“You Take Control as a User Researcher” — My First Feedback Session

After two days of preparing materials, practicing the protocol, and setting up technologies, I finally am able to lead a one-hour pilot session. My mentor and peer teammate are observing behind my participant and me, offering support when I need it.

After the pilot session, my mentor thanks the participant and closes the door.

I see. I am about to receive the first official “performance feedback” from the team. It’s big for me. It’s exciting. Until then, I have never received a sit-down feedback thing for moderating a user research test session. All I know about myself is that I love saying “I love receiving feedback from my mentors and improving myself based on that feedback.” I’ve said that so many times so that must be true.

“So, what do you think?” My mentor asks.

“When the file crashed, I was certainly nervous. Um, yeah.” I give a few details of the moments I am not super proud of. My mentor then provides a few alternatives to go around the challenges, which we might not have enough to finish in a day. My teammate who has run a similar study two months ago also offers me a few suggestions.

“Absolutely, I will get myself more familiar with the technologies and see what I can do,” I reply.