The User Research Round-Up: CW 23

Leveling up impact, testing mobile on desktop, Critical user journeys, high impact research, and the evolution of the UXR role

Hello curious human!

I recently traveled to Prague and back (for WebExpo) on British Airways. Now, since I live in Jersey, there are very limited airlines I’m able to travel on, one of the main and most convenient one bring BA.

So I went to check in the night before and get my boarding pass. Lo and behold, they said I needed to check into the desk to get my boarding pass because my travel documents weren’t going to work. Well, that freaked me out. Then I remembered I got a new passport. I then went in to change my passport details. Done. Obviously this meant I could check in and get my boarding pass.

Absolutely not. The error persisted. I then went down a rabbit hole looking at all the BA errors:

I arrived extra early the next morning (not too thrilled since I was on a 7am flight) and they said my passport hadn’t updated. She updated my passport. Only, it took 15 minutes. I then asked if they had any upgrades I could use my points for. This took another 30 minutes. Luckily I had arrived early enough, but I was shocked.

If I could’ve jumped ship (or plane, I guess) to another carrier, I would’ve. And this is why critical user journeys are SO important. It was a breakdown in one of the most make-or-break moments in the entire travel experience, where a customer decides whether they trust you to get them where they need to go, or whether they start quietly Googling competitors.

That’s why I’ve been working with Sprig in helping teams identify and focus research around those pivotal journeys, so you’re not guessing where to improve. Whether it’s activation, onboarding, checkout, or anything else core to your product’s success, Sprig makes it easier to gather real feedback in the moment and connect it to what actually matters.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why your metrics aren’t moving, even after redesigning a flow, there’s a good chance you’re not looking closely enough at your CUJs. And if that’s the case, Sprig is one of the best places to start.

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Link roundup

01.

Level up the impact of your UX research (Live course) by Ruby Pryor

Ruby’s course is designed for researchers who are done with running solid studies that still get sidelined. She’s walking through how to connect your research to business decisions, influence product direction, and make your work stick. I’ve seen Ruby’s work firsthand and she teaches in a way that’s practical, honest, and actually useful. Use code Nikki10 if you’re planning to join, it gives you a discount at checkout.

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02.