I didn’t think a $25 gift card could cause such a stir, but it did more than that on a freezing Michigan winter day at a public library. It showed me how powerful appreciation can be, especially when working with vulnerable populations — in this case, people who had been evicted. I was leading a team tasked with redesigning eviction court forms — a process that often feels impersonal and bureaucratic to those experiencing it. As I led a team redesigning eviction court forms, I quickly realized the project wasn’t just about making the forms easier to use. It was about creating a process that acknowledged the emotional weight participants carried. These weren’t just sessions to gather data — they were moments where people shared deeply personal experiences, trusting us to use their voices to drive meaningful change.

User research is meant to start with a simple goal: understand people’s needs, frustrations, and experiences to create better, more human-centered solutions. But when your participants are undergoing life-altering situations, the stakes are higher. It’s no longer just about gathering insights; it’s about building trust, maintaining dignity, and ensuring that the process itself respects their humanity.

Creating Meaningful Engagement with Incentives

One of the surprising lessons I’ve learned is how incentives can transform engagement. For this project, the fear was low turnout — the ask was significant: sit with us for 30 minutes to discuss sensitive, potentially triggering topics. But the offer of a $25 gift card was enough to draw participation, creating a sense of value and mutual respect. But it also came with logistical challenges: how do you manage a crowd ethically and fairly, especially in a public space?”

We created a sign-up system, limited the distribution to one station, and kept the process as transparent as possible. Participants provided a first name, and if they chose, a phone number to receive a text reminder 10 minutes before their turn. To ensure fairness, participants collected incentives only after completing their session. These small but thoughtful adjustments helped us manage expectations and respect everyone’s time.

Recording vs. Handwritten Notes: An Ethical Dilemma

At the heart of any user research project lies an ethical balancing act. One of the biggest dilemmas I faced was whether to record sessions or rely on handwritten notes. While recordings capture every detail, they often make participants feel exposed and guarded.

I decided to prioritize comfort over comprehensiveness. Taking notes by hand allowed me to focus on the participant’s words and emotions without the shadow of a recording device looming over them. I reassured them that their responses would be anonymized and used only for research purposes. This small gesture of trust created an open space for authentic conversation.

Of course, handwritten notes have their limitations — they’re selective by nature. But what I found was that the most valuable insights often came during the moments when participants felt safe enough to share deeply, knowing they weren’t being recorded.

Balancing Structure and Flexibility

“Your script is only as good as you, and you are only as good as your script.”

This phrase became a mantra for the project. A script provides the foundation for consistency, but delivering it robotically can alienate participants. At the same time, veering too far off-script risks losing focus and creating unusable data.

The key was balance:

• Natural Delivery: I encouraged the team to use their own voices when following the script. This kept interactions warm and personable.
• Thoughtful Improvisation: When participants shared unexpected insights, we leaned into the moment with probing but respectful follow-ups. For instance, “Can you tell me more about that?” often led to rich, unanticipated discoveries.
• Time Management: We maintained a balance between thoroughness and respect for participants’ time, sticking to planned durations while allowing some flexibility.

This approach not only enriched the data we collected but also ensured that participants felt seen and heard.

Defining Success Beyond Metrics

How do you measure success in user research with sensitive populations? For me, it’s not just about the tangible outcomes. Yes, completing the planned session duration and gathering actionable insights are important. But the real victories are the intangible outcomes that pave the way to our precious data.

• Trust: When participants feel that you’re on their side, they open up in ways that go beyond surface-level answers.
• Comfort: Ensuring no one leaves the session feeling worse than when they arrived is a baseline metric of respect.
• Dialogue: Creating an environment where participants feel they can speak without judgment or pressure is the ultimate goal.

These successes are harder to quantify, but they’re what make the data meaningful and the process impactful.

Every user research project is an opportunity to learn about ourselves as researchers and designers. Working with sensitive topics taught me that trust, empathy, and adaptability are the cornerstones of meaningful research.

If you’re embarking on similar projects, I hope these stories and tips help you navigate the complexities with empathy and effectiveness. After all, great design starts with great listening.

Navigating User Research with Sensitive Populations was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.