Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Summary
Quantitative instruments are frequently sought because 1) they can be quickly fielded to lots and lots of people, and 2) when carefully sampled, they can be generalizable to the population of users/customers. However, because many times the focus is on speed to launch because decision-makers need results quickly, there is not much depth given to their development, nor an investigation of the validity evidence. In the session, I will share a framework that centers validity and is necessarily a mixed methods approach to research. I will also share ideas on how to scale the research over time so that findings and insights are able to be iteratively delivered to stakeholders, while also iteratively informing one another in a qual-quant research dance that brings more trustworthy, user-centered evidence to decision-makers. Finally, I will share ideas for a course I am developing for supporting qualitative researchers to become more mixed in their approach.
Key Insights
-
•
Validity involves five evidence sources: content, response processes, internal structure, relations to other variables, and consequences of testing.
-
•
Qualitative methods, especially cognitive interviews, are crucial for understanding how respondents interpret survey items, supporting validity.
-
•
Surveys should be treated as products that need ongoing iteration and testing, not one-off tools.
-
•
Ethical considerations extend beyond data privacy to how survey results affect user experience and product decisions.
-
•
Mixed methods approaches leverage both qualitative insights and quantitative analyses to build a stronger validity argument.
-
•
Breaking down survey validation work across multiple teams and 'bite-sized' efforts makes the process manageable.
-
•
Revising surveys over time to improve validity complicates measuring change longitudinally but increases trustworthiness.
-
•
Stakeholder buy-in improves when validity processes are communicated as phased insights offering tangible results quickly.
-
•
Analyses such as factor analysis and Rasch modeling reveal survey internal structure and help identify item bias across subpopulations.
-
•
It is important to revisit validity considerations continuously, especially after product or user base changes.
Notable Quotes
"Validity is the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores for proposed uses."
"Qualitative research in a mixed methods setting needs to think about validity to support the bigger validity argument."
"What would happen if you do think about validity? Would it change your process or research plans?"
"Surveys are products too, so they need to be iteratively tested."
"You don’t know what you don’t know. Let’s write surveys that cover those blind spots."
"If the survey wording changes, measuring change over time becomes difficult, but improving the survey builds trust."
"Ethical considerations should go beyond typical privacy reviews and think deeply about user impact throughout the process."
"It is better to partner with someone who has quantitative expertise to interpret internal structure analyses."
"Management and stakeholders often care more about getting usable information quickly than understanding the full validity process."
"We can get quick insights in phases to keep teams engaged and slowly build a complete validity argument."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"You don’t want to miss out on the sponsor sessions — they’re free and high quality, not sales pitches."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 18, 2022
"Designers are creating conditions in which systems can grow, learn, and thrive—moving beyond just solving problems to meta-design."
Hugh DubberlyProblems with Problems: Reconsidering the Frame of Designing as Problem-Solving
June 19, 2019
"We're building bridges not only for ourselves but for the generations who will come after us."
April ReaganLook, Think, Act: The Futures-Smart Design Organization
October 1, 2021
"Cluster analysis will definitely replace personas, the fictional personas of course."
Ricardo MartinsUnlocking the power of advanced quantitative methods
March 12, 2025
"Waves are defined by the outcome we want to achieve, not just by time frames."
Maria SkaadenContinuous Design: One eye on the horizon and the other on the next wave
November 8, 2018
"We approached feedback loops like a system equal parts structure and skill. They have to reinforce one another."
Vanessa VarinFeedback: The Other F-Word
September 10, 2025
"Embrace diversity and create belonging means everyone feels they truly belong, not just fit in."
Jen Crim Jess Quittner Saritha Kattekola Alex Karr Gurbani PahwaCulture, DIBS & Recruiting
June 11, 2021
"We’re moving from theory of change to theory of service: starting with what people actually need before creating anything."
Patrick BoehlerFishing for Real Needs: Reimagining Journalism Needs with AI
June 10, 2025
"When I first got to Citrix, people didn’t even know we had a design team."
Julie BaherCulture Change—My Journey
May 14, 2015