Love Letter

A creative UX method that helps discover users' emotional connections and hidden insights by having them write love or breakup letters to a brand, product, or service.

About

The Love Letter method is a creative exercise that invites participants to write a love letter to a product, service, or experience, expressing what they appreciate, admire, or enjoy. By framing feedback in a positive and emotional context, it uncovers insights into what resonates with users and what makes them feel connected. The Love Letter method is used in user research, brand development, and design thinking, where understanding emotional engagement can guide empathetic and user-centered design.

Suitable for

  • Finding out what emotions your service/product evokes;
  • Discovering what people value most about brands, and what bothers them;
  • Improving the design of your service.

Deliverables

Research Objectives

A document outlining the goals and aims of the Love Letter method, specifying the target audience, desired outcomes, and key research questions to be addressed.


Recruitment Plan

A plan detailing the selection criteria for research participants, the recruitment process, and any incentives offered. This ensures a diverse group of participants whose experiences can provide valuable insights.


Love Letter Writing Guide

A document providing clear instructions for participants on how to write their love letters, including prompts and examples to guide their thought process, as well as any time constraints or word limits.


Consent Forms

Documents that inform participants about the purpose of the study, how their information will be used, and their rights to participate voluntarily and withdraw at any time. Participants must sign these forms before taking part in the study.


Love Letters Collection

A compilation of all the love letters submitted by participants, which may be organized by category or theme depending on your research objectives.


Thematic Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the love letters in which you identify recurring themes, patterns, and commonalities among the participants' experiences, preferences, and pain points. This qualitative analysis can be visualized using tools such as affinity diagrams or thematic maps.


Insights Report

A synthesized report highlighting key findings, user needs, and pain points derived from the Love Letter method. This report can be shared with stakeholders and used to inform product or service improvements and design decisions.


Recommendations Document

A set of actionable recommendations based on the insights derived from the Love Letter method, addressing identified user needs and pain points, and suggesting improvements to enhance user experiences.


Participant Debrief

A follow-up communication with participants to share key findings and thank them for their contributions, which may include sharing a summarized version of the insights report or inviting them to a presentation of the findings. This helps maintain engagement and can encourage participation in future research activities.


Final Presentation

A polished presentation to share the results of the Love Letter research method with stakeholders or team members, effectively communicating findings, insights, and recommendations to support decision-making and future directions.

Procedure

1

Introduction and Setup

Choose the project or product you want to gather user feedback about. Ensure your team is aware of the objectives and scope of the 'Love Letter' method. Prepare stationery like paper, pens or colorful markers, and envelopes for participants to write and enclose their letters.

2

Participant Recruitment

Identify the target user group or participants for this exercise. These can be existing users, potential users or internal stakeholders who are well-immersed in the product. Invite them to participate in the 'Love Letter' activity, explaining its purpose and objectives.

3

Brief the Participants

At the start of the session, introduce the participants to the 'Love Letter' method. Explain that they will be writing a love letter to the product or feature as if it were a person, expressing their feelings and experiences interacting with it.

4

Writing the Love Letters

Allocate a specific period for participants to write their love letters. Encourage them to be creative and honest, using metaphors, anecdotes, or even illustrations to convey their emotions and impressions. Remind them to consider both positive and negative aspects of their experiences.

5

Collect and Anonymize the Letters

Once participants have completed writing their love letters, have them place their letters into envelopes and seal them. Collect all the sealed envelopes and shuffle them to ensure anonymity. This allows for candid and unbiased feedback from participants.

6

Analyzing the Letters

Carefully open and read through all the love letters. Identify common themes, patterns or sentiments expressed by participants. Note any unexpected insights or recurring challenges. Look for opportunities to improve the UX based on the feedback gathered.

7

Sharing Insights with the Team

Compile your findings and share them with your team or stakeholders. Discuss the key insights or recurring issues mentioned in the love letters. This offers an opportunity for open dialogue on how to address user concerns and improve the overall user experience.

8

Prioritizing and Strategizing Improvements

Based on the insights gained through the love letters, prioritize areas for improvement or further investigation. Set up a clear plan to implement changes in the user experience, addressing users' needs and pain points. Ensure the team understands the overall priorities and deadlines to monitor progress effectively.

9

Follow-Up and Evaluation

After implementing the changes, evaluate the impact on the user experience by collecting and analyzing additional feedback. This may include conducting follow-up surveys, usability testing, or interviews. Assess whether the implemented changes positively impacted users' experiences and make any necessary final adjustments.

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