Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing Laurie Kalmanson 

Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing Agile + UX methods Better ROI More efficient planning and use of resources ○ More clarity around successes / failures, sooner ○ Less fixing later Better product More validation of concepts and approaches ○ More hypotheses + iterations ○ More user testing + more observing ○ More learning ■ More improvement ■ Less guessing 1 2 

Agile and UX work: Ahead of sprints, within sprints 1 2 Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing Ahead of sprints User paths, user actions and workflows for everything to be created and everything to be touched: a. New actions: Find, to, from, return, repeat b. Existing actions Within sprints Detailed, “live” UX iterations a. Build, test, learn, iterate; repeat i. Guerilla style UX validation: fast and frequent against working code 

Advance UX work includes research, prototyping, testing and iterating ahead of sprints. Workflows, wireframes, mockups and prototypes of selected tasks can be tested against needs, goals, issues, and requirements, using static screens, screens with hot spots, or clickable prototypes in browsers. Research, test, build, learn, repeat: Iterate within sprints. UX work cadence: 30/60/90 look-ahead, planning, testing Lo-fi Wide, deep views ● Whiteboards, sketches, concept drawings Hallway usability tests ● Proof-of-concept tests with peers and stakeholders ● Iterate, repeat Customer usability tests ● Whiteboards, sketches, concept drawings; mockups; clickable prototypes ● Five testers / round ● Discover major issues: test solutions in followup rounds ○ Repeat testers ○ New testers 2 1 3 Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing 

Straightforward mental model Light cognitive load Clear UX, clear IA for processes, actions and steps Successful usability: initial and return actions More customer satisfaction Smoother training; fewer support issues Better ROI + joy + ponies + unicorns + rainbows Clear workflows + clear UX + clear IA= clear user paths Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing 

We believe that this [workflow] [interface] [dashboard] [report] [survey] presented to these [users] will accomplish these [actions], [analytics], [outcomes]. We’ll know they -- and we -- are successful when we see these [test results], after these subsequent rounds of [iterations], and [followup tests]. Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing Workflows and interfaces are testable hypotheses: Learn, build, test, repeat 

Setting it up Doing it right Users + Sketches, wireframes, mockups, prototypes + Task list + Protocol + Observations + Notes + Conclusions Introduction Talk aloud example Start Watch and listen Don’t help Don’t push Don’t comment Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing Workflows and interfaces are testable hypotheses: Learn, build, test, repeat 

Workflow examples + user research = delight We want to make a toaster. For factory sliced bread? For homemade hand sliced bread? For muffins? For bagels? Do people keep bread in the freezer? How wide should the slots be? How hot should the toaster get? Should there be adjustable heat settings? Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing 

Workflow examples + user research = delight -- Two wide slots, some controls -- Four slices Many controls See-thru! One slot Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing -- -- -- Each of these machines makes toast: defined by price points research, user stories and workflows. 

Put 1 or 2 slices of bread in toaster Put 1 long or two short slices of bread in toaster Set controls Push down Observe Toast! Check Repeat Put 1, 2, 3, 4 slices of bread in toaster Set controls Push down Toast! Check Repeat Workflow examples + user research = delight Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing Toast! 

Dance break Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing 

Navigation Workflow and IA Current state IA Navigation and process are blurred Users are required to have a complex mental model Future state IA Separately defined navigation and process Navigation in menus Processes are pulled out of navigation, into workflows Processes have “Next” and “Save” steps. Paths are clear Related tasks are nearby Item Sub item Item Sub item Submit Cancel Next > Save Cancel Process Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing 

Where am I? User paths: before, during and after an action Where do I go to start/enter/complete something? Now, from where I am? Later, from someplace else? Where do I go to edit/delete what I made? Now, while I am working on it? Later, when I want to come back to it? Where do I go to view what I made? Now, when I finish it? Later, when I want to see it again? How do I go to something else I want to do? Workflows for UX: Touchpoints and dependencies 

Workflows for UX: Touchpoints and dependencies Form Edit Cancel Save Submit 1. This workflow shows a Form with Cancel, Save, Edit functions. 2. On Submit, the form is viewable. 3. After Submit, the form can be Edited. 4. The Form can be reached for Viewing and editing from these links: ____, ____. Form Form View Edit Cancel Save Submit Edit 1 2 3 View from these links ____ ____ 4 

Stand back, listen, observe Usability testing: How to Start by showing the user how to do a task while narrating her thoughts, reactions and actions out loud. Warm-up exercies: Go to gap.com, add a blue t-shirt, Medium, to your cart, and say what you’re thinking as you go. Give the controls to the user, and ask her to do the same, while thinking out loud. Start the test when the user feels comfortable narrating. Agile, UX methods, workflows and IA, demos, and usability testing 

Users navigating an interface and thinking out loud reveal: thoughts, feelings, reactions suggestions / what-ifs. The narrative reveals to the team learn what is: clear and straightforward unclear and frustrating. It just works … or it doesn’t Agile, UX methods, workflows and IA, demos, and usability testing Thinking aloud usability test: Users narrate tasks 

What makes sense here? What doesn’t? Remind the user that the goal -- and success -- of the test is to discover and share what makes sense, and what doesn’t. “The more you can tell me about what makes sense and what doesn’t, the more you will be helping me, and the team, make it easier for people to do their work.” “I’m not the one who built these screens, so my feelings won’t be hurt when you tell me about the things that don’ t make sense to you.” Agile, UX methods, workflows and IA, demos, and usability testing 

Differentiating sales pitches, demos, and usability tests Sales pitch Demo Usability tests Voice Who speaks? Sales rep probes for needs and wants. Customer engages. Business rep speaks. Customer listens. Customer speaks. UX rep listens. Agency Who acts? Sales rep highlights product benefits and differentiators. Business rep explains what things do, and how they work. Customer navigates application: finds success, and hits stumbling blocks. Outcomes Next steps? Progress in the sales cycle: schedule demo. Progress in the sales cycle: move to contract. Iterate: Rethink, rework, test again; continuous learning Agile, UX methods, workflows, IA, demos, and usability testing 

Workflows are preludes to interfaces Agile, UX methods, workflows and IA, demos, and usability testing Test before launching; then iterate: Learn to find, see and fix the gaps between user expectations, perceptions and reactions and the team’s. Whey users stumble, the team should change something. When users succeed, the team succeeds. Fast, cheap and easy: Five users, five hours, your task list, your protocol. Evidence vs. opinions and guessing: There is no substitute for watching users in action. Maybe you guessed right, maybe you didn’t -- find out by testing. Your best guess isn’t good enough. 

Agile, UX methods, workflows and IA, demos, and usability testing Now what?