Enhancing User Experience:
UX Writing for Accessibility

by Aisha Obiagwu on September 27, 2023

Great product development is usually guided by user experience research as it ensures that the product not only reaches its target audience but also meets their needs. In order to do this, the UX research team must communicate their findings meaningfully and adequately to relevant stakeholders. One effective approach to report findings is the use of the STAR approach. 

What is the STAR Framework?

Although often perceived as a technique for responding to behavioural interview questions, the STAR approach can also be applied to other situations. But first, what is the STAR approach? It is a communication method that stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Let's break down how each component of STAR can be applied in UX presentations.

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Situation - Setting the Stage
Explain what context you were operating in, and give a general overview of certain factors such as your goals, limits and so on. Explain why the research was necessary and the challenges or goals it aimed to address. This provides the audience with the background they need to understand the significance of your research. 
For example: “We observed a decline in user engagement on our mobile app, with user feedback highlighting issues in the onboarding process.”

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Task - Defining the mission
What was your main responsibility? What were you trying to understand or uncover? Clearly articulating this will help the audience understand your motivations. 
For example: "Our task was to identify the pain points in the onboarding process and gather insights to redesign it for a smoother user experience."

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Action - Executing the plan
What actions did you take to achieve the above task? Who assisted you? What tools and assistance did you require for your action to be successful?

 
For example:

“With a team of seven researchers, we conducted in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and usability testing with 20 participants. We also analysed user data from previous versions of the app.”

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Result - Outcome and Insights

What was the outcome of your actions? Were you able to achieve your goals? What are some recommendations and key findings you hope to offer? 

For example:

“Our findings indicate that users’ main pain points are: complicated sign-up flow and unclear instructions and prompts. These insights have led us to creating a more intuitive onboarding flow by doing xyz”

Effective tips for using STAR in presentations

• Be concise: Remember to keep your presentation short and to the point by focusing intently on the core of your work. Benefits to being concise including saving time and keeping your audience from being overwhelmed

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• Be a storyteller: Craft a compelling narrative to keep your audience engaged.  

• Use visuals: The use of graphs, pictures, user personas etc can be very helpful in enhancing your presentation. 

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In conclusion, the STAR method is a powerful tool that can transform your UX research presentations from dry data dumps into persuasive and engaging stories. By providing context, setting clear objectives, detailing your actions, and presenting compelling results, you not only convey the value of your research but also inspire action and improvement within your organisation.