Week 3 – Defining user problems

1. What are some common human factors that influence design? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        Income

·        Fear

·        Misjudgment

·        Prejudice

·        Impatience

2. Consider the psychological concepts explored in this lesson. Which of the following is an example of a mental model?

Answers

·        Using a key to turn the ignition of a car to start it

·        Driving a car

·        Parking a car in a garage

Explanation: The term "mental models" refers to the cognitive frameworks or structures that people make use of in order to comprehend the world around them and to engage with it in various ways. You may think of it as a mental shortcut or a representation of how things function.

 

3. Fill in the blank: You test a new children’s game with a group of users. Some are able to reach the end of the game, while others quit after a few turns. The children who are able to finish the game enjoy the experience because of the positive _____.

Answers

·        feedback loop

·        value proposition

·        human outcome

·        reinforcement

Explanation: Youngsters who are successful in completing the game are given positive reinforcement, which makes the experience more enjoyable for those youngsters. The process of rewarding a behavior in order to increase the frequency with which it occurs is known as positive reinforcement. The youngsters are encouraged to continue playing and to have fun with the game by virtue of the fact that they will have the satisfying experience of completing it and therefore reaching its conclusion.

 

Weekly Challenge 3: Define user problems

4. What is the key attribute of a strong problem statement?

Answers

·        Action-oriented

·        Open-ended

·        Design-focused

·        Human-centered

Explanation: Generally speaking, a strong problem statement will be straightforward and detailed. In an ideal world, it should be possible to measure the issue at hand, it should offer context to why it is a problem, and it should be defined explicitly. This level of precision is helpful in both the process of generating effective answers and assessing how well those solutions worked. It is difficult to formulate an appropriate solution to an issue when the statement describing it is too general or too wide.

 

5. Which of the following is an example of a strong problem statement?

Answers

·        Sadia is a technology enthusiast that uses desktop and mobile devices, and wants to stay up-to-date on the most relevant technology releases.

·        Users browse in the mobile app store because they may want to purchase a mobile game or productivity app.

·        Lawrence is a painter who needs a way to find the best deals on art supplies, because he wants to save money on the cost of his materials.

·        Kwame has lots of friends in his address book, and he is confused about how to organize his contacts when he gets a new phone.

6. How can an effective problem statement help a UX designer establish goals?

Answers

·        By reviewing previous design iterations, and why these did not meet user needs

·        By telling the designer what the user really needs, which defines the goal clearly

·        By explaining how target users currently satisfy their needs, which sets a benchmark

·        By explaining findings from user research, which establishes a hypothesis

7. After crafting a problem statement, a designer begins to brainstorm design solutions that may solve the user’s problem. How should the designer document possible design solutions?

Answers

·        In a mind map

·        In a research plan

·        In a success benchmark

·        In a hypothesis statement

8. What action should you take when you identify a pain point in your product?

Answers

·        Ask your team to collaborate on a list of possible user needs

·        Define the problem as something that your UX team can solve

·        Write user stories again to find out what users need from your product

·        Create more user personas to understand who your users are

9. In the 5 W’s framework, researchers ask five “w” questions based on who, what, when, where, and why. Which of the following is an example of a good “where” question?

Answers

·        Where does the user go after they experience the problem?

·        Where is the product that the user frequently uses located?

·        Where is the user when they are using the product?

·        Where does the user want to be when they experience the problem?

10. Which of the “w” questions (who, what, when, where, or why) is missing from the following problem statement?

The user, Avery, is a fine arts enthusiast that lives in a major city. Avery goes to museums several times a month. Avery wants an easy way to secure timed museum tickets. Avery wants to buy tickets on their smartphone, while on-the-go exploring the city on weekend afternoons.

Answers

·        Why

·        Where

·        What

·        When

11. Imagine that a designer is ready to build a value proposition for their new mobile app. To start, they clearly explain the offering the product provides to users. Which value proposition research question does this answer?

Answers

·        What does the product do?

·        Why should the user care?

·        What features should the product include?

·        What target users should the design consider?

12. Imagine that a designer starts to develop the value proposition for their new mobile photo app. For the first step, they list all of the app’s benefits and features, like free unlimited photo storage and social media integration. What is the second step the designer needs to take?

Answers

·        Explain the value of the product

·        Develop a high-fidelity prototype of the app

·        Review the official value proposition list

·        Create user personas for the target user group

13. A designer is developing the value proposition for a product. How can they connect the features and benefits of a product to the needs of their users?

Answers

·        Provide as many features as possible, so that benefits reach the most diverse audience

·        Pair user personas with value propositions that meet their greatest pain points

·        Select features that meet design best practices and test these with real users

·        Test the app prototype with designers to learn if features meet common user problems

Shuffle Q/A 1

14. Fill in the blank: To write a problem statement, you include the name of the user, their characteristics, and a description of _____.

Answers

·        the user’s need

·        the user’s design expectations

·        the user’s preferred product features

·        the user’s target demographic

Explanation: When you compose a problem statement, you need to include the name of the user, some information about the user, and a description of the particular issue or challenge the user is dealing with. The description need to be specific and ought to give information about the kind of the issue as well as its influence on the user.

 

15. Can an effective problem statement help UX designers set benchmarks for success?

Answers

·        Yes. Problem statements explain the user’s need, which helps designers benchmark a successful design solution.

·        No. Problem statements address the process of solving a design problem, and do not address how to set success benchmarks.

·        Sometimes. Problem statements may address benchmarks for success later in the design process, after prototype development and user testing.

16. After crafting a problem statement, a designer begins to brainstorm design solutions. They should document these in a hypothesis statement, which reflects their best educated guess on what the solution to the design problem might be.

Answers

·        True

·        False

Explanation: To the point! After determining an issue, one of the most important steps in the design process is formulating a hypothesis statement to test. The designer will make an informed estimate about how to solve the design challenge and articulate that idea as a hypothesis statement.

 

17. In the 5 W’s framework, researchers ask five “w” questions based on who, what, when, where, and why. Which of the following is an example of a good “who” question?

Answers

·        Who is likely to use the product?

·        Who is experiencing the problem?

·        Who has given up on meeting their needs?

·        Who has pain points for which there are limited design solutions?

18. Imagine that a designer is ready to build a value proposition for their new mobile app. To start, they need to conduct research that answers which of the following questions? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        How much should the product cost?

·        What target users should I design for?

·        What does the product do?

·        Why should the user care?

19. A designer is developing the value proposition for a product. Should they consider what is valuable to the user?

Answers

·        Yes. The goal is to identify what’s truly valuable to the user, and connect benefits and features to actual user needs.

·        No. The goal is to develop value propositions that are different from the competition, and to ensure features and benefits exceed those of competitors.

·        Sometimes. The goal is to balance the needs of users with design best practices, and target designs to users most likely to appreciate them.

20. What is true about the scope of a strong problem statement? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        It is narrow enough that it can be solved by a design solution

·        It is targeted enough that one solution can solve the problem

·        It is broad enough to allow for some creative freedom

·        It is specific enough that the design solution is apparent

21. In the 5 W’s framework, researchers ask five “w” questions based on who, what, when, where, and why. These questions allow designers to address a problem from what perspective?

Answers

·        The design team’s perspective

·        The developer’s perspective

·        The problem’s perspective

·        The user’s perspective

Explanation: The framework known as the "5 W's," which includes the questions "who," "what," "when," and "where," and "why," gives designers the ability to approach a challenge from a complete and holistic vantage point. Asking these questions allows designers to obtain insights into different elements of the issue, allowing them to take into consideration a variety of dimensions and factors. This strategy guarantees that a comprehensive study is performed prior to the formulation of design solutions, which assists in comprehending the challenge from a variety of perspectives.

 

22. Consider the following scenario:

A designer starts to develop the value proposition for their new mobile photo app. First, they describe the product’s features and benefits, which include free unlimited photo storage and social media integration. Then, they explain the value of the product, and hone in on the features that create real value for users.

What are the next steps the designer needs to take to develop a value proposition? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        Review the official value proposition list

·        Begin market research to set a product price

·        Conduct user research to identify pain points

·        Connect the features and benefits with the needs of users

23. A problem statement follows a simple formula. It starts with the name of the user, a short description of the user’s characteristics, and which of the following components? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        Outline of the user’s experience with the design

·        Explanation of why the user has the need

·        Description of the user’s need

·        Summary of the user’s demographic profile

24. Beyond establishing goals, what can effective problem statements help UX designers do? Select all that apply.

Answers

·        Understand constraints

·        Define deliverables

·        Identify target users

·        Set benchmarks for success

25. Imagine that a designer is ready to build a value proposition for their new photo organizing app. To start, they clearly describe how the product addresses users’ pain points. Which value proposition research question does this answer?

Answers

·        What features should the product include?

·        What target users should the design consider?

·        What does the product do on the backend?

·        Why should the user care?

Shuffle Q/A 2

26. Which of the “w” questions (who, what, when, where, or why) is missing from the following problem statement?

An adult wants an easy way to secure timed museum tickets while on-the-go, strolling around the city. The app they use to secure tickets requires advance purchase, so they get frustrated when they try to spontaneously book tickets to popular exhibits. They want to be able to easily book tickets in the app, in real time on weekend afternoons, without advance planning.

Answers

·        Where

·        Who

·        When

·        Why

27. Fill in the blank: A problem statement is a(n) _____.

Answers

·        set of constraints identified in the user research plan

·        actionable series of steps captured in an empathy map

·        clear description of the user’s need that should be addressed

·        educated guess about what the solution to a design problem might be

Explanation: A problem statement is a description of an issue or a difficulty that has to be solved in a manner that is crystal clear, succinct, and specific. It functions similarly to a road map in that it assists in directing efforts toward issue resolution.

28. A designer reaches the final stage of building value propositions. They review their official value proposition list. Using this list, how can they make sure their product stands out from the competition? Select the two that apply.

Answers

·        Remove value propositions that are offered by competitors

·        Identify their product’s unique value propositions

·        Create new value propositions to align with the competitor’s product

·        Schedule a round of user research to validate their value propositions

29. In the 5 W’s framework, researchers ask five “w” questions based on who, what, when, where, and why. Which of the following is an example of a good “why” question?

Answers

·        Why is the user in the target group?

·        Why is the problem worth a designer’s time?

·        Why is the problem important?

·        Why has the problem not yet been solved?

Explanation: This question looks further into the underlying causes and motives behind the user's troubles, so offering significant insights into the issues that the designer's product wants to tackle.