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Five Tips to Speak to a University International User Audience

Does one size fit all? Joe will outline 5 tips to develop a website that speaks to and is attractive to diverse cultures.

Joe has researched with users in 23 countries worldwide. From China, Russia, Brazil and India to Europe and beyond. He’s been working in digital user experience for 11 years and is author of the book Psychology for Designers. Before UX he spent 10 years teaching English to students from all over the world.

Give at OMHE 2015: Online Media in Higher Education: Internationalisation

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Five Tips to Speak to a University International User Audience

  1. 1. Five tips to speak to an international user audience Joe Leech @mrjoe
  2. 2. @mrjoe ⅓ ⅓⅓ Research DesignDigital Strategy This is what I do. I’ll share insights from the last 11 years of working in user experience.
  3. 3. @mrjoe About Joe 800 user research sessions 23countries
  4. 4. 1. It’s not about you it’s about me.
  5. 5. @mrjoe 5 I went out in the lunch break before this session and spoke to two international students, it took me less than 30 minutes. I showed them a website from my home town university of Bristol.
  6. 6. @mrjoe What is that garden thing? That’s of no interest to me. I come to the website with something in mind I have to do. I want to get to it easily.
  7. 7. 2.Go out and talk to students. (and if you can talk to their parents)
  8. 8. @mrjoe Go to the cafeteria and speak to international students. Record the interviews and show the results to the team to get stuﬀ done. Use silverback, it’s cheap and easy. Speaking to parents is harder, try open days or if needs be research them in their own country (I can help if you need it
  9. 9. 3. Understand what students want and need at each point in their journey. Give it to them.
  10. 10. @mrjoe Build a picture of the student’s journey to choosing a university. This is a customer experience map, it plots all the activities and steps a student goes through. The blue things are the minimum things the website has to do to meet their needs, the grey boxes are important and need to be addressed at some point, the white boxes show things that will delight. The map can also show parent needs. Use research to uncover the steps and needs. This can be printed and placed on the wall, a strategy for the future of digital.
  11. 11. @mrjoe The other university in my home town of Bristol does a great job at meeting user needs.
  12. 12. 4. Seperate experiences are not always the way forward.
  13. 13. @mrjoe Are we getting a diﬀerent experience to other students? I understand why they split international students out from normal students. But it makes it hard to know which one to choose
  14. 14. @mrjoe Students International Students Is this segregation right? Many international students feel apart from other students, the website sends a message that they will be treated that way.
  15. 15. 5. Tell stories
  16. 16. @mrjoe I want to know a few things. - The reputation and city culture - The costs - Can I get a job afterwards? I want to know other student’s experiences
  17. 17. @mrjoe Tell stories. UWE do a great job, they tell stories from other students answering all the key questions. uwestudentstories/ internationalstudentstories.aspx
  18. 18. @mrjoe Title Text 18 A great example!
  19. 19. @mrjoe Title Text 19 1. What’s in it for me? “I chose UWE for its great reputation, competitive tuition fees for international students and location in Bristol, which is a nice city.” Answering key user questions.
  20. 20. @mrjoe Title Text 20 2. What’s in it for me? After ﬁnishing his placement, Chen kept in close contact with RBS throughout his postgraduate studies. This close relationship resulted in Chen securing a job with RBS when he graduated. Answering key user questions.
  21. 21. @mrjoe Title Text 21 3. What’s in it for me? Chen is hoping to work in the UK before going back to China to continue his career. His UK qualiﬁcation and the work experience he gained will enable Chen to further his career in China's competitive market. Answering key user questions.
  22. 22. 1. It’s not about you it’s about me. 2. Understand their journey. 3.Go out and talk to them. 4. Don’t make international students feel diﬀerent. 5. Tell stories. Joe Leech @mrjoe