8 UX Workshops and when to use them - The Roxanne Perspective

As a design researcher with over 50 UX workshops under my belt, I’ve personally facilitated all eight of the types of UX workshops described below. In fact, I’ll share an example of when I conducted a discovery, and user journey workshop at Yoripe, a recipe and grocery shopping app.

UX Case Study: Discovery Workshop

The Yoripe UX team was struggling to identify and understand their early adopters. This made it difficult to develop new features and content that would appeal to our target users. The team and I, decided to conduct a comprehensive user research study to learn more about our early adopters. The study included examining the data of existing customers, survey data, user interviews, contextual inquiries and guerrilla research.

Existing customer analysis

We analyzed data from their existing customers to identify patterns and trends. This helped us to understand the demographics, psychographics, and motivations of their early adopters.

Survey data

The team conducted a survey to collect more detailed feedback from their early adopters. We asked questions about their demographics, psychographics, motivations, and pain points.

User interviews

We carried out eight user interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the early adopters. The interviews also helped us validate the findings from the survey and existing customer analysis.

Contextual inquiries

We were able to observe early adopters using the Yoripe app in their natural environment. This helped the team understand how early adopters use the app and what challenges they face.

Guerrilla research

We also carried out guerrilla research to collect feedback from potential early adopters who were not currently using the Yoripe app. This helped us to understand the needs and wants of a wider range of potential early adopters.

But what did we do with all that research?

Once we had collected all of the data from the user research study, I facilitated a discovery and user journey map workshop to synthesize the findings and develop a persona and user journey map of Yoripe’s early adopters.

As a result of the user research study and UX workshop, my team and I were able to significantly increase our understanding of the early adopters of Yoripe. We were also able to develop new features and content that were more relevant and engaging for our target users.

What Are the 8 Types of UX workshops?

Now that you’ve read how I’ve used UX workshops to deliver on two core user experience deliverables, let’s look at all eight different types of UX workshops.

Discovery workshops

A discovery workshop is a collaborative session that brings together stakeholders from different disciplines to learn about a product or service, identify user needs and pain points, and brainstorm solutions. Discovery workshops are typically used at the beginning of a project to help UX teams develop a deep understanding of the problem they are trying to solve and to align on a shared vision for the solution.

When to use a Discovery workshop?

You are launching a new product or service, and you want to make sure that you have a deep understanding of your target users and their needs.
You are working on a complex problem, and you need to get input from different stakeholders to develop a solution.
You are having difficulty getting alignment across stakeholders on a new design or feature.
You are trying to generate new ideas for products, services, or features.
You are looking to gather insights from users to improve your existing products or services.

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Empathy workshops

An empathy workshop is a collaborative session that helps participants develop a deeper understanding of the needs, motivations, and pain points of a specific group of people. Empathy workshops are conducted to help teams develop empathy for their users.

When should I use an empathy workshop?

You are designing a new product or service, and you want to make sure that you understand the needs of your target users.
You are trying to improve the user experience of an existing product or service.
You are having difficulty getting buy-in from stakeholders on a new design or feature.
You are working on a complex problem, and you need to get different perspectives.
You want to foster a more user-centric culture within your team.

Design workshops

A design workshop is a collaborative session that brings together people from different disciplines to generate ideas, design solutions, and make decisions. Design workshops are conducted to help teams develop innovative solutions to complex problems.

When should I use a design workshop?

You are designing a new product or service, and you want to generate as many ideas as possible.
You have several different ideas for a new feature, but you need to decide which one to implement first.
You have created a prototype of a new design, but you need to get feedback from users before you move forward.
You are working on a complex problem, and you need to get input from different stakeholders.
You are trying to build a more innovative culture within your team.

Prioritization workshops

A prioritization workshop is a collaborative session that brings together stakeholders to identify and prioritize the most important work items. Prioritization workshops help teams make decisions about what to work on first and what to defer using prioritization matrices such as the MoSCoW matrix or the RICE matrix.

When to use a prioritization workshop?

At the beginning of a project: prioritization workshops can be used to identify and prioritize the most important features and functionality for a new product or service.
When there are too many competing work items: prioritization workshops can be used to help teams to decide which work items to focus on first and which work items to defer.
When there is disagreement among stakeholders: prioritization workshops can be used to help stakeholders reach a consensus on the priority of the work items.

An example of a prioritization workshop is one I am running now to narrow down our 400+ brainstormed solutions. I opted to use the IDEO Desirability, Viability, Feasibility Framework to score solutions and narrow down choices.

Critique workshops

A critique workshop is a collaborative session where participants share and receive feedback on their work. Critique workshops are used in design, writing, and other creative fields to help participants improve their work.

When should I use a critique workshop?

To get feedback on a new idea or design.
To identify areas where a piece of work can be improved.
To learn from others and get new perspectives.
To build consensus on a design or approach.
To help participants develop their skills and knowledge.

User Journey Workshops

A user journey workshop is a collaborative session that brings together stakeholders to map out the user journey for a product or service. User journey workshops are typically used in UX design and research to help teams understand how users interact with a product or service and to identify areas for improvement.

When should I use a user journey workshop?

At the beginning of a project: User journey workshops can be used to develop a shared understanding of the user journey and to identify areas for improvement.
When launching a new product or service: User journey workshops can be used to ensure that the product or service is easy to use and meets the needs of users.
When making changes to an existing product or service: User journey workshops can be used to identify areas where the product or service can be improved and to ensure that the changes are user-centered.

Usability Testing Workshops

A usability testing workshop is a collaborative session that brings together stakeholders to observe and analyze users as they complete tasks with a product or service. Usability testing workshops are typically used to identify areas where the product or service can be improved.

When should I use a usability testing workshop?

At the beginning of a project: Usability testing workshops can be used to identify usability problems with a prototype or early version of a product or service.
Before launching a new product or service: Usability testing workshops can be used to ensure that the product or service is easy to use and meets the needs of users.
After making changes to an existing product or service: Usability testing workshops can be used to identify any new usability problems that may have been created by the changes.
To investigate specific usability problems: Usability testing workshops can be used to investigate specific usability problems that have been identified through user research or analytics.

Accessibility Testing Workshops

An accessibility workshop is a collaborative session that helps participants to develop a deeper understanding of the needs, motivations, and pain points of people with disabilities. Accessibility workshops are done to help teams design products and services that are accessible to everyone.

When should I use an accessibility testing workshop?

At the beginning of a project: Accessibility workshops can be used to help teams develop an accessibility mindset and to identify areas where accessibility needs to be considered.
When designing a new product or service: Accessibility workshops can be used to help teams design products and services that are accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities.
When making changes to an existing product or service: Accessibility workshops can be used to help teams identify and fix accessibility problems with existing products and services.
To educate stakeholders about accessibility: Accessibility workshops can be used to educate stakeholders about the importance of accessibility and to help them understand the needs of people with disabilities.

How to run a successful UX workshop?

As a design researcher with over 50 UX workshops under my belt, here are my top tips for running a successful workshop:

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Define the goals of the workshop

What do you want to achieve by the end of the workshop? Once you have defined your goals, you can start to plan the agenda and activities.

Be specific and measurable. For example, instead of saying “I want to improve the user experience of our website,” say “I want to reduce the number of abandoned carts by 10%.”
Make sure the goals are aligned with the needs of your stakeholders.
Communicate the goals to participants in advance so they know what to expect.

Invite the right people

When choosing participants, consider their expertise and experience. You want a mix of people with different perspectives and skills. It’s also important to invite people who are willing to participate and contribute.

Consider the different roles and perspectives that need to be represented in the workshop.
Invite people who are decision-makers or who have the authority to implement the workshop’s outcomes.
Make sure everyone invited understands the purpose of the workshop and is prepared to participate.

Choose the right activities

Consider the needs of your participants when planning the agenda. Schedule breaks and allow enough time for each activity. Be flexible and adaptable, as things don’t always go according to plan.

Create a safe and supportive environment

This means creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.

Set ground rules at the beginning of the workshop, such as respecting everyone’s opinions and avoiding personal attacks.
Encourage workshop participants to share their ideas and feedback, even if they’re different from their own.
Be mindful of the group dynamics and intervene if necessary to ensure that everyone feels comfortable participating.

Facilitating the workshop

Your role is to guide the workshop and keep it on track. Encourage participation and manage conflict.

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Start with an icebreaker

Start with an icebreaker to help participants get to know each other and to create a sense of community. I love starting all my UX workshops with ice breaker sessions that are improv in nature to spark a creative mindset.

Keep the workshop on track

Keep the workshop on track by following the agenda and managing time effectively. No one likes it when meetings go on and on without any closure.

Encourage participation

Encourage participation by asking questions and by giving everyone a chance to contribute.

Manage conflict

Manage conflict by being respectful of all viewpoints and by working to find common ground.

Evaluating the workshop

After the workshop, it is important to collect feedback from participants. This feedback can be used to identify areas for improvement.

When I first asked to do this, I felt as though my work was being audited by all my colleagues. But that was not the case, the idea is to tweak the workshop according to your participants and improve on the next one. Remember if you’re a UX designer, you know there’s always room for improvement.
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Collect feedback from participants

Here are a few ways to collect feedback from participants:

Send out a survey after the workshop.
Hold a debrief session at the end of the workshop.
Talk to participants individually to get their feedback.

I will have a one-on-one debrief session with my manager for feedback and then send a survey to the rest of the participants after the workshop.

Identify areas for improvement

Once you have collected feedback from participants, take some time to analyze it. Look for common themes and identify areas where you can improve.

Wrapping up my perspective on 8 UX workshops and when to use them

UX workshops have helped me and my team develop innovative solutions to some of our most challenging problems. By bringing together stakeholders from different disciplines and generating ideas in a collaborative environment, we’ve been able to identify and solve problems that we never would have been able to solve on our own.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your product or service, I encourage you to consider running a UX workshop. By following the tips and best practices in this article, you can run a successful workshop that delivers real results.

Start planning your own UX workshop today! Contact me if you need help 🙂

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of UX workshops?

There are many different types of UX workshops, but some of the most common include:

Discovery workshops: These workshops are used to learn more about users and their needs. They can be used to identify pain points, opportunities, and requirements.
Empathy workshops: These workshops are used to help participants develop a deeper understanding of the needs, motivations, and pain points of users. They can be used to generate empathy maps and user personas.
Design workshops: These workshops are used to generate and refine design ideas. They can be used to create wireframes, prototypes, and user flows.
Prioritization workshops: These workshops are used to prioritize design ideas and features. They can be used to create MoSCoW matrices and other prioritization tools.
Critique workshops: These workshops are used to get feedback on design ideas and prototypes. They can be used to identify usability problems and areas for improvement.
User journey workshops: These workshops are used to map out the user journey and identify areas for improvement. They can be used to create user journey maps and service blueprints.
Usability testing workshops: These workshops are used to test the usability of a product or prototype with users. They can be used to identify usability problems and areas for improvement.
Accessibility testing workshops: These workshops are used to test the accessibility of a product or prototype for users with disabilities. They can be used to identify accessibility problems and areas for improvement.

How do I choose the right type of UX workshop for my needs?

The best way to choose the right type of UX workshop for your needs is to consider your specific goals. What do you want to achieve by the end of the workshop? Once you know your goals, you can choose the type of workshop that is most likely to help you achieve them.

For example, if you are trying to learn more about your users, you would choose a discovery or empathy workshop. If you are trying to generate and refine design ideas, you would choose a design workshop. And if you are trying to prioritize design ideas and features, you would choose a prioritization workshop.

How do I plan and run a successful UX workshop?

Here are some tips for planning and running a successful UX workshop:

Define the goals of the workshop: What do you want to achieve by the end of the workshop?
Invite the right people: Who needs to be involved in the workshop to achieve the goals?
Choose the right activities: Select activities that will help you achieve the goals of the workshop.
Create a safe and supportive environment: Make sure everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.
Facilitate the workshop effectively: Keep the workshop on track and encourage active participation.

What are some tips for getting the most out of a UX workshop?

Here are some tips for getting the most out of a UX workshop:

Come prepared: Do your research and think about what you want to achieve in the workshop.
Be open-minded: Be willing to hear new ideas and perspectives.
Be participative: Share your own ideas and feedback.
Be respectful: Respect the ideas and opinions of others.

How can I use UX workshops to improve my product or service?

UX workshops can be used to improve your product or service in a number of ways. For example, you can use them to:

Learn more about your users and their needs.
Identify pain points, opportunities, and requirements.
Generate and refine design ideas.
Prioritize design ideas and features.
Get feedback on design ideas and prototypes.
Identify usability problems and areas for improvement.
Identify accessibility problems and areas for improvement.

By using UX workshops to improve your product or service, you can create a product or service that is more user-friendly, meets the needs of your users, and is more likely to be successful in the market.