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NJIA UX

Share research

Synthesizing research

Section titled “Synthesizing research”

All synthesis happens in Dovetail — our single source of truth. Do not synthesize in private notes, whiteboards, or personal documents.

  1. Import your materials

    Section titled “Import your materials”

    Upload sanitized transcripts, notes, and media into Dovetail. Only upload files with PII already removed.

  2. Highlight and tag

    Section titled “Highlight and tag”

    Mark meaningful moments — frustrations, successes, key quotes — with consistent tags such as “pain points,” “workarounds,” or “positive experience.”

  3. Group and cluster

    Section titled “Group and cluster”

    Look for themes across participants: similar words, repeated struggles, or patterns in behavior. Notes capture tone and body language; transcripts provide accuracy and detail. Together, they make patterns easier to spot.

  4. Summarize insights

    Section titled “Summarize insights”

    Write clear, actionable insights supported by direct participant evidence. Focus on the “so what” — how findings should influence design or decision-making.

  5. Check for bias

    Section titled “Check for bias”

    Make sure your interpretation isn’t overly shaped by your own assumptions or a single participant’s story.

Sharing research

Section titled “Sharing research”

Every research output should include:

  1. Purpose — Why we did this research
  2. Methods — Who we spoke to and how
  3. Key themes and insights — Supported by anonymized participant quotes
  4. Opportunities or recommendations — How findings can improve services or inform decisions
  5. Limitations — Be transparent about sample size, scope, or constraints

Output formats

Section titled “Output formats”

Insight summaries

One-page briefs highlighting key findings and recommendations. Can be created and shared directly through Dovetail.

Slide decks

Concise presentations with quotes, themes, and visuals — ideal for stakeholder meetings.

Visual artifacts

Journey maps, personas, or service blueprints that illustrate complex user experiences at a glance.

Reports

Detailed documentation for complex projects or cross-agency work where depth is needed.

Tools we use

Section titled “Tools we use”

UserInterviews

Recruitment, scheduling, participant communication, and compensation.

Zoom / Teams

Session facilitation and recording, integrated via UserInterviews.

Google Drive

Secure storage for raw recordings and PII in Sensitive Documents folders.

Dovetail

Central repository for transcripts, notes, tags, and synthesis.

Google Forms

Standard template for informed consent forms.

Clipchamp

Trim and edit audio and video to remove PII before uploading to Dovetail.

Quick reference checklist

Section titled “Quick reference checklist”
  • Peer review completed
  • Design Director approval secured
  • Budget and compensation approved