The Benefits of Using FACS In UX Research

METT(Micro-Expression) and SETT (Subtle-Expression) are a set of techniques collectively known as FACS, a tool used by professionals to recognize subconscious displays of emotion. Dr. Paul Ekman developed the system in 1978. The program garnered enough interest so that in 2009, Dr. Paul Ekman  himself became the subject of a Fox television series entitled "Lie to Me". The character developed a fictitious FACS after its creator granted a patient a furlough only to have the patient commit suicide.

In reality, Dr. Ekman studied several populations, including mental health patients, spanning the globe in order to achieve a baseline of emotional expressions consistent across the species. Utilizing the data, he went on to establish his facial coding system, which is now used by professionals all over the world. Dr. Ekman's system has real world applications ranging from mental health to law enforcement - and yes - UX Research. Researchers trained in the techniques can better query their subjects when they observe deviations in reporting.

In activities such as card sorting, we can better judge whether the subject's responses are a result of biases such as groupthink, or other external influences. With skilled observation, FACS, SETT and METT could help us readily identify whether a respondent's choices are based on, or influenced by other respondent's in the room. We could read the respondent's face on a usability test, and note whether the respondent's answers align with their SE's and ME's. We could better determine if they are withholding relevant criticisms for any untold reasons, effectively allowing us to gain deeper insights by querying to uncover those criticisms. By prompting our audience we uncover what they're truly thinking and feeling during usability tests and other activities.

In short, utilizing tools such as SETT, METT, and FACS in conjunction with other existing research methodologies would potentially heighten the veracity of UX research findings. It could also potentially reduce biases that might unwittingly affect research outcomes. By employing FACS, researchers would now have a useful tool in their arsenal to help magnify emotional aspects of the process that were previously overlooked. Researchers would have the ability to query subjects on the spot upon observing emotional biases, without effecting the overall outcome of UX research studies. This  would help ensure a higher quality outcome for all parties involved.

Post-test reports would represent more accurate data. The data would be more meaningful, if not critical, for the designer. That would translate into a better designed finished product. And for the user, that would translate into a better user experience. Some foreseeable limitations do exist, particularly where test sessions are performed remotely, rather than in-person. However, that could be easily overcome using existing devices such as webcams. The issue lies in existing remote usability testing platforms such as Usertesting.com, TryMyUI.com, Usertest.io, and others which currently do not facilitate querying testers in real-time.

Suggested Reading:

About Paul Ekman. Retrieved from https://www.paulekman.com/about/paul-ekman/

Wolf, K. (2015). Measuring facial expression of emotion. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4734883/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2018].

Ekman, P. (2015). Emotion in the human face (2nd ed.). Malor Books.

Lean UX In UX/UI Design

So...I've said it a million times...I am not a coder. I became interested in code by way of hacking. A not so young script kiddie, I was playing around, making my browser do cool things. This was the way I learned programming...in code snippets. So while I'm not a programmer, I have built my fair share of websites.

Coming fresh into UX/UI design makes me certain of one thing. This role is definitely an indispensable part of the development process and Lean UX is a relevant framework UX'ers could benefit from in the course of their design process. After all, UX'ers are designing the interfaces with an idea of how it ideally should work. Coders help to actualize a UX'ers inspiration. That's why I feel the benefits of using Lean UX:

1. offer an opportunity to fully actualize the UX designer's vision when they initially designed the product

2. offer a cleaner, clearer design process

3. requires less time and resources spent on getting the product right the first iteration

UX is all about user-interaction, right? Well designers are also consumers of the same products we build. And who can say they've never used a product and said, "Wow, this would be so much better if..." It's that aspect of UX'ers being consumers themselves that makes them an invaluable asset in the development process. UX'ers possess the skills and the know how to communicate their ideas, skills other consumers may lack. At times UX'ers are even able to interact with companies directly, and they can have a measurable impact.

Lean UX comes into the picture by adding a process that in the long run benefits the user, client, and designer. How? Rather than rushing a buggy app to market, this gives the team working room to space out the addition of features. Instead of cramming everything into a project all in one go, the Lean UX process user's provide the client and designers with valuable feedback in between design sprints. Features are added and prioritized over time. Also, bugs that might kill the app's reputation are minimized over time.

These are just a few of the benefits of implementing Lean UX in UX/UI design. With UX design becoming ever more popular, UX/UI designers need effective strategies for moderating and streamlining the work flow within teams. While there's always more than one way to "skin a cat", Lean UX offers intelligent options to the designer that are, at least in my opinion, well worth looking into.