The goal of UX research at GitLab is to connect with GitLab users all around the world and gather insight into their behaviors, motivations, and goals when using GitLab. We use these insights to inform and strengthen product and design decisions.
UX Researchers aren't the only GitLabbers who conduct user research. Other roles, like Product Managers and Product Designers, frequently conduct research too with guidance from the UX research team.
We use a wide variety of research methods that include (but are not limited to):
Product Managers, Product Designers and UX Researchers have access to the following tools:
Qualtrics: CoreXM with TextiQ - Used for surveys, screening surveys and contacting members of GitLab First Look. To request access to Qualtrics, please open an access request and assign the issue to your manager for approval. Once approved, please assign the issue to @sarahj. For further information about Qualtrics, including how to create and style your survey, please visit Qualtrics tips & tricks.
Mural - For online brainstorming, synthesis and collaboration. Please reach out to a UX Design Manager, Christie Lenneville or Sarah Jones for access.
Calendly - For scheduling research sessions with users. A basic plan (free) is usually adaquate for Product Managers and Designers. UX Researchers are entitled to a Premium account. Should you wish to upgrade your Calendly account to Premium, please contact @sarahj.
Zoom Pro Account - We use Zoom to run usability testing sessions and user interviews. All new team members at GitLab automatically receive a Zoom Pro account.
UsabilityHub - Used to build design evaluations, such as first click tests, preference tests and five second tests. UsabilityHub should not be used for surveys. A shared login is available in 1Password.
OptimalWorkshop - Used for card sorts and tree testing. We do not have an ongoing subscription to OptimalWorkshop. We purchase a monthly license as and when required.
UX Researchers collaborate with Product Managers to determine the scope and priority of research studies. Where possible, UX Researchers should try to attend planning meetings for their designated groups.
UX Researchers should proactively offer ways in which they can assist in the delivery of research. They should also suggest and discuss their own ideas for research studies with Product Managers.
As part of the validation track of Product Development Flow, Product Managers and Product Designers are encouraged to conduct both problem and solution validation research studies.
Product Manager fills out an opportunity canvas to their best of their ability. Product Managers are encouraged to reach out to UX Researchers for help.
Product Manager or Product Designer opens a Problem validation research issue using the available template in the UX Research project. Once completed, please assign the issue to the relevant UX Researcher.
Product Manager, Product Designer and UX Researcher meet to discuss the appropriate research methodology, timescales and user recruitment needs. This meeting is also an opportunity to clarify any unanswered questions in regards to the research study's goals and hypotheses.
The next steps in the process depend on the research methodology chosen.
Product Manager drafts the discussion guide, they work in collaboration with the Product Designer. When a first draft of the guide is complete, the UX Researcher will review and provide feedback.
Simultaneously, the Product Designer or UX Researcher begins crafting a screening survey in Qualtrics. Note: It's important that the screening survey is completed in a timely manner in order to allow user recruitment to commence. In most cases, user recruitment should begin before the discussion guide is complete.
After the screening survey is created, the Product Designer or UX Researcher will open a Recruiting request issue using the available template in the UX Research project and assign it to the relevant Research Coordinator.
The Research Cordinator will perform a sense check to make sure your screener will catch the people you’ve identified as your target participants. If there are multiple rounds of review, the Coordinator will pause activities until uncertainty about your screening criteria has been resolved.
As research sessions are scheduled with participants, the invite should be forwarded to the UX Research calendar (gitlab.com_kieqv96j35mpt8bdkcbriu2qbg@group.calendar.google.com). The person who is leading the interviews, and who has subsequently supplied their Calendly link to the Research Coordinator, is responsible for inviting the UX Research calendar and any other interested parties (Product Designers, Product Managers, UX Researchers, etc) to user interviews.
By default, Product Managers are responsible for leading (moderating) problem validation interviews with users. Product Designers and UX Researchers, where possible, should observe all research sessions and take note of insights and pain points. A Product Manager can escalate the role of moderator to a UX Researcher, should the study be complex in nature. The UX Researcher has the discretion to decide which research studies they will moderate and which they will observe.
After the interviews are concluded, the moderator will open an Incentives request using the available template in the UX Research project and assign it to the relevant Research Coordinator. The Research Coordinator will reimburse participants for their time (payment runs are on Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Product Manager, Product Designer and UX Researcher work collaboratively to synthesize the data and identify trends, resulting in findings.
Product Manager creates issues in the UXR_Insights project documenting the findings. Please refer to the project's ReadMe and User interview insight template for instructions on how to do this.
UX Researcher sense checks the documented findings.
Problem validation research issue.
confidential if applicable.Product Manager finalizes the opportunity canvas with the synthesized feedback.
Product Manager schedules a review of the opportunity canvas with Scott Williamson, Christie Lenneville, and the Product Director for their section.
Product Manager drafts the survey, they work in collaboration with the Product Designer. When a first draft of the survey is complete, the UX Researcher will review and provide feedback.
The Product Designer or UX Researcher enters the survey in Qualtrics.
Once the survey has been entered into Qualtrics, the Product Designer or UX Researcher will open a Recruiting request issue using the available template in the UX Research project and assign it to the relevant Research Coordinator.
The Research Cordinator will distribute the survey to a sample of participants.
The UX Researcher will review the responses received so far and amend the survey if necessary. They should advise the Research Coordinator when to continue recruitment.
The UX Researcher will keep the Research Coordinator informed of the survey's response rate and must notify them when they plan to close the survey (to ensure recruitment doesn't continue on a survey that has been closed).
After the survey is closed, the UX Researcher will open an Incentives request using the available template in the UX Research project and assign it to the relevant Research Coordinator. The Research Coordinator will reimburse selected participants for their time (payment runs are on Tuesdays and Thursdays).
UX Researcher synthesizes the data and identifies trends, resulting in findings.
UX Researcher creates issues in the UXR_Insights project documenting the findings. Please refer to the project's ReadMe and Survey insight template for instructions on how to do this.
UX Researcher shares findings with Product Manager and Product Designer.
Problem validation research issue.
confidential if applicable.Product Manager finalizes the opportunity canvas with the synthesized feedback.
Product Manager schedules a review of the opportunity canvas with Scott Williamson, Christie Lenneville, and the Product Director for their section.
Product Designer opens a Solution validation research issue using the available template in the UX Research project. Once completed, please assign the issue to the relevant UX Researcher.
Product Manager, Product Designer and UX Researcher meet to discuss user recruitment needs and to clarify the research study's goals and hypotheses.
Product Designer creates a prototype (low or high-fidelity screenshots, or an interactive UI prototype). Product Designers should participate in design reviews to get feedback from Product Management, Engineering, and peers. This is also the time to involve a technical writer for UI text considerations.
Product Designer drafts the usability testing script, they work in collaboration with the Product Manager. When a first draft of the script is complete, the UX Researcher will review and provide feedback.
Simultaneously, the Product Designer or UX Researcher begins crafting a screening survey in Qualtrics. Note: It's important that the screening survey is completed in a timely manner in order to allow user recruitment to commence. In most cases, user recruitment should begin before the usability testing script is complete.
After the screening survey is created, the Product Designer or UX Researcher will open a Recruiting request issue using the available template in the UX Research project and assign it to the relevant Research Coordinator.
The Research Cordinator will perform a sense check to make sure your screener will catch the people you’ve identified as your target participants. If there are multiple rounds of review, the Coordinator will pause activities until uncertainty about your screening criteria has been resolved.
As research sessions are scheduled with participants, the invite should be forwarded to the UX Research calendar (gitlab.com_kieqv96j35mpt8bdkcbriu2qbg@group.calendar.google.com). The Product Designer is responsible for inviting the UX Research calendar and any other interested parties (Product Managers, UX Researchers, etc) to usability testing sessions.
Product Designers are responsible for leading (moderating) usability testing sessions. Product Managers and UX Researchers, where possible, should observe all research sessions and take note of insights and pain points. Recommendation: Leave some time between your initial and second usability testing session. Use your first testing session as an opportunity to test your script and make amendments if necessary. All remaining participants (4+ participants) should receive the same testing script otherwise you will struggle to analyze, and draw conclusions from, the data you have collected.
After the usability testing sessions are concluded, the Product Designer will open a Incentives request using the available template in the UX Research project and assign it to the relevant Research Coordinator. The Research Coordinator will reimburse participants for their time (payment runs are on Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Product Manager, Product Designer and UX Researcher work collaboratively to synthesize the data and identify trends, resulting in findings.
Product Designer creates issues in the UXR_Insights project documenting the findings. Please refer to the project's ReadMe and Usability testing insight template for instructions on how to do this.
UX Researcher sense checks the documented findings.
Solution validation research issue.
confidential if applicable.Product Manager updates the opportunity canvas with the synthesized feedback.
The Product Manager must articulate success metrics for each opportunity and ensure a plan for product instrumentation and dashboarding are in place.
Anybody across GitLab can open a research request. If you are not a Product Manager, Product Designer or UX Researcher, please open a Research request issue using the available template in the UX Research project. Once completed, please assign the issue to the relevant Product Manager, Product Designer and UX Researcher. The team will review your issue and notify you when/if they plan to proceed the work.
Like other departments at GitLab, UX Researchers follow the Product Development Timeline and use milestones to schedule their work. Milestones change monthly, find out the dates for upcoming milestones.
If you're new to conducting user research or just want a refresher, please refer to the UX research training resources to help you get started.
The UXR_Insights project is the single source of truth (SSOT) for all user insights discovered by GitLab’s UX Researchers, Product Designers, and Product Managers.
Instead of reports and slide decks, we use issues to document key findings from research studies. Every issue within the UXR_Insights project contains a single insight on a particular topic. Each insight is supported with evidence, typically in the form of a video clip or statistical data.
A directory of completed research is available in the project's ReadMe file.
Both the GitLab CE project and GitLab EE project contain a UX Research label. The purpose of this label is to help Product Designers and Product Managers keep track of issues which they feel may need UX Research support in the future or which are currently undergoing UX Research.
UX Researchers are not responsible for maintaining the UX Research label. The UX Research label should not be used to request research from UX Researchers.
