Defining the Scope

Stakeholder Collab

Conversations with Stakeholders to Understand Research Goals

To start, I immersed myself in conversations with stakeholders, uncovering their aspirations for the study. They wanted to deeply understand what defines a community and the essence of belonging. Together, we framed thoughtful research questions, balancing their curiosity with the project’s tight one-month timeline. We adopted a discovery-driven approach—blending inspiration to understand people and introspection to uncover meaningful objectives.

Defining the Scope

Research Design & Sampling

Mapping Samples Defined by Behaviors, Abilities, Demographics, and Psychographics

Given the constraints of a shortened timeline of a month and relying on friends-and-family recruitment, I had to settle for a constrained sample rather than my ideal expectation.

I focused on participants who had joined at least one community in the past 5 years, contributed to it weekly, and could share at least one meaningful story about their contribution to the community. This approach would bring valuable, albeit narrower, insights.

Defining the Scope

Approach

Defining Suitable Contexts, Dynamics, and Methods for the Study

Ideally, I would conduct a two-month longitudinal diary study with in-person interviews supported by a dedicated note-taker. But with the reality of a one-month timeline and working solo, I pivoted to remote, one-on-one interviews, wearing the dual hats of moderator and note-taker.

While this approach worked, it came with trade-offs—I missed the subtleties of in-person interactions and the richness of longitudinal data. To ensure depth, I revisited interview recordings, making detailed notes to mitigate any loss in nuance.

Defining the Scope

Interview Protocol

Organizing Stakeholder Requirements Into Interview Questions, Moving from Broad to Focussed

Designing the interview protocol was a challenge that took through multiple iterations. Starting with the stakeholders’ broad questions, I organized them into four thematic buckets: community, belonging in a community, expectations in a community, and roles of reprimands and rewards in going beyond expectations. This structure guided the conversation naturally, moving from broad ideas to specific insights. I carefully refined the questions to avoid bias while ensuring we addressed every stakeholder query within the tight 45-minute limit. To make the process engaging, I added activities that balanced empathy and fun.

A pilot session validated the protocol, giving me the confidence to proceed with a clear, comprehensive guide.

Defining the Scope

ScHedule & budget

Creating a Detailed Schedule To Ensure Enough Time for Each Phase of the Study

I created a schedule and a budget for interviews, assuming the role of an entry-level UX researcher earning $56/hour. Though academic, this exercise helped with planning and prioritization, underscoring the importance of time-management and resource allocation in real-world research.

Defining the Scope

Interview Execution

Conducting Five 45-minute Remote Interview Sessions

Participants were recruited through friends and family. To ensure transparency, I began each interview with a consent form, securing permission to record for accurate data capture.

Balancing roles as moderator and note-taker simultaneously proved a little challenging — I stayed present in the conversation while simultaneously making notes of key moments. Post-interview, I revisited transcripts and recordings, piecing together insights. This iterative process deepened my understanding of the participants’ stories, setting the foundation for meaningful analysis.

Defining the Scope

Data Synthesis & Personas

Using FigJam to Make Sense of the Participants' Diverse Narratives

Patterns began to emerge, revealing two distinct personas on a spectrum of community involvement behavior - The Driver, a proactive leader and The Passenger, the engaged yet reserved participant.‍
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Through these personas, I captured the emotional and behavioral dynamics of community members, providing actionable insights for stakeholders to address varied engagement levels.

Defining the Scope

Wrap Up

Presenting Insights to Stakeholders and Reflecting on the Project

Wrapping up the research, I presented my findings to the stakeholders, mapping insights back to their initial questions. They resonated deeply with the personas, The Driver and The Passenger. One insight stood out—the concept of self-reward was appreciated, prompting stakeholders to consider how they could inspire community members to go beyond expectations while feeling personally fulfilled.

Since this was an academic sponsor project, the stakeholders considered findings from all the students, informing them of ways they could implement changes within their community to strengthen connections.

Defining the Scope