Since my app is designed for users in Kenya, it was important to learn about how Kenyans use their mobile phones. I assumed there would be some differences between mobile activity in the U.S. and there. For the survey I used Google Forms and asked relatives within my target group to distribute it on their social media pages and I did the same. I also used an on-demand service called Geopoll which sends surveys by mobile to participants in Kenya. It only took a day to receive the results. It was fascinating to be able to gain feedback from 56 people so far away in such a short period of time.
As I worked on the research plan, I had to figure out a method of inquiry that would provide insight into user behavior. Research questions play an important role because they can lead to breakthroughs. I used the survey to ask questions to help me validate my idea and challenge my assumptions.
For this phase of research, I wanted to learn how my target audience uses their phone by surveying activities performed on their mobile devices. The survey and user interviews confirmed mobile phones are the most used device for internet access. I also noted that only a small portion of users shopped online. This allowed me to dig further into the reasons why and potentially find ways to engage users and design an experience that would encourage online shopping.