Building a Device Lab: the Lab's User Experience

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User Experience

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surprises

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surprises changed passcode left unplugged broken screen stolen cables lost devices connected personal facebook account changed wallpaper changed network connected personal email address upgraded operating system stolen stands stolen battery

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make it easy to plug devices back in

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cable drops, hooks or ties

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mark cables and hubs

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make stealing cables hard

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Access to power In v2, power strips were very accessible so that we could watch the timed power strip for greenness.

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Access to power In v3 we hid the power strips so users can’t easily steal cables and the lab looks more organized. We still made it easy for our team to go in and   re-cable devices.

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make it easy to stand devices up for testing & returning

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purchase a range of sizes

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not one-size-fits-all

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or, build-in stands

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give people other things to steal

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Group your devices There are many ways to organize your devices. Be consistent, such as grouping by: • device size (handsets, small tablets, large tablets, etc.) • operating system • unique devices on the top shelf (Google Glass, Firefox OS, Windows phone)

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Labels on devices and shelves Make it easy to match devices to their home base. • Label the front of the shelf and the back of the device with the same wording. • Color-code by operating system so it’s easy to scan.

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Device information For each device, label nearby: • device name and ID number • screen resolution, pixel density • operating system version

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No content

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Keep major passwords a secret The device unlock passcodes should all be the same and well-known. But don’t tell anybody: • app store passwords • email passwords • WiFi network password (if you’re using a subnet specifically for the device lab)

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check the lab regularly

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plugged in & charging

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missing devices

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unlock to find surprises

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usability tips

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Document a how-to • Passcodes (the same for every device) • Instructions for using Adobe Edge Inspect • Instructions for testing on VMs/staging • Instructions for taking screenshots and checking email on various operating systems

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Email on all devices • Set up a common email address (devicelab@) for testing email sends • Install a default email client and any other major email apps for testing • Configure it to receive all devicelab@ emails

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Put reminders everywhere You’ll need to constantly remind people to not upgrade apps or OSes, and to check out devices. • as background images across devices • on the wall next to the lab • on all wiki docs

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Make it easy to check out devices • Library card underneath   each device (color-coded,   of course) • RFID tags on each device and reader that works with employee badges

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Make it easy to test • Set up a shared laptop to connect with Adobe Edge Inspect • you only have to enter all the pins once • use a laptop (like Windows!) that can stay in your lab • Make sure VMs and staging environments can be accessed

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Make it easy to collaborate • Set up comfortable seating nearby • Nearby long tables can be handy, too • Make sure other outlets are available for people to plug in their own laptops • Make it so that people don’t have to walk back to their desks to test their work

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Make it attractive A good-looking lab is inviting. • New hires see it on their tour and guests want to check it out • No one wants to be near clutter • The more organized, the more likely they’ll put stuff back properly and want to use it

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examples

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Physical shelving: v2 1. Unique devices 2. iOS devices 3. Kindles and Android tablets 4. Android handsets 5. Crates and power

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Physical shelving: v2 • Cable drops for organization • Library cards and washi tape for labels • Different-height shelves

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Physical shelving: v3 1. Unique devices 2. Kindles | iOS tablets 3. Android | iOS handsets 4. Android | iOS handsets 5. Crates and misc.

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Physical shelving: v3 • Cables & power hidden behind shelving • Internal dashboard for device info and checkouts • Different-height shelves

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Thank you! laraswanson.com/devicelab/ @laraswanson @thisiscarlsagan