The User Research Round-Up: CW 49

The PURE method, ROI of UXR, Research for Startups, Level up your application & interview game, +

Christmas tree is up!

Hello curious human,

I got my Christmas tree up last weekend and started listening to Christmas music — as an American, I feel the need to wait until after Thanksgiving to do this, despite living in a place where no one really knows what Thanksgiving is, and I succeeded this year. Anyways, I’m thrilled with my tree as it features ornaments (or baubles as they say in Jersey) like a pizza, lobster, burger, ketchup, a camper van with surf boards, a duck, and various other fun things I love. Now it’ll be Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree on repeat.

I love the holiday season because it just makes me feel warm (probably due to all that hot chocolate) and a bit giddy. Things change as we grow up, but Christmas is one of those things that can bring me back to feeling a bit like a kid and that’s just what I need this year.

Anyways, I hope you are enjoying the beginning of December and end of this year (wild, right?!), and I hope you enjoy the links I’ve gathered for you below:

Where I’m speaking next:

• UX360 Virtual Research Summit (February 19th - 20th) — I’ve spoken at this conference quite a few times and it’s always lined up with amazing, thought-provoking talks…and you can wear sweatpants (lol, I’ll be!). You can grab 15% off your ticket with code NKA15.

01.

Quantifying and Comparing Ease of Use Without Breaking the Bank (Article) by Christian Rohrer

I rarely share older articles, but this one is an exception because it’s a technique that has truly stood the test of time. If you’ve ever struggled to quantify usability in a meaningful way that also fits within tight budgets, Christian’s piece on the PURE method is a game-changer. I personally revisited this technique recently—it’s something I successfully implemented back in 2018—and found it just as relevant today. Rohrer distills the process into simple, actionable steps, making it perfect for researchers at any level. Whether you’re refining an existing approach or diving into usability testing for the first time, this article offers a clear path to confidently measuring and comparing ease of use. For those of us who value resourcefulness without sacrificing rigor, this is a must-read.

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