San Diego Experience:
Member Experience Research

UX Research


***More In-depth case study available upon request***
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Key Goal

Conduct UX research to better understand the satisfaction levels and experiences of SDXD's 2,700 members during monthly events to identify opportunities to improve future events and better serve the community.

Team & Responsibilities

Brittany Johnson
Kennedy DeSousa

Timeline

Project timeline: 2 months

Tools

Google Forms
SDXD Logo
Portrait of the SDXD group

Overview

SDXD is a community of over 2,800 UX professionals in San Diego that hosts monthly events to inspire, connect, and educate its members. SDXD plans to conduct UX research to gain insights into members' satisfaction levels and experiences to enhance the quality of future events and better serve the community.

Goals & Objectives

  • Understand member satisfaction levels with events.
  • Identify what motivates or demotivates members from regular attendance.
  • Identify opportunities for improving members’ experiences with SDXD.
image of SDXD event
Methodology  
The research approach involves the following methods.
Survey: In order to identify any patterns in motivations for further investigation.
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  • Survey tool: Google Forms
  • Survey Length: 5-10 minutes
Recruitment and Screening
We will target all SDXD members from Meetup.com. An email will be sent to members via meetup.com to ask them to participate in a survey. No compensation will be provided.

Participants

  • 47 participants
  • 70.2 % of participants have 3+ years of UX Experience
  • Majority of participants were UX Designers & UX Researchers
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Findings Member Insights

  • The majority of the participants are senior UX Designers.
  • 46.8% participants are UX designers
  • 19.1% participants are UX Researchers

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Findings Member Insights 2

  • 48% participants has 6+ years of experience
  • 21.3% participants has 3-5 years of experience

Findings - Members Insights 3

  • Fun
  • Information
  • Networking

Participants

  • 47 participants
  • 70.2 % of participants have 3+ years of UX Experience
  • Majority of participants were UX Designers & UX Researchers

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Findings - Members' Insight

The majority of the participants are senior UX Designers.
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  • 46.8% participants are UX designers
  • 19.1% participants are UX Researchers
  • 48% participants has 6+ years of experience
  • 21.3% participants has 3-5 years of experience

Findings - Event Attendance

  • Most participants were engaged members of SDXD.
  • Majority of participants were members for a year.
  • A Majority of participants attended a SDXD event within 6 months
  • Least amounts of partcipants been part of SDXD for less than a month
  • Least amount of participants attended an event more than a year ago.
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Findings - Event Attendance

The majority of participants couldn't attend due to a conflict, however there are opportunities for increasing participation.
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  • 46.2% Did not attend due to a conflict
  • 23.1% Couldn’t leave work early enough
  • 7.7 % Forgot an event was happening
  • 7.7 % Transportation / Traffic or Parking issues
  • 7.7 % Too tired after a long day
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Findings - Event Attendance

Most participations went to at least 1 event to Network with other UX professional and learn new UX skills
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  • 65% have attended 1-3 events this year
  • 25% went to 4-6 events this past year
  • Primary reason for attending is to networking with other UX professional  
  • Secondary reason is to learn new practices or skills in UX
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Findings - Event Attendance

Majority of Attendees either found out about the event through someone they already knew or on meetup
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  • 42.6% heard about SDXD through collegeague/friend or word of mouth
  • 36% meetup.com
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Event - Attendance

Record video of speakers and host it on sdxd.org to upload and send to all members through various touch points to watch at anytime.  
Broaden touchpoints (email, social media & phone numbers) to send event reminders
Add recommended parking locations to reminders. This will be useful in meetup and a newsletter
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Event Attendance

Research Recommendations

UXSD is dependent on meetup.com to share latest events. Explore other touchpoints to communicate with members. I suggest collect emails and utilize newsletters platforms like mailchimp.com or madmimi.com to lessen dependence on social platforms to disseminate information.
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  • Create shareable content ( videos of speakers talking at the events)  for users to share with their friends and colleagues.
  • Use as an opportunity to gather members email addresses to watch content.  
  • Allow comments below the video to have members have an open dialogue with one another.
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Findings

Event Satisfaction

Member satisfaction can be improvemed in findings out about upcoming events, topics, free swag, networking, career opportunities, and location.
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  1. Finding out about upcoming events
  2. Registering/signing up for events
  3. Quality of speakers
  4. Food & beverage
  5. Topics/subject matter
  6. Free swag from sponsors
  7. Networking with people in the industry
  8. Career opportunities
  9. Event format (e.g. workshop, panel, speaker, etc.)
  10. Venue (parking, atmosphere, etc.)
  11. Location (distance)
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Findings

Event Satisfaction

  1. Topics/subject matters: 3.8
  2. Free swag from sponsors: 3.475
  3. Networking with people in the industry: 3.875
  4. Career opportunities: 3.425
  5. Location (distance): 3.7
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Findings

Event Satisfaction

Participants want to hear more from the senior speakers in the field

“Work on vetting your speakers more. Some of them are extremely knowledgeable and skilled. A few events however have had people presenting insights, skills, and processes that they were not highly skilled at…”

"Provide more interactions with senior people in the UX field. Don't just have panels of "yes men" - I would like to hear real and challenging debates"
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Findings

Event Satisfaction

There's more demand to attend SDXD

“It seems like the Meetup event iOS always full by the time I get to the email in my inbox. It would be cool to have a longer window to RSVP.”
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“Getting into the meetups is always super hard I feel like they fill up after 5 minutes and I am often on the waitlist and not knowing if I should come to the event or not.”
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Findings - Event Satisfaction

There's more demand to attend SDXD

"Some research topics, not only design"

“I like that it is forward-thinking, but i think we must remember that not everyone is involved in the newest technologies yet... I like topics that are more general in nature so that they can capture the attention of a broader UX audience.”
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Findings - Event Satisfaction

Event topics participants were most interested in includes:

  1. UX Research Methods
  2. UX Management
  3. UX In Development
  4. Leadership in UX
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Findings - Event Satisfaction

Areas most participants prefer were La Jolla, Downtown and Mira Mesa. About half the participants want live stream.

  1. 66% La Jolla
  2. 55.3% Downtown
  3. 53.2% Mira Mesa
  4. 51% Want Live Stream
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Findings - Event Satisfaction

Research Reccommendations

Brainstorm ways to improve the following event experiences.
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Key Takeaways

Research Reccommendations

Record video of speakers and host it on sdxd.org to upload and send to all members through various touch points to watch at anytime.  
  1. (opportunity to collect member email addresses)  
  2. Broaden touchpoints (email, social media & phone numbers) utilized to send frequent event reminders.
  3. Add recommended parking locations in reminders for live events.
  4. Explore if there is an interest for senior members to mentor.
  5. Host online events, events on different days in different venues to allow more members to attend.  
  6. Have some events that are focused on practical UX skills.
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Next Step
Interview senior members and see if they have interest or time to mentor new UXers
Survey local startups and/or other businesses to see if there is in interest for a mentorship program.
Discuss steps to implement email collections
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Challenges

Research Reccommendations

Participation rate was was low, only 47 out of over 2,500 members participated in the survey.
Further investigation were delayed due to Covid 19 pandemic
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