It's almost that time of year again... farmer's market season! 🥕 Who can resist overloading on freshly picked strawberries, locally grown rhubarb, and flavorful user research data?
One of my favorite ways to use the season's best produce is to make a simple reduction sauce. Not only does this recipe make it easy to incorporate the flavors of the season into hundreds of sweet (and even savory!) recipes, but it also preserves that summery user research taste long after the dog days are done.
This recipe is adapted from one that we used to make with our grandmother.* Preparing it always brings back such fond memories of balmy summer evenings in her kitchen... we hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 😊
*The original recipe called for 24 packets of Jell-O, because G-ma honed her culinary skills in the '50s. 🍮
Ingredients & equipment
- 1 research study plan (store bought works in a pinch but we recommend the UX Study Plan in this tried-and-true recipe)
- 5-10 participants, properly screened
- A flexible taxonomy
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 colander
- 2 cups water (475 ml)
- 1/2 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
1. Begin by screening your participants to make sure you're researching with a representative group of people who can give your insights that well-rounded flavor you're looking for. (Be sure to avoid these 7 common screener survey mistakes, or you could end up having to start again from scratch.)
2. Conduct user interviews. (Sometimes we like to substitute diary studies or ethnographic methods if they're in season. You could also use focus groups, but they can have a polarizing flavor.) Set aside the transcripts, notes, and recordings for the next step.
3. Carefully separate the data using a colander and some qualitative coding to organize data into insights. We recommend using a blend of inductive and deductive coding. (You'll need a good taxonomy for this step. Not unlike a sourdough starter, taxonomies are living organisms that require careful preparation to set up. But once you have a healthy one going, it can be maintained and used in hundreds of recipes for months or even years to come.)
4. Next, bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in the saucepan. Add sugar, lemon zest, and the data from step 3. Simmer over a low heat until the data is reduced to atomic insights (about 10-15 minutes). Stir occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool at room temperature for about an hour.
6. To serve, pour over your favorite research findings report, presentation, or summary email. Yum!
Happy researching!
🥧 Katryna
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