your presence known.
- Determine your primary goals. What do you plan on getting out of your engagements and discussions? Is there a particular feature you want more feedback on, or do you want random suggestions? Focus or gear your conversations towards your goals.
- Plan for supplemental engagement. Think about ways you can further enhance presentations with your methods of feedback. Consider setting up a product booth for people to demo the product during their break, creating a product feedback box for suggestions or comments, or organizing casual conversations over drinks. Consider the logistics around your engagement efforts, including how many people you want to talk to before the day is out and how you are collecting contact information.
- Document your findings. Transcribe your notes as quickly as possible and take pictures as you navigate the space, watch presentations, and have casual discussions. This will help you remember who you talked to and jog your memory of important discussions.
