Survey and questionnaire design is a design thing in and of itself. Just like any kind of design centered around audience engagement, the design problem needs to be thought through.
For example, every question must have a possible response that takes into consideration the answers to the questions preceding it. Like you mentioned, there needs to be N/A check boxes if the possible responses to the preceding questions make responses to a following question non-relevant.
I saw the N/A checkbox options yesterday on SurveyMonkey, since I’m still new on conducting surveys. Also, this is just for a personal project which won’t be published on App store.
But that doesn’t mean that people don’t know what to do if they don’t see an option. If people just take a few surveys, they should be able to know how to skip a question very easily. You should even know if you play video games. ‘Press any key to continue.’
Not just for Designers is empathy important but also for participants to empathize with the designer. Otherwise I wouldn’t get 18+ responses to some of my questions. It seems like providing comment fields aren’t a good option for surveys. Still curious what else I’m gonna get. Hope people have recommendations for the participants who try to skew up results with their great imagination than just for the inexperienced designer without ‘work experience.’
Really? Then I disqualify myself.
You don’t have to justify yourself if you don’t have the skill. Not everyone does.
For example, I don’t have the skill to step into the design industry 
One thing that’s rarely permissible is to place blame on the person not understanding something or getting confused. Yeah, people don’t always use common sense or know things one might expect, but that’s something something the designer should have considered and made efforts to mitigate.
Any survey that dismisses the opinions of those unable to figure out the questions has just eliminated part of the survey demographic and, consequently, skewed the survey in a way that excludes that representative segment of survey respondents.
I’ve been involved in quite a few focus groups and usability sessions over the years — usually as an observer. For example, in big website redesigns, it’s common practice to bring in a group of random people to use the website before launching. It’s easy to blame the XX percent of participants who fail to see the big red button that says, COMPLETE YOUR PURCHASE!, but blaming them for being dense or ignorant of the obvious does not solve the problem of those kinds of customers failing to make a purchase because of it. In other words, there are consequences for blaming the audience instead of using the observed user interaction failures to fix the problem.
Blaming? That’s an assumption and don’t think blaming me for blaming isn’t a sign of empathy. Don’t see it from a negative perspective. That people should have an understanding of simple things is not blaming but a real expectation that I can await from grown ups. Adults aren’t children to quit anything that they don’t like. Most people who took the survey are young adults and know how to use technology when they’re already online and using their smartphone, laptop etc. Maybe if you people don’t make things as simple as possible, people would start to use their intelligence more often, even if design should be simple, before we have people who are just clicking around randomly skewing up results. Patience is also important in life. Besides that you should show me proof how many participants answer surveys truthfully. For example, if people are in hurry, they can try to answer as quick as possible or some people will also don’t take surveys seriously. You can’t know if your surveys are answered to 100% truthfully and I see that from my survey which is obvious.
Again, this is a survey that I did for the first time for a personal project and you won’t make world changing impact if 1000 people take the survey or not. Skewing results is just a reflection of your opinion, as I have the option to take anyone out or hide from the survey that I want, like the one who give 18+ responses. I’m really curious how many times professional designers skewed up when started to conduct surveys. You all talk like you’ve never done mistakes in your job, but really curious about your past works and your life experience who would help to empathize with users, which I don’t see in most designs as most people in this industry seem to lack in life experience who are at similar age as me but apparently have great work experience to be successful in their job. That’s why I see a lot of design and IT companies that I remember their name of… oh wait I can’t. Must be the definition of success but maybe it’s my fault as a user not to understand their apps and design, right?
I don’t have any customers or clients that I need to worry about. I just wanted to conduct a little survey and didn’t intend to have hours of hours discussions. Don’t expect that I back off from my opinion. I have lots of time during my unemployment and seem that employed designers have time too.
For someone who has never conducted a survey to dismiss the advice given by someone with a couple decades in the industry by blaming their own inexperience, sort of illustrates your whole point… B’s advice isn’t opinion. It’s backed up with years of experience.
But you can go ahead and say, “Ok, Boomer,” as most your age are wont to do and give up the opportunity to gain from that experience.
Your loss.
Oh, and skewing your survey results by fiddling with the data can quite possibly be a firing offense in the real world.
Corrections have to have a statistical basis.
But where this doesn’t matter to you, maybe other newbs will learn something.
You read me like a book. A while ago I went to a bank to open an account, and the clerk who handled me started to get impatient because I didn’t understand a lot of the procedure, so I went to another bank. It’s my money you know.
Well, if designing surveys doesn’t work out, you can always fall back on being blessed with the detached impudence of a born leader. With so many supervisory job descriptions effectively including the role of ‘fall-guy,’ that style of interaction is really in fashion right now. Ostensibly, you’re of the mind it’s wholly appropriate.
For someone that defines success by experience but not with skills and success of the company with that employee, shows what kind of understanding you have to be successful in life and job. Thanks for confirming. You’re very arrogant by saying that, ‘You loss’ Do you know what kind of people say things like that? People who can’t convince others from their opinion which is confirmation bias in design. It doesn’t match your pre-existing beliefs so you give such a reaction. It’s like people who can’t date people they wanna get and get rejected. But then say, ‘It’s not my loss but it’s your loss’ That comes from a weak personality and because you can’t give an answer. Read more books to understand humans better so that’s your loss and without proof what I can do in the industry and what not in the future, your message is redundant.
Oh really? Your message is full of confirmation bias again. Most of my age? Where do you know my age in the first place? Making assumptions again. Wow that’s a proof what people in your age group think of others and that’s age discrimination in the first place. You’re a great problem solver but keep that to yourself. I’m not fiddling with the data. First learn and understand what you read and then write a message. I didn’t write that I fiddle with the data but getting 18+ responses that doesn’t give the response to my question is the real fiddling in data what the participants do. And getting rid of these answers is good for children and anyone under 18-years old or who are sensitive about such topics. Do you wanna show your boss the sexual fantasies of the participants? Not that you get fired in the real world for showing irrelevant data.
Again without proof what I can do and what not in the future, your message is based on your subjective opinion rather than on facts. And having an opinion about things that I find correct is my right when we have freedom of speech. Saying things like ‘impudence of a born leader’ shows how you quickly try to insult people if they don’t share your opinion. You don’t have to share my opinion but learn to respect it which you clearly lack of. I hope you find your message totally appropriate as well. I don’t insult anyone or use bad language compared to you who tries to personally attack me. But good luck with that. Keep your emotions in control as this is a way which seems in fashion right now, right?
I like feeding trolls.
@anon57018376, don’t take things personally.
You mentioned not being a designer but you’ve landed on a forum full of designers. Designers analyze and critique things all the time. It’s just sort of how we look at the world since that kind of analysis and critical outlook is needed to do our jobs. We do it to ourselves and to each other. It’s just how good design tends to come about. 
I like when you say ‘I like feeding trolls’ when you’re looking in the mirror.
Ok DeeKay … you can stop now or we can stop you …
Choice is yours.
Everyone has been very tolerant of you.
Take the advice given and do with it what you will. Good luck with your survey skills.
Oh so you’re threatening me now? Where’s freedom of opinion? I expected that. Doesn’t match your beliefs right? That’s your opinion and I’m very tolerant of you in the first place.
Do you wanna say something to the one who says ‘impudence of a born leader’ as well?
I wish you good luck with your design skills too.
Well…
That took care of that.
This thread has become unproductive. Let’s close it down. Sorry. 