Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer: Using Competitors to Do Better UX Research

​There are many ways to solve a design problem, but only so much time for research, testing, and iteration. Fortunately, there’s a great source of alternative designs that can be reviewed, tested, debunked, and borrowed from – thanks to your competitors. This talk will describe how to leverage competitors as a free source of design alternatives, and help you choose the most fruitful comparisons for your research questions (hint: your competitors may not be who you think they are!).

​Drawing on findings from cognitive science literature and 20+ years of industry UX research, Kathi Kaiser will illustrate how comparisons shape people's perceptions, generate richer feedback in UX research sessions, and lead to more specific guidance for design strategy and execution. We’ll incorporate practical examples from a range of domains, from booking exotic vacations to planning your next movie night to piloting your sport yacht. You’ll come away with the means to break design logjams by putting your competitors to work for you.

​Kathi Kaiser is Principal at KaiserUX Associates, a UX consultancy specializing in usability testing, UX research, and UX strategy. For more than twenty-five years, Kathi has helped clients like Discover Financial Services, Warner Bros., and Spotify succeed by making their products, services, and experiences easier and more rewarding. Kathi regularly writes and speaks at conferences on a variety of UX topics, including information architecture, UX research methods, the role of UX in organizations, and UX best practices.