Handbook of Global User Research

Edited by Robert M. Schumacher, PhD, Managing Director, User Centric, Inc.

User Research is global. Despite its pervasiveness, practitioners are not all well equiped to work globally. What may have worked in Nigeria may not be accepted in Russia, may be done diffrently in Brazil, may partly work in China, and may completely fail in Kuwait. And what often goes less noticed, but can be equally vexing are technical, logistical and planning issues such as hiring qualified translators, payment procedures, travel issues, setting up facilities, and finding test participants. 

Visit www.globaluserresearch.com for book excerpts, discussion with contributing authors and the Global User Research blog.

Book Features

• Presents a collection of hard won lessons from user research professionals around the world

• Includes real-world examples of challenges involved with global user research and provides approaches to these issues

• Contains problems, solutions, anecdotes, case studies, and outcomes from actual practice that illustrate actionable tactics

The Handbook of Global User Research is the first book to focus on global user research. The book collects insight from user experience professionals from more than twenty countries and, following a typical project timeline, presents practical insights into the preparation, fieldwork, analysis and reporting, and overall project management for global user research projects. Any user experience professional who works on global projects will need this book to do their job effectively.

About the Editor

Robert M. Schumacher is Managing Director at User Centric, Inc. He is also CEO of User Experience Ltd., the first foreign-owned user research firm in Beijing, China. Bob has directed dozens of global user research projects. He speaks frequently on user experience and user research at national and international conferences, holds several patents, and has written dozens of professional and academic papers. Aside from promoting user research globally, his interests are in using user research techniques and user-centered design to improve health care information technologies. Bob holds a PhD in Cognitive and Experimental Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.  He was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the UXalliance in 2005.

Endorsements

The Handbook of Global User Research has been extensively reviewed by a number of prominent user experience professionals.

"Our products increasingly are finding their way around the world. Usable designs need to reflect the diversity of those global users if they are going to be successful, and not just the perspective coming from one lab in a corporate headquarters. Robert Schumacher's Handbook of Global User Research is like a GPS system for navigating the complexities of that diversity. It is packed with an incredible amount of practical advice, useful tips, and warnings about potential disasters." – Arnie Lund, PhD, CUXP, Director, User Experience, Microsoft

"Collectively, the authors bring decades and decades of hands-on experience to this book---and it shows. The Handbook of Global User Research offers a wealth of practical tips and advice you can readily rely on in your daily work. But it’s not just a list of do’s and don’ts: this book provides in-depth discussions and history of each topic covered. Anyone doing user research across borders should have a copy of HGUR on their shelf." – James Kalbach, User Experience Consultant, LexisNexis, author of Designing Web Navigation.

"The authors show the well-earned battle scars of extensive global user research. We do global testing with regularity and learned a lot from the book, but next time I'm hiring these guys to do it with us!" -- Darren Kall, Senior Director Global Experience Design, LexisNexis

"The Handbook of Global User Research is a must read for any usability practitioner who is serious about conducting effective and unbiased user research around the world. The authors share their secrets on global studies in a very easy to read form, and go well beyond previous texts that only cover cultural differences in the design process." -- Edmond W Israelski, Senior Human Factors Scientist , Abbott

"Researchers, designers, evaluators, engineers, marketers, and business managers worldwide will find this Handbook of great value in making products and services more usable, useful, and appealing. The chapter authors not only provide an excellent survey of the field and describe key challenges to professionals, but also they provide detailed practical advice that will make this book a valuable asset for everyone involved in the development process." -- Aaron Marcus, President, Aaron Marcus and Associates, Inc.

"In the Handbook of Global User Research Robert Schumacher has assembled a strong collection of experts who provide significant insight throughout the whole life cycle of product and service oriented user research. From initial planning to the presentation of research results this book presents important guidance for the practitioner from a truly global perspective. Even with 30 years of HCI experience, and now managing UI teams located in 8 countries that collaboratively create software for multinational customers, I found a lot of gems in this new handbook. For those with less global experience it will be even more valuable. This volume clearly supports Schumacher’s bold assertion that “user research is the tool for tool building” required as the first step to deliver excellent design." -- Daniel Rosenberg, Senior Vice President, SAP User Experience

Book Stats

Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
ISBN: 978-0123748522
Price: $49.95
Paperback: 294 pages
Size: 7.5 x 9.25 in

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