If you work in User Research, it’s easy to get swept up in the technical vernacular of it all: A/B testing, heuristic evaluation, personas and prototypes. It’s an intricate web of data, feedback, and continuous improvement, no doubt, and it takes specialized skills and training to do it right.
But at its core, it’s always been about understanding people and their needs. And if you want to understand people and their needs, you have to talk with them. Not at them, not for them, not about them: with them. In a word, you have to engage in dialogue.
And if anyone understood the power of dialogue, it was Socrates.
“That’s fine and well,” you might be thinking, “But what does the Socratic method have to do with quality usability research?” Quite a lot, it turns out.
The power of dialogue
The Socratic method is a dialogue-based method of learning. When it’s used in a classroom setting, it involves the teacher asking questions rather than simply relaying information. The thought is that by allowing students to engage in a discussion vs. having them passively receive information, it encourages clarification of assumptions and reasoning. This dynamic exchange of perspectives has a way of helping students and teachers come to places of greater understanding thanks to its iterative nature.
Dialogue is core to successful product design and usability research. When we talk about the Socratic method in this context, we're talking about engaging in meaningful, probing conversations at several crucial steps in the product development process. It's about asking the right questions, of the right people, at the right time; and digging deeper with every answer.
Where dialogue matters most
In user research, dialogue is what contextualizes the data you gather through surveys or usability tests. Think of it like peeling an onion: every layer you strip away through question and response reveals a deeper understanding of the user’s experience.
Knowing how to facilitate reciprocal dialogue is also extremely important when it comes to working with stakeholders in the development process. Sometimes the results of user research are not pretty, and researchers are put in the place of delivering bad news. A product design might be fundamentally flawed, and it’s our job to communicate this.
This is where the Socratic method shines. It’s not about sugarcoating the truth but presenting it in a way that encourages constructive dialogue. Researchers are sometimes tasked with the unenviable job of having to find a way to convey the message “You’re baby is ugly,” without jeopardizing client relationships. Taking a page from the Socratic method can help you navigate these tricky conversations with grace. Instead of bluntly stating that a design is terrible, you ask questions that lead the designer to see the flaws themselves.
"What problem are we solving with this design?" "How does this align with our user research findings?"
By doing this, you’re not just a bearer of bad news but a facilitator of improvement. You’re guiding your team towards better solutions through dialogue and reflection.
Fostering collaboration
Usability research and design should be a partnership, not a hierarchy. Yes, certain jobs should be handled specifically by the experts who have trained to do them; but rivalry (or disconnection) between teams isn’t necessary. Yet, all too often, they operate in silos. Designers might dismiss research findings, believing they know the user better. This is another place where the Socratic method can bridge the gap.
When researchers and designers engage in Socratic dialogue, they break down these silos. Instead of presenting research as a final verdict, researchers can frame their findings as questions and hypotheses. "Based on our research, it seems users struggle with this feature. How might we address this?" This approach invites designers into the problem-solving process, making them feel valued and involved.
At the same time, it holds designers accountable. When other designers ask, "How does this connect to the research?" it creates a culture of inquiry and reflection. Everyone is encouraged to think critically about their work and its impact on the user experience.
It all comes back to asking and listening
Incorporating the spirit of the Socratic method into usability research transforms the way we approach design and user experience. It shifts the focus from delivering data to engaging in meaningful dialogue, from presenting findings to fostering collaboration, and from superficial fixes to addressing fundamental needs.
What need are we solving with this design? What problem are we addressing? Is this the best way to do it? These are the questions we should be asking at each step in order to keep dialogue flowing.
So, the next time you're knee-deep in usability research, channel your inner Socrates. Ask questions, dig deeper, and embrace the power of dialogue. Good research often ends in more questions. More questions leads to deeper insights. Deeper insights lead to stronger products. So ask questions, answer questions, talk with everyone who’s involved. Your users—and your designs – will thank you.