Research and Workshop Templates

Research plan

What it is for.: Agree what you are trying to learn, and why, before recruiting anyone.
How to use it.: Fill it in on one page and share it. If you cannot name the decision, you are not ready.
Example: Decision: whether to rebuild the claims form or fix the existing one.

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RESEARCH PLAN

Decision this research informs:

What we already know (and how we know it):

Research questions (what we need to learn):
1.
2.
3.

Method, and why it fits these questions:

Participants (who, how many, how recruited):

What we will not cover:

Timeline:

Who is involved (interviewer, note-taker, observers):

How findings will be shared, and with whom:

Interview guide

What it is for.: Keep an interview on the research questions without scripting it.
How to use it.: Group questions by topic. Mark the three you must ask. Skip and reorder freely.
Example: Tell me about the last time you submitted an expense claim.

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INTERVIEW GUIDE

Research objective (keep visible):

OPENING (3 min)
- Who I am, and why we are talking
- No right or wrong answers; we are learning about the problem, not judging you
- Consent, recording, and that you can stop at any time
- Any questions before we start?

WARM-UP (5 min)
- Tell me a bit about your role.
-

TOPIC 1:
- Tell me about the last time you...
- What happened next?
- What made that difficult?

TOPIC 2:
-
-

TOPIC 3:
-
-

CLOSING (3 min)
- Is there anything I should have asked?
- Thank you. Here is what happens next.

Probes to keep handy: "Tell me more about that." "Can you give me an example?" "What were you expecting?"

Usability test script

What it is for.: Run every session the same way, so differences come from participants, not from you.
How to use it.: Read the introduction as written. Hand each task over in writing. Write success criteria before the first session.
Example: You recently changed your email address. Show me how you would update it here.

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USABILITY TEST SCRIPT

What we are testing:
What we are not testing:

INTRODUCTION (read aloud)
"Thanks for joining. I'm [name]. We're testing [product], not you: there are no wrong answers, and nothing you do can break it. I didn't design this, so say what you really think. Please think aloud as you go. I may stay quiet so I don't influence you. Is it OK if I record? You can stop at any time."

TASK 1
Scenario (given to participant):
Success looks like:
Backup path if the prototype stops:

TASK 2
Scenario:
Success looks like:
Backup path:

TASK 3
Scenario:
Success looks like:
Backup path:

NEUTRAL PROMPTS
"What are you thinking?" "What would you expect to happen?" "What makes you say that?"

WRAP-UP
"What stood out to you?" "Anything you expected to see and didn't?"
Thank them. Explain what happens next.

Consent checklist

What it is for.: Make sure participants understand and agree to the research before it starts.
How to use it.: Go through it before each session. Follow your organisation's own privacy and data rules; this is a memory aid, not legal advice.
Example: Recorded verbal consent at the start of a remote session, with the consent script kept alongside.

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CONSENT CHECKLIST

The participant has been told:
[ ] Who is doing the research
[ ] The purpose of the research
[ ] What will happen during the session
[ ] What data is being collected
[ ] Whether the session is observed, and by whom
[ ] Whether and how it is recorded
[ ] How the data will be stored and used, and for how long
[ ] That taking part is voluntary
[ ] That they can stop or withdraw at any time

Consent has been:
[ ] Given in writing or recorded verbally
[ ] Stored with a record of what was agreed to

If they withdraw:
[ ] Stop, and delete the research data collected from them

Session notes

What it is for.: Capture what happened in a way that can be sorted later.
How to use it.: One observation per line. Write what you saw or heard. Put your own interpretation in the last column, or leave it out.
Example: P3 | Task 2 | Scrolled past the Save button twice | "Where do I finish?" | May not look like a button

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SESSION NOTES

Participant ID:        Date:        Note-taker:

Time | Task or topic | Observation (what happened) | Quote (word for word) | My interpretation (optional)
-----|---------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------
     |               |                             |                       |
     |               |                             |                       |
     |               |                             |                       |

STRAIGHT AFTER THE SESSION
Three things that stood out:
1.
2.
3.

Surprises:

Open questions for the next session:

Research synthesis board

What it is for.: A structure for sorting observations into findings with a team.
How to use it.: Set up the columns on a whiteboard. Use one colour per stage so observation, finding and action stay apart.
Example: Yellow: observations. Blue: findings. Pink: actions.

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RESEARCH SYNTHESIS BOARD

1. OBSERVATIONS (one colour)
   One per note. What was seen or heard. Participant ID on each.

2. CLUSTERS
   Move notes until groups emerge. Do not start from fixed categories.

3. CLUSTER NAMES
   A sentence saying what the notes share.

4. FINDINGS (second colour)
   What each cluster tells us. Check against the notes behind it.

5. CONFIDENCE
   How many participants? How consistent? What contradicts it?

6. ACTIONS (third colour)
   Kept separate from findings.

UNSORTED
   Notes that fit nowhere. Read these again at the end.

Finding card

What it is for.: Write one finding so that evidence, meaning and recommendation stay distinct.
How to use it.: One card per finding. If you cannot fill in Evidence, it is not a finding yet.
Example: What we observed: 4 of 6 participants looked for export in the toolbar before opening Settings.

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FINDING

What we observed:

Why it matters:

Evidence (who, how many, quotes):

Confidence (high / medium / low, and why):

Implication for the product:

Recommendation (separate from the finding):

Severity, if a usability problem (rated by more than one person):

Research report

What it is for.: A written record someone can understand without having been there.
How to use it.: Lead with what matters most. Keep method and detail at the back.
Example: Summary first: three findings and what we recommend.

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RESEARCH REPORT

1. SUMMARY
   The three to five things to know, and what we recommend.

2. WHAT WE SET OUT TO LEARN
   The decision, and the research questions.

3. WHAT WE DID
   Method, participants, dates. Limits of the study.

4. FINDINGS
   For each: observation, why it matters, evidence, confidence.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS
   Separate from findings. Who would act on each.

6. WHAT WE STILL DO NOT KNOW

APPENDIX
   Discussion guide, tasks, anonymised notes.

Workshop agenda

What it is for.: Plan a workshop around an output, with a purpose and a time for every activity.
How to use it.: Write the goal first. If an activity does not serve it, cut the activity.
Example: Goal: leave with three prioritised user problems for the next quarter.

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WORKSHOP AGENDA

Goal (the output we leave with):
How decisions will be made:
Date, time, place or link:
Facilitator:            Note-taker:
Attendees (and why each is needed):
Pre-read sent on:

Time   | Activity | Purpose | Output
-------|----------|---------|-------
5 min  | Welcome, goal, how we decide |  |
       |          |         |
       |          |         |
       |          |         |
5 min  | Decisions, owners, next steps |  |

PARKING LOT
-

DECISION LOG
Decision | Why | Owner | By when
---------|-----|-------|--------
         |     |       |

Stakeholder interview

What it is for.: Learn what a stakeholder knows, needs and assumes, without collecting a feature list.
How to use it.: Afterwards, sort every answer into need, constraint, assumption or solution request.
Example: "We need a dashboard" is a solution request. Ask what decision it would help them make.

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STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW

Name and role:
Why we are talking to them:

GOALS
- What would success look like a year from now?
- How would you measure it?

CURRENT STATE
- How does this work today?
- What are the known problems?

CONSTRAINTS AND RISKS
- What cannot change?
- What worries you about this project?
- What does it depend on?

HISTORY
- What has been tried before? What happened?
- Which earlier decisions should we know about?

USERS
- What do you hear from users about this?

WORKING TOGETHER
- How would you like to be kept informed?

AFTERWARDS, SORT WHAT YOU HEARD
Needs:
Constraints:
Assumptions (to check):
Solution requests (and the need behind each):

Journey map

What it is for.: Lay out what a person does, thinks and runs into across a whole task.
How to use it.: Build it from research, and mark anything that is assumed. One map per user and scenario.
Example: Scenario: a first-time applicant renewing a permit on a phone.

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JOURNEY MAP

Who (user):
Scenario and goal:
Based on (research sessions, data, or assumption):

Stage        |  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5
-------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----
Doing        |     |     |     |     |
Thinking     |     |     |     |     |
Feeling      |     |     |     |     |
Touchpoints  |     |     |     |     |
Pain points  |     |     |     |     |
Behind the scenes |  |   |     |     |
Opportunities|     |     |     |     |

Mark every cell that is an assumption, not an observation.

Research readout

What it is for.: Present findings so the room leaves knowing what was learned and what happens next.
How to use it.: Aim for 20 minutes of presenting and as long again for discussion. Show participants' own words.
Example: Open with the decision the research informs, not with the method.

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RESEARCH READOUT

1. Why we did this (the decision)                         1 slide
2. What we did, briefly (method, who, when)                1 slide
3. The headline: three things we learned                   1 slide
4. Each finding: observation, evidence, why it matters     1 slide each
   - Include a quote or clip
   - State confidence
5. What surprised us                                       1 slide
6. What we still do not know                               1 slide
7. Recommendations and proposed next steps                 1 slide
8. Discussion: what does the room want to do?

Bring: the notes and recordings, in case someone asks for the evidence.

Design critique brief

What it is for.: Tell reviewers what they are looking at and what feedback you need.
How to use it.: Send it before the session, or read it out at the start. Two minutes at most.
Example: Feedback wanted: is the primary action clear? Out of scope: colour and copy.

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DESIGN CRITIQUE BRIEF

What this is:
The problem it addresses:
Who it is for, and what they are trying to do:
Context (platform, where it sits in the flow):
Constraints:
Stage (rough idea / working draft / near final):

Feedback I want:
1.
2.

Out of scope today:

Format for feedback: observation, impact, question, suggestion.