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Participants & Synthesis

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The Participants tab and Synthesis tab are two key views within a UserLens Insights research project.

They provide complementary perspectives and are designed to work together seamlessly:

  • Participants tab: Manage participant details, schedule sessions, and track completion status
  • Synthesis tab: View participant cards, capture observation notes, and organize findings in the Affinity Mapping board

Changes made in one tab automatically sync to the other, so you always have consistent data across your research project.

Understanding the two views​

Participants tab​

The Participants tab is your administrative hub for managing research participants:

  • Add new participants with contact information
  • Schedule interview and usability testing sessions
  • Track session completion status
  • Manage participant metadata (role, usage level, tenure)
  • Send session links to participants
  • View session history and recordings

Synthesis tab​

The Synthesis tab is your research analysis workspace:

  • View participant cards with session status at a glance
  • Capture detailed observation notes during or after sessions
  • Record SUS and NPS scores
  • Organize findings in the Affinity Mapping board
  • Filter and sort participants by segment or status

Working with participant cards​

Viewing participants in synthesis​

The Synthesis tab displays participant cards showing:

  • Participant ID (P01, P02, etc.) — anonymized for privacy
  • Segment (Active, Occasional, Non-User)
  • Status badge (Scheduled, In Progress, Completed, etc.)
  • Interview status with date/time and completion indicator
  • Usability testing status with date/time and completion indicator
  • SUS and NPS scores when recorded
  • Notes badge when observation notes exist

Editing a participant​

  1. Hover over any participant card
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon)
  3. The participant modal opens with three tabs:
    • Details: Segment, role, session scheduling, completion checkboxes, scores
    • Interview Notes: Structured observation notes for interview sessions
    • Usability Notes: Structured observation notes for usability testing

Tracking session completion​

Automatic status updates​

When you check the completion boxes, the participant's status updates automatically:

Interview ✓Usability ✓Resulting Status
✓✓Completed
✓✗No change
✗✓No change
✓ (unchecked)✓In Progress
✓✓ (unchecked)In Progress

Cross-tab synchronization​

When you update a participant in either tab:

  • From Synthesis tab: Changes sync to Participants tab automatically
  • From Participants tab: Changes sync to Synthesis tab automatically

You don't need to refresh manually—both tabs stay in sync.

Capturing observation notes​

Opening the notes editor​

  1. Click on any participant card in the Synthesis tab
  2. Click the Edit button
  3. Select the Interview Notes or Usability Notes tab

Note structure​

Each notes tab includes structured fields based on research best practices:

Session information​

  • Interviewer: Name of the person conducting the session
  • Session Date: When the session occurred
  • Duration: How long the session lasted

Key quotes​

Capture verbatim participant quotes with tags:

TagUse ForIcon
Pain PointFrustrations, difficulties😤
DelightPositive experiences✨
Feature RequestDesired capabilities🎯
WorkflowProcess observations🔄
GeneralOther notable quotes💬

To add a quote:

  1. Type the quote in the text field
  2. Select a tag from the dropdown
  3. Click the + button or press Enter

List fields​

Add multiple items to these categories:

  • Key Insights: Major takeaways from the session
  • Pain Points: Struggles and difficulties observed
  • Delights: What worked well for the participant
  • Feature Requests: Capabilities the participant wanted

To add items:

  1. Type your observation
  2. Click + or press Enter
  3. Repeat for additional items

Free-form fields​

Longer observations go in these text areas:

  • Workflow Observations: How the participant approached tasks
  • Integration Needs: Systems or tools they need to connect with
  • Follow-up Questions: Topics to explore in future sessions
  • Technical Issues: Any problems during the session
  • Additional Notes: Other relevant observations

Saving notes​

Click Save Changes to save your notes. Two things happen:

  1. Notes are saved to the participant record
  2. Notes automatically sync to the Affinity Mapping board (see below)

Auto-sync to Affinity Mapping​

How it works​

When you save participant notes, UserLens automatically creates sticky notes in the Affinity Mapping section:

Note TypeSticky Note ColorDefault Cluster
Pain Point quotesRose (barrier)User Frustrations
Delight quotesGreen (opportunity)What Works Well
Feature Request quotesGreen (opportunity)Feature Requests
Workflow quotesYellow (insight)Workflow Issues
General quotesPurple (quote)Emerging Opportunities
Key InsightsYellow (insight)Emerging Opportunities
Pain Points listRose (barrier)User Frustrations
Delights listGreen (opportunity)What Works Well
Feature Requests listGreen (opportunity)Feature Requests

Participant attribution​

Each synced note includes the participant ID prefix for traceability:

[P01] "I couldn't find the save button anywhere"
[P03] Users expect auto-save functionality

### Deduplication

The system prevents duplicate notes:

  • Before adding notes, it checks existing Affinity Mapping content
  • Only new, unique notes are added
  • You'll see a toast message: "Added X notes to Synthesis"

Notes indicator​

Participants with observation notes display a Notes badge on their card, so you can quickly see who has been documented.

Downloading notes​

To download a participant's observation notes:

  1. Open the participant's edit modal
  2. Click the Download button in the header
  3. A text file downloads with:
    • Participant ID (not name, for privacy)
    • All structured notes
    • Formatted sections for easy reading

File naming: P01-observation-notes.txt

Tips for effective note-taking​

During sessions​

  • Use the Key Quotes field to capture exact wording
  • Tag quotes immediately while context is fresh
  • Add brief Key Insights as they occur

After sessions​

  • Review and add to Pain Points and Delights
  • Document Workflow Observations in detail
  • Note any Follow-up Questions for future sessions

For synthesis​

  • Use consistent language across participants
  • Be specific—"slow load time" vs. "performance issues"
  • Include context when it affects interpretation

FAQs​

Q: Can I edit notes after saving?​

Yes. Open the participant modal, make changes, and save again. Updated notes won't create duplicates in Affinity Mapping.

Q: What if I add notes from the Participants tab?​

The Participants tab has a simpler edit dialog focused on scheduling. For detailed observation notes, use the Synthesis tab's participant modal.

Q: Do deleted participants remove their notes from Affinity Mapping?​

No. Sticky notes remain in Affinity Mapping even if you remove the participant. This preserves your research findings.

Q: Can multiple team members add notes simultaneously?​

Each save updates the participant record. If two people edit the same participant, the last save wins. Coordinate with your team to avoid conflicts.

Q: How do I know which notes came from which session type?​

Notes from interview and usability sessions are captured separately in their respective tabs, but they merge into the same Affinity Mapping clusters. The participant ID prefix helps you trace the source.