Setting Up Research Facilities

Now that you have decided to pursue user experience research, you may be wondering whether a permanent space needs to be built to conduct these activities. The answer is no. It is great if you have the budget, but it is not absolutely necessary. If you want to observe users in their own environment (e.g., field studies) or collect data from a lot of users (e.g., surveys, diary studies), then a usability lab is unnecessary. However, labs are excellent for card sorting, interviews, and focus groups. In this chapter, we discuss the options for setting up facilities to conduct user research. We look at the pros and cons for each option, as well as what you should be aware of when making your selection.