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User involvement – understand your users’ ideas and perspectives

In this article, we will give you more information about user involvement and the benefits of involving your target audience, as well as providing you with knowledge about the different methods of user involvement.
Billede af Tommy Rasmussen

Tommy Rasmussen

In order to be successful in an organization or company, it is necessary to have a in-depth understanding of the needs and perspectives of its users, customers, members, etc.

Therefore, more and more people are choosing to implement user involvement or citizen involvement as a strategy for acquiring these insights.

In this article, we will give you more information about user involvement and the benefits of involving your target audience, as well as providing you with knowledge about the different methods of user involvement.

What is user involvement?

User involvement is a process where organizations, companies and public institutions actively involve their users, customers or citizens. This involves taking into account their perspectives, opinions and inputs to create better solutions, decisions and products.

User involvement can take many forms, including interviews, surveys, user groups and workshops.

The goal of user involvement is to create a dialog between those who develop products or services and those who have to use them.

With EngageXact, you get a platform that helps your organization involve stakeholders and create change together.

Read more here.

The benefit of involving your users or citizens

User involvement and citizen involvement have many advantages. First of all, it allows for the creation of solutions that are better adapted to the real needs and wishes of users. This can lead to increased user satisfaction and thereby increase loyalty to the organization. When users feel that their perspectives and opinions are heard and taken seriously, a sense of ownership and participation arises, which further strengthens their relationship with the organization.

User involvement can also lead to novelty and innovation. By collaborating with users, organizations gain access to unique ideas and insights that they might not have discovered on their own. This can give them a competitive advantage and help them develop products or services that are in line with the latest trends and needs in the market. In addition, user involvement can reduce the risk of failure as products and policies are tested and aligned to real user needs.

Finally, user involvement can improve the reputation of an organization or institution. When people see that an organization values and listens to its users, it creates trust and a positive perception. This can have a long-term impact on the organization's reputation and help attract more users and stakeholders.

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Different methods of user involvement

There are several methods and tools that can be used for user involvement:

  • Interviews
  • Questionnaire surveys
  • Focus groups
  • EngageXact 

 

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EngageXact as a tool for user involvement

EngageXact is centered around the desire to achieve qualitative perspectives and ideas for solving complex problems.

The method behind EngageXact is semi-structured and allows participants to share their creativity and insights. By defining a task and letting the participants give their input, EngageXact creates a space for curiosity, engagement and dialog.

EngageXact differs from other methods by promoting interaction and dialog with participants. The method allows for a flexible approach where participants can contribute over time and build on each other’s ideas over time.

The platform can handle many participants who can be anonymous to each other. Participants can easily invite others without slowing down the process. The method requires both thought time and discipline, but allows flexibility in response time and place. Analyses and documentation can be performed on an ongoing basis.

 A combination of methods and some personal interviews in continuation of an EngageXact process with suggestions from many participants can be used to illuminate issues in a holistic way. However, each method requires effort, and the ability to analyze and document the results may vary.

Use EngageXact when you want to gather perspectives, ideas, and suggestions to address a specific issue from multiple individuals.

See how you can use EngageXact here.

”An organization – or a project – will not succeed in the long run without listening to, understanding and engaging its stakeholders”

Thomas Lehman Jensen

Senior Principal, Xact by Rambøll

Mix the methods of user involvement

The methods of user involvement have different strengths and weaknesses. So when you need to choose methods for your user involvement, it is not a question of either – or, but more a question of both – and.

 

Briefly summarized, the advantages and drawbacks of the methods are as follows:

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Interviews:

Individual or group interviews can be used to delve deeper into users’ perspectives and experiences. This allows you to ask specific questions and get more detailed answers.

Interviews typically have fewer participants, and participants must have both the willingness and time to share their thoughts. Anonymity to the interviewer is not possible and participants cannot easily include others in the conversation. Their ability to build on the input of others is also limited, and the analysis requires considerable effort.

 

Questionnaire surveys:

User surveys are a scalable way to collect quantitative data about user attitudes and preferences. They can easily be managed online and analyze data in larger volumes.

Surveys like SurveyXact can have many anonymous participants, and the method requires very little of them. They can invite others into the survey, but do not build on each other’s input and perspectives. The analysis can be carried out in a short period of time.

 

Focus groups:

Focus groups are small groups of users who meet to discuss specific topics or products. This allows for in-depth discussions and feedback.

Focus groups often consist of a few people who cannot be anonymous to each other or the moderator. The method requires both time and willingness to share thoughts and perspectives with a group. The participants can, to a large extent, build on other people’s input and thoughts, but cannot invite new people into the focus group. The analysis and documentation cannot be carried out in a short period of time.

A combination of methods and method triangulation can be used to illuminate problems in a holistic way. However, each method requires effort, and the ability to analyze and document the results may vary.

Get a personal demo and review of EngageXact

Do you have a problem and are curious to know whether EngageXact could strengthen your analysis and understanding of the problem and the options? We are happy to discuss your problem with you.

Get in touch

Please consider the following when choosing a method of user involvement

  • What does your overall analysis design look like?
  • At what stages will you benefit from specific methods?
  • How many participants can the method handle in practice?
  • What does the method require of the participant?
  • Can participants be anonymous?
  • Can we easily let the participant interview others without delaying the process?
  • Can participants build on each other’s input?
  • Can analysis and documentation be carried out in a short period of time? 

Tommy Møller Rasmussen

Product sales manager EngageXact

M +45 51 61 38 98

TMNR@ramboll.com

LinkedIn

 

portrait_circle_TMNR

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