User research strategies: What works, what does not work

User Research (the up-front understanding of users, their needs, context, feelings and mental models) is the focus of the next BayCHI panel. We have invited panelists from four companies to talk about how User Research works in their companies. Some of the issues we will discuss are-

* What are some new methodologies and tools for User Research? What types of methods are needed?

* What methods work in what context - e.g., with short product cycles / with remote users / in cross cultural contexts / for mobile products?

* Relationship of User Research with other types of corporate research (e.g., Market Research).

* Where does User Research fit in (organizationally speaking)? Is the research team centralized or are researchers attached to product teams?

* What should be the outcome of User Research (research reports / design deliverables / both)?

* How should User Researchers and Designers work together?

* What (if anything) has changed in the last 10 years? Are we asking the same questions? Are we more successful? Does business get the importance of User Research?

For more information on this event and BayCHI, click here.