Cactus births and Klingon crosswords: The power of extreme user feedback
Turning brutal feedback into opportunities for improvement
TL;DR
Extreme user quotes, while often shocking and humorous, are invaluable for highlighting critical issues in UX design. These raw, unfiltered statements grab stakeholders’ attention and provide clarity on user frustrations that polite feedback might miss. Embracing these quotes can turn them into powerful catalysts for product improvement. Presenting such feedback requires context, supporting data, and a balanced approach to ensure stakeholders understand the underlying issues without getting defensive. By humanizing data and using humor strategically, researchers can foster empathy and drive meaningful change. Remember, behind every dramatic quote is a call for a better user experience.
“The process was as painful as I can imagine giving birth to a cactus would be…”
The quote above is from a real user responding in a real user study and how we might handle quotes like this was the motivation to write this article (Thanks Sarah Engleman!)
In the world of UX research, the user comes first. We dissect their every word, trying to decipher their wants, needs, and pain points. Every so often, a user drops a bomb — a quote so raw and brutally honest it makes us do a double-take and often giggle. We’ve all been there: in a user feedback session, someone says something like, “Using this product is like giving birth to a cactus.” Caught between laughter and horror, we scribble down the quote with a sense of shock and awe. As UX researchers, our job is to capture the voices of users — raw, unfiltered, and sometimes extreme. These over-the-top quotes are not just entertaining tidbits; they are powerful sparks for change if used correctly.
Mic drop moments
Extreme user quotes are the UX researcher’s equivalent of a mic drop. They’re the unfiltered truths that users might hold back in polite company but unleash with full force when convenient. These quotes can range from frustration (“This app is the worst thing since New Coke”) to outright despair (“If I have to use this again, I’m quitting my job”). While they can be shocking, these extreme quotes are gold mines for understanding the real issues facing your users.
Why we need to embrace the extreme
Extreme user quotes serve at least three purposes.
First, they grab attention. Let’s face it: a room full of stakeholders will perk up faster to a cactus analogy than a dry list of technical glitches or usability defects. The shock factor cuts through the noise.
Second, they provide clarity. Hyperbolic statements often illuminate real frustrations that polite feedback glosses over. When someone says your app is “like navigating a corn maze blindfolded,” they’re not just being dramatic; they’re pointing to a fundamental usability issue that requires immediate attention.
Third, they humanize the data. In her article How to Get Stakeholders to Buy Into User Research, Sarah Doody writes:
“Data only tell you what. People tell you why.”
Numbers on a spreadsheet might tell you there’s a problem, but an angry, frustrated quote from a real user brings that problem to life in a way that’s hard to ignore.
Challenging the status quo
Handling extreme user quotes also requires a degree of emotional intelligence. It’s easy to get defensive when a user’s feedback seems to attack the product you’ve worked so hard to create. But as a UX researcher, your role is to be a dispassionate communicator of facts. Emotions can cloud your judgment and lead to knee-jerk reactions that do more harm than good. It’s essential to remain objective and focus on the underlying issues the user is pointing out.
As researchers, it’s tempting to shield stakeholders from the more colorful aspects of user feedback, worried that it might seem unprofessional or overly critical. But sanitizing feedback does a disservice to the user and the product. Extreme quotes often shine a light on issues that need urgent attention. As Victor Yocco writes in his article Presenting UX Research And Design To Stakeholders:
“We’re not trying to manipulate anyone; we’re trying to make sure our ideas get the attention they deserve in a busy world.”
By embracing the raw honesty of extreme user feedback, we can turn shocking statements into powerful catalysts for meaningful product improvements.
On the flip side, stakeholders must be willing to listen without taking offense. It’s easy to dismiss a hyperbolic critique as an outlier, but doing so risks overlooking valuable insights that could drive real improvement. Instead, stakeholders should embrace these quotes as opportunities to dive deeper into user experience and product design.
Why extreme quotes matter
Extreme user quotes are not just outliers; they are often the canary in the coal mine. They signal underlying issues that could be affecting a broader user base, even if less dramatically. Ignoring these quotes because they’re uncomfortable or seem too harsh is dangerous. When users feel strongly enough to voice such extreme feedback, it’s a sign that something is deeply wrong. It’s our job to dig into that and figure out what’s going on.
Extreme user quotes are the unfiltered truths that cut through the noise, providing clarity and urgency to the issues that polite feedback often glosses over.
The notion that extreme quotes should be taken with a grain of salt because they might represent only a small fraction of your user base is a cop-out. In reality, these quotes can act as a proxy for wider dissatisfaction.
User feedback isn’t just a report card; it’s an instruction manual.
Handling extreme quotes with stakeholders
Presenting extreme user quotes to stakeholders can be a delicate task. These quotes, while powerful, can sometimes provoke defensiveness. Here’s a few strategies to use when presenting extreme quotes to stakeholders:
Prepare the ground: Before presenting extreme quotes, provide stakeholders with context. Explain how the quote was gathered, why it’s significant, and how it fits within the broader research findings. Make it clear that these quotes, while harsh, represent genuine user frustrations and shouldn’t be dismissed outright.
- Example: “This quote was gathered during a usability test where users were asked to complete a task. The user struggled significantly and expressed their frustration by saying, ‘This app is the worst thing since New Coke.’ This sentiment is significant because it highlights a recurring issue we’ve seen in multiple tests.”
Triangulate and balance with data: Stakeholders may question whether an extreme quote is just an isolated outburst. Address this by presenting supporting data. Show how the extreme quote aligns with patterns in other data sources, like usability testing results, analytics, or survey responses. This will help validate the quote as a reflection of broader issues.
- Example: “In usability testing, one user described our checkout process as ‘like pulling teeth.’ Our analytics showed a 40% drop-off rate at the checkout stage, and survey responses indicated that 60% of users found the process cumbersome. This suggested a broader issue that needed addressing.”
Frame and translate: When presenting extreme quotes, emphasize that they’re opportunities for improvement rather than just criticism. Help stakeholders understand the underlying issues behind the dramatic language. Break down the hyperbole into actionable insights that stakeholders can work with, turning dramatic analogies into clear, prioritized issues that then become recommendations for change.
- Example: “A user said, ‘If I have to use this again, I’m quitting my job.’ While this is a strong statement, it highlights a critical pain point with our reporting feature. Users find it too complex and time-consuming. By simplifying the reporting process and making it more intuitive, we can significantly enhance user satisfaction and reduce churn.”
Maintain objectivity: It’s easy for extreme quotes to spark emotional reactions. As a researcher, your role is to remain objective and present the information dispassionately. This helps keep the focus on finding solutions rather than assigning blame.
- Example: “The feedback that ‘this app is as confusing as a crossword puzzle in Klingon’ is not an attack on the team but an indication that our navigation needs simplification. Let’s focus on how we can make the user journey more intuitive.”
Encourage empathy: Help stakeholders see the issue from the user’s perspective. Use the extreme quote to humanize the data, turning abstract numbers into a real user’s voice. This can foster empathy and motivate stakeholders to take action.
- Example: “Imagine being a user who feels so frustrated that they describe the experience as ‘like giving birth to a cactus.’ This level of frustration is something we need to address to improve our user experience.”
Use humor to your advantage: Inject some humor into the presentation. Acknowledge the absurdity of the analogy while steering the conversation toward constructive outcomes. Humor can ease tension and create a more relaxed atmosphere where people feel comfortable discussing problems openly.
- Example: “One user said our interface is ‘about as intuitive as a Rubik’s cube.’ While it sounds funny, it’s a clear call for us to simplify our design. Let’s brainstorm ways to make the interface more user-friendly.”
One of the most effective ways to present research findings is to tell a compelling story that connects with your audience on an emotional level.
Driving change
Handling extreme user quotes requires a mix of humor, honesty, and strategic presentation. Lawton Pybus points out in his article An ancient technique that makes UX research findings sticky that by using vivid language we can connect emotionally with our audience:
“Whether by using compelling stories or evocative language to describe surprising, humorous, painful, or delightful moments, give depth and humanity to your findings to make your presentation stick.”
Additionally, by embracing these exaggerated analogies, we can engage stakeholders in meaningful discussions about product improvement and foster a culture of openness and innovation.
Remember, behind every dramatic user quote is a desire for a better experience. Our job is to capture that energy, communicate it productively, and drive product changes. So next time you hear a quote that makes you do a double-take, don’t dismiss it. Embrace it. And let it be the spark that ignites transformation.
References
Lawton Pybus (2023). An ancient technique that makes UX research findings sticky. The ¼” Hole.
Sarah Doody (2017). How to Get Stakeholders to Buy Into User Research. Medium.
Victor Yocco (2024). Presenting UX Research And Design To Stakeholders: The Power of Persuasion. Smashing Magazine.
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