Surveys as UXR: Using Design Thinking to Shape a Survey-Based UX Assessment for Rural Audiences

Kaitlin J. Coyle Auburn University ; Derek G. Ross Auburn University

Abstract

<bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>About the case:</i></b> While several established user-experience research (UXR) methods can reach far-away users (e.g., remote usability testing), the digital divide makes implementation difficult, especially for rural populations facing barriers to transportation and high-speed internet. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Situating the case:</i></b> Web surveys can eliminate these concerns by providing customization for specific use cases, gathering both qualitative and quantitative data, and combining multiple questionnaires and/or UXR methods within them. Our case study demonstrates an instance where our lab—Auburn University's Lab for Usability, Communication, Interaction, and Accessibility—used advocacy-based HCD and design thinking (DT) to develop a nonstandard UXR Qualtrics web survey to solve our client's wicked problem: designing a usability test for rural audiences unable to travel to our lab while also considering time constraints and technological literacy. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Methods:</i></b> Our survey design followed the Nielsen Norman Group's adaptation of DT, and our process was informed by academic research on: 1. Survey design, question formats, and response bias, 2. Existing user-experience (UX)/usability methods, and 3. Mixed-methods approaches to UXR. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Discussion:</i></b> Our work suggests this tool can potentially serve as the UX testing situation itself, implementing multiple in-person research methods (i.e., heatmapping, user interviews, card sorting) virtually. <bold xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>Conclusion:</i></b> We conclude with six survey design suggestions and a discussion of how this nonstandard UXR tool can reach underrepresented or vulnerable populations, serving to empower and advocate for users. We suggest that using DT to ideate new UXR methods is a means for UXR practitioners conducting future studies to better address the wicked problems they will face.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2026-03-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2026.3658115
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (7)

  1. Pedagogy
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 7 →
  1. Communication Design Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Also cites 24 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1016/j.cities.2020.102904
  2. 10.1145/3436756.3437048
  3. 10.1080/0161956x.2020.1745608
  4. 10.2307/1511637
  5. 10.37514/tpc-b.2022.1725.2.29
  6. 10.37514/tpc-b.2022.1725.1.3
  7. 10.2307/jj.18255371.7
  8. 10.1080/21650349.2022.2048698
  9. 10.1007/978-1-4842-3811-0
  10. 10.1002/9781394260645
  11. 10.1109/ice.2017.8280054
  12. 10.1145/3711008
  13. 10.37514/tpc-b.2022.1725.2.01
  14. 10.37514/tpc-b.2022.1725.2.02
  15. 10.37514/TPC-B.2022.1725.2.04
  16. 10.2307/jj.25601156
  17. 10.37514/tpc-b.2022.1725.2.05
  18. 10.1177/17456916221137350
  19. Advancing a vision of usability
  20. 10.1145/3442188.3445888
  21. 10.1145/3531146.3533226
  22. More comprehensive and inclusive approaches to demographic data collection
  23. 10.1109/tii.2017.2658663
  24. 10.1145/2669557.2669565