Empty Your Cup: How to Address Biases in UX

Gather around, everyone. It’s story time.

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “You are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

I end up circling back to this teaching every year, and recently, I used it while explaining how to approach UX research. Like a bolt of lightening, I realized how much our struggles UX emerge from cognitive biases that we can address, if we know where to find them.

First, recognize our biases

It’s tough to admit we’re biased. I’d love to think I have complete control of my conscious and unconscious prejudices and biases, but I don’t. What I do have control of is taking time to check in with my own thinking and prepare myself for the possible biases that may lead my research the wrong way. I’ve found there are 5 biases that impact UX work frequently.

1. Confirmation Bias
   The tendency to search for, interpret, focus on and remember information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions.
2. Bandwagon Bias
   The tendency to do (or believe) things because many other people do (or believe) the same. Related to groupthink and herd behavior.
3. Experimenter’s Bias
   The tendency for experimenters to believe, certify, and publish data that agree with their expectations for the outcome of an experiment, and to disbelieve, discard, or downgrade the corresponding weightings for data that appear to conflict with those expectations.
4. Observer-Expectancy Effect
   When a researcher expects a given result and therefore unconsciously manipulates an experiment or misinterprets data in order to find it.
5. Bias Blind Spot
   The tendency to see oneself as less biased than other people, or to be able to identify more cognitive biases in others than in oneself.

All above definitions come from the Wikipedia list, “List of Cognitive Biases”

Identify when biases impact UX

The first step to solving a problem is admitting there is one. While the list could go on with examples, I’ve outlined some common scenarios where I see biases creep in.

• Did someone jump to a conclusion?: When making a bold claim that doesn’t sit right, how did they get there? Is it one piece of data, or multiple? Did I or they ignore a conflicting piece of data?
• Is someone hangry or emotional?: Often in high-stress UX projects, it can be easy to make conclusions when we’re emotional, hungry, haven’t had much sleep, etc. I encourage others to take a break, get a snack, or take a walk. This often clears our minds and helps reset our brains. (I always bring snacks and candy to big stakeholder meetings and workshops for this reason.) It takes a lot of mental work on our part to process all the user data and ideate, so making sure we’re fresh boosts our ability to be more mindful of thoughts and feelings.
• During research, am I using best practices?: Am I asking leading questions? Is this the best methodology for the questions I have? Am I too attached to an idea or design? Am I willing to hear information that means I have to throw out my designs?
• Are we focused around the user or the solution?: While not a bad way of thinking for the business or development, I remind those in UX to center the user, not the solution. Yes, we have to build a solution, but we often speak in solutions before we even know the opportunity. When I see this, I take a step back and ask what’s the question behind the solution. (For example: If someone says, “Let’s ask the user if they want chat!” I turn that into a question. “How do users communicate with others? What are their expectations for communication?”)
• Does the team have a healthy relationship?: If we don’t trust our teams, we’re in for bad UX. Period. Working on creative teams requires trust, which can be tested by the above biases. If someone feels like they’re not a part of a team, their ideas aren’t included and the work will suffer. Looking around, do any of the team members look isolated or upset? Is one person dominating the conversation?

Address and overcome biases

Now that we’ve spotted the bias, it’s time to course correct.

• Turn assumptions into questions: The second I assume something someone says or does, I turn that assumption into a question.
• Question each other’s thinking: When I’m working with someone who under a bias’s spell (frequently confirmation bias), I ask them questions to tease why they believe what they do. However, this requires an open environment for critique and collaboration.
• Before research sessions, meditate: By either meditating or consciously clearing my mind, I find myself more open-minded to new information or conflicting information from what the designers or stakeholders have told me. I’ll use Headspace or do a quick deep-breathing exercise and review the research script to reset myself.
• Be open to new patterns and ideas: While it’s nice to see patterns early in research, I have to be open to new ones or for patterns to shift. One tip is while facilitating, asking myself why I am asking the user a question. Is it to validate a pattern I think I’m seeing from past participants? Am I stuck to one specific topic because I want to reaffirm an assumption I have? While working with another researcher, am I open to the patterns they’re seeing?
• Remember that I am not my designs: It feels that way. The tough side of testing is it can be very demotivating if our designs don’t work for the user. And telling ourselves to not feel discouraged isn’t fair. Instead, I recognize the feeling, ask myself why I feel this way, get a healthy snack (just kidding, I get a king-size Snickers), and use that energy to make my designs better.
• Include research and design activities that bring out the small voices: When working in a team, I find activities that include both group work and individual work. Without the individual work, I struggle to get great ideas out of those who may be shy or uncertain in their thinking. Gamestorming is a great book full of activities.

By addressing our biases as UX researchers, designers, and developers, our designs become more mindful and more of a representation of the UX process. Of course we’re never immune or perfect, but simply by recognition and an attempt to better ourselves, our work will improve.