Understanding User Behavior: A Journey Through Interviews
Evaluating the Target Audience of macOS Applications
MacOS App Users’ Analysis
User research is like peering into a crystal ball, allowing us to gain invaluable insights into people’s behavior, needs, and motivations. In the field of technology, understanding user habits is essential for creating intuitive interfaces that meet the evolving demands of tech-savvy consumers. While UX designers are often at the forefront of crafting user-friendly interfaces, it is equally crucial for product managers and marketing departments to get involved in studying user behavior to drive improvements.
But let’s face it, analyzing user behavior can be as tricky as trying to keep up with the latest tech trends. Users interact with products in ways we could never have imagined. They uncover pain points and hidden gems that we, in our ivory tower of technology, may overlook. So, how do we bridge this gap and truly understand our users’ needs? Well, it all starts with one key element: user interviews.
The Common Mistake: Trusting Our Subjective Opinions
In the past, we made changes to our products based on our own assumptions about what users needed. But here’s the thing: our opinions as company insiders may differ greatly from the experiences of real users. When we’re immersed in a product day in and day out, our familiarity can blind us to the nuances that actual users encounter. We need to step back and prioritize understanding our customers’ pain points before jumping to conclusions about what changes they may want.
Choosing the Right Interviewees: From Cold Contacts to Loyal Fans
At the outset of analyzing Nektony apps, we made the common mistake of showing our products to anyone and everyone we knew – friends, colleagues, even random people on the street (okay, maybe not on the street, but you get the idea). However, this approach proved fruitless. We needed real users, individuals who had interacted with our technical support service.
Why technical support, you ask? Well, the users who reached out to us for help were no ordinary users. They were the ones who had already experienced our products firsthand and left satisfied. These customers were more likely to provide valuable feedback, willingly participating in interviews. It’s like finding a shining gem in the vast sea of potential interviewees.
Stage 1: Gathering the Right Contacts
Rather than relying on a specific country or geographic location, our main criterion for selecting interviewees was their level of loyalty to our company. Think of it as a loyalty tag earned through their interactions with our support team. Armed with this tag, we had a ready-made list of potential interviewees.
Stage 2: Sending Personalized Letters and Setting the Stage
We unleashed our secret weapon – personalized letters. Instead of resorting to generic emails sent by impersonal mailing services, we crafted individual messages to each interviewee. Personalization mattered because we wanted our users to know that we genuinely cared about their opinions.
Now, this is the point where most people might be tempted to offer incentives for their time. While that’s a valid approach, we believed in a different tactic. We found that users who were genuinely interested in the interview were more invested in the results. So, we saved the gifts for an unexpected surprise after the interview as a token of our appreciation.
Before diving into the interview, it’s crucial to prepare a script and establish a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. We wanted our interviewees to feel comfortable and express themselves openly.
Stage 3: The Interview Dance
Here we are, at the heart of the matter – the interview itself. Our main goal was to unravel the mysteries of our users’ behavior. We sought answers to questions such as: Who are our users? How do their behaviors differ based on age or activity? Which features do they love, and which ones leave them scratching their heads? Understanding their needs and the value they find in our products was key.
To ensure we captured everything accurately, we recorded videos of the interviews. These videos became our treasure trove, allowing us to revisit and transcribe each conversation later on.
Stage 4: Prototypes and the Dance Continues
Analyzing the feedback from the interviews, we discovered unexpected insights that left us stunned. Users spoke of desires and preferences we had never even considered. Here are some mind-boggling discoveries:
- Sound effects. Users enjoyed apps that greeted them with delightful sound effects, like a symphony for their senses. Sounds were never a priority for us, but it turned out that users appreciated these audio cues.
- Welcome windows and results. People craved animations and confirmation of their achievements within the app. We once tried to keep things simple, but users desired that extra touch of celebration to validate their accomplishments.
- Text overload. Users don’t have time for lengthy explanations. Our attempts to provide comprehensive text explanations were counterproductive. Users preferred crisp and clear icons and names that required no explanation. Clarity and intuitive design were their top priorities.
- Managing expectations. Users sometimes expected entirely different functionalities from our apps. To prevent such surprises, we started collecting user suggestions before implementing new features. These suggestions became our guiding light, illuminating the path to user satisfaction.
To test and validate our insights, we created prototypes based on the interviews. We didn’t stop at one or two prototypes – we went through over twenty iterations, fine-tuning the interface until we found the sweet spot.
Examples of Transformations Driven by User Insights
Enough talk – let’s dive into some real-world examples. Here’s a glimpse of the changes inspired by user interviews.
App Cleaner & Uninstaller
Before: A sea of information about program counts and service files overwhelmed users, burying the main options deep in the interface.
After: We decluttered the interface, bringing the main options front and center, aligning them with users’ expectations and needs.
Duplicate File Finder
Before: Users had to jump through hoops to find duplicates based on their specific needs.
After: We revamped the first window, introducing diverse functions aligned with different user goals.
Disk Space Analyzer
Before: Users were more comfortable navigating folders, so we added a familiar folder outline view reminiscent of the native macOS interface.
After: The interface mimicked the Finder’s intuitive navigation, empowering users to explore their disk space with ease.
MacCleaner Pro
Before: A text-heavy interface overwhelmed users who craved simplicity and visual appeal.
After: We embraced animations, stunning visuals, and a minimalist design. Cleaning junk files became as simple as pressing a magical button.
Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead
Throughout this journey, we transcribed each interview and used the Value Proposition Canvas to uncover user values and needs. The insights we gained were nothing short of eye-opening. But this is only the beginning. To further enhance our understanding, we regularly exchange experiences with other product managers, tapping into their reservoir of knowledge. Remember, the user is like a lost tourist in a new city – they appreciate a helping hand and clear guidance at every step.
As you embark on your own quest to decode user behavior, keep these final recommendations in mind:
- Engage in conversations with your users.
- Keep names and icons straightforward and intuitive.
- Combine functionality judiciously; don’t overwhelm users with too many options.
- Bring the main features front and center.
- Leverage the goldmine of insights from your support team.
May our experiences and examples ignite the sparks of inspiration within you as you embark on your own user research journey. Share your insights, laugh at the unexpected, and let your users guide you to greater heights. Cheers to a future where technology and user needs intertwine harmoniously!
Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!
