Talk to more users!

This deck is from a talk I gave at MinneWebCon 2014.

The brief from the conference:
Sometimes, usability testing makes me want to groan. Another round of tests means 15 volleyed emails with recruitment partners, hours spent unlocking the mysteries of outlook to procure one decent room for at least half the day, and at the end of it all I’m going to have to churn out a slide deck that no one will really remember.

But talking to the user is really important. If we’re all about user-centered design, we should be doing it constantly. So how to we find the time and energy to get out and talk to our users more?

Pledge to talk to your users MORE this year. Pledge to do it in a way that’s sustainable and delightful, and brings back all the same important insights. We’ll cover a variety of mix and match strategies for simpler usability testing that will reduce stress and go easy on your pocket book.

Transcript

1. talk to more users! MinneWebCon April 14th, 2014
2. ✓ seriously just do it
3. @linoleumtile bethmckeever.com
6. getting lean, egos, tools, and culture.
12. spreadsheets
13. annotated wireframes
14. email chains
15. OH MY!
19. the agile manifesto, © 2001 We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value: ! Individuals and interactions over Processes and tools ! Working software over Comprehensive documentation ! Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation ! Responding to change over Following a plan ! That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.
21. ! use the best tool for communication !
22. the designer is an expert ! ! and so is the developer and so is the business and so is the QA analyst etc. ! We maintain expertise in our areas, but discover a product together.
23. “Lean UX is the practice of bringing the true nature of our work to light faster, with less emphasis on deliverables and greater focus on the actual experience being designed.” Jeff Gothelf for Smashing Magazine, March 2011
24. outcomes > outputs
25. G G G P think Y MAKE O CHECK
26. don’t waste
31. be okay with rough
32. not the product
33. the test ! method plan prototype
36. your domain knowledge has made you an expert
37. site group network specialty clinicians members providers formulary deductible dependent health plan coinsurance out-of-pocket HSA HRA FSA member-patients durable medical equipment summary of benefits and coverage
38. such amaze so knowledge wow
39. your domain knowledge has ruined you
40. site group network specialty clinicians members providers formulary deductible dependent health plan coinsurance out-of-pocket HSA HRA FSA member-patients durable medical equipment summary of benefits and coverage
42. HUH?
43. kill your ego
44. provider ! ! ! !
45. provider ! doctor clinic nurse hospital
48. “they’re always confused”
49. “they’re old”
50. “they’re not really who we’re going after”
51. “they said radio button… they’re probably a little too inside”
52. we serve them too.
54. expertise?
55. perfection?
56. you ≠ your product
57. your process ≠ your product
58. every product has something wrong with it.
59. always and forever
60. πάντα ῥεῖ
64. remove offense
65. remove offense
66. remove offense
67. kill your ego. you serve others.
68. know your tools
75. work on your moderation skills
77. Hi,_________. My name is _________, and I'm going to be walking you through this session. ! You probably already know, but let me explain why we've asked you to come here today: We're testing a web site that we're working on to see what it's like for actual people to use it. ! I want to make it clear right away that we're testing the site, not you. You can't do anything wrong here. In fact, this is probably the one place today where you don't have to worry about making mistakes.
78. Hey there. I’m Beth. Thanks for coming in today! We’re really excited you here… and I promise, it’s totally harmless. ! I’m sure the folks at Focus Market Research told you what we're up to today. We’re testing a web site that we're working on to see what it's like for actual people to use it. ! I want to make it clear right away that we're testing the site, not you. Everything you say is right! And the best thing you can do today is be brutally honest.
79. “why’s that?”
80. “that’s great feedback! now what about…”
81. -join and improv group with your team
86. “I totally got 5 stars from that hotel site I ripped apart”
87. outcomes > outputs
88. MVP
91. user had trouble finding the secondary navigation user said they would “just call member services” if they needed help 1 1
92. user had trouble finding the secondary navigation user said they would “just call member services” if they needed help 3 2 user was able to add a new family member without trouble 1 “some buttons say ‘next’ and some say ‘continue’” 1
93. user had trouble finding the secondary navigation user said they would “just call member services” if they needed help 5 3 user was able to add a new family member without trouble 3 “some buttons say ‘next’ and some say ‘continue’” 1 “this was easy!” 2 3rd page was confusing 2
96. 5 min
101. only ask for what you need. ! but ask when you need it.
107. you probably know someone.
111. cultivate a better culture
112. don’t wait for permission!
113. seriously DON’T do it
116. don’t waste
120. Test room Remote @ desk Remote @ desk Remote viewing party
123. be okay with rough
124. kill your ego. you serve others.
125. know your tools
126. cultivate a better culture
127. talk to more users! ! thanks!