userneeds! @anous

User Checks!Method for agile usability testing

February 9, 2016 3,5 hour workshop Anouschka Scholten userneeds

userneeds! @anous

@anous#ConveyUX

userneeds! @anous

What you will learn

You get to know User Checks – A method for agile usability testing

You experience important facets of the User Checks method – learning by doing

userneeds! @anous

UX insights!

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Quantitative methods

What happens Where How often

WHY How better ?

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userneeds! @anous

Make people’s lives better.

userneeds! @anous

userneeds! @anous

Focus group Enquête

Verify test Remote

tracking

Usability testing

User driven

Marketing driven

userneeds! @anous

People do not always do what !you think !you tell them !they think !they say !they do!!!Observing and asking why makes you find out what people really !do and need!

userneeds! @anous

Usability testing is about

observing behaviour Watch the user do what comes naturally,while performing a task (thinking aloud).

Don't help.Not asking about opinion.

userneeds! @anous

empathy!a key function of usability testing

to really see, hear and find out what moves your users

the ability to see an experience through another person’s eyes

Getting to

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Usability ROI

•  Increased conversion rates

•  Increased productivity

•  Reduced need for help desk intervention

•  Reduced fall off rate at checkout

userneeds! @anous

No usability testing

•  Customer dissatisfaction

•  Lose of potential income

•  Losing money on marketing

•  Higher development costs

•  Bad reputation

•  Staying behind the competition

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user checks!& traditional usability testing!

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User Check setup

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userneeds! @anous

Usability Test traditional

1 round of testing"In a lab environment, eye tracking Moderator is a UX researcher Process based

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Traditional Usablity test drawbacks •  1 time, at end design process

•  An extensive report, little or no redesign

•  No retest

•  Not in user context

•  High costs: lab, eye tracking, special UX researcher

•  Product team indirectly involved

•  Schedule well in advance (at least 1 month)

userneeds! @anous http://uxpajournal.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/JUS_Romano_Bergstrom_November_2011.pdf

userneeds! @anous

Test and retest within 1-3 weeks Preferably in the users context, quick and easy set up Team member (Designer, PO,…) conducts the test, team directly involved Output is a better design/ better MVP" Value based

User Checks Agile Usability Test

userneeds! @anous

User Checks Agile Usability Testing

6. Evaluate Priortize

Improvements

2. User Checks round 1

3. Evaluate Priortize Improvements

5. User Checks round 2

1. Design / MVP

4. Improved Design / MVP

7. Improved Design /

MVP

Repeat or develop

Based on the RITE-model: https://uxmag.com/articles/the-rite-way-to-prototype

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0. Prepare

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Focus the test, informed by data and user feedback. Make a testplan

What is the goal, what do you want to improve for whom, where do you want to find out the WHY

Recruit real users!!

User Checks elements

0. Prepare

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1. MVP or Prototype

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The test subject, live or prototyped in design phase.

With focus on problem area.

User Checks elements

1. The MVP or Prototype

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User Checks round 1

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Observe 2 or 3 real users, attempt real task(s);

Conduct a simple usability test per user, preferably in context: user check

1 moderator + 1 observer(UX) designer, PO or other team member as moderator and a a team member as observer

User Checks elements

2. User Checks round 1

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3. Findings & improvements

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What have you learned? Prioritize.

What are improvements? Brainstorm and prioritize.

With the team, togetherVia KJ-method and Impact/effort matrix http://www.uie.com/articles/kj_technique/ http://www.innovationgames.com/impact-effort-matrix/

User Checks elements

3. Findings & Improvements

userneeds! @anous

4. Improved design > 5. User Checks Round 2

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Improve the prototype or MVP

Do a 2nd round of user checks With the next 2 or 3 real users (not the same users as round 1!)

User Checks elements

4. Improved design > 5. User Checks Round 2

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6. Findings and improvements > 7. Improved design

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Again with the team:Collect and group findings, prioritize.

Think of design improvements, prioritize and implement in better designUse a backlog for improvements that take more timeRepeat the process or implement design

User Checks elements

6. Findings & improvements > 7. Improved design/MVP

userneeds! @anous

examples!

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Design new site ggdhaaglanden.nl User check with a doctor in his office

GGD Haaglanden project Angi Studio:" http://angistudio.com/cases/ggd-haaglanden.html

userneeds! @anous GGD Haaglanden project Angi Studio: http://angistudio.com/cases/ggd-haaglanden.html User Checks during completely new design

I do not know what OCGZ stands for… Is this for me?

Off course SOA and child abuse, very important indeed!

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“LINDA.Girls.. I expect this is for 14 till 21 year old… but oh, reading this subscription I think it actually does fit me?”

Pop-up information about LINDA.meiden

Project Angi Studio: http://angistudio.com

Redesign LINDA subscription

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userneeds! @anous

“Very clear and easy to walk through this way, underneath each other”

Sub home Subscription with incentive - mobile

Scrolling was no problem at all on mobile

Footer with next step was used

Navigating via main menu on top wasn’t used, it was ignored, even with a sticky menu… dead end alert!

Project van Angi Studio: http://angistudio.com/

2e round

userneeds! @anous User Checks during redesign Greenchoice.nl, project Angi Studio:"http://angistudio.com/cases/greenchoice.html

userneeds! @anous Subsidie aanvraagsysteem Gemeente Den Haag, project Angi Studio: http://angistudio.com/cases/gemeentelijk-subsidie-loket.html

User Checks during completely new design

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Compared

Cost +/- 10.000 EUR +/- 5.000 EUR

Test participants 6-8 once 2 rounds with 3 participants

Who performs UX researchers/specialists only

Product team (designers, product owner, developers)

Where Lab In context user or meeting room

How often Once Twice or more

With 1 MVP/design 2 or more variations of MVP/design

Equipment Laptop/mobile, Eytracking, video

Laptop/mobile, audio- and screen capture

Plan At least 1 month upfront Recruit (target) users and conduct

You get Report, 1-2 weeks later A better design and retest in 1-3 weeks Engaged team

Tradit. usability tests User checks

userneeds! @anous

Outsourcing your user research work is like outsourcing your vacation.  It gets the job done, but probably won’t have the effects you were seeking. Jared Spoolhttp://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2011/08/02/outsourcing-your-user-research-is-like-outsourcing-your-vacation/

“

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“Elaborate tests are a waste of resources”

Source: http://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/

75% of the problems found with 3 or 4 user tests

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User checks drawbacks

•  Too unexperienced biased designer or team member as moderator

•  Heavy pressure on improving the design within agile process (keeping in pace with development)

•  With ‘high fidelity’ testing it demands velocity for retest with high multidisciplinary efforts: product owners, IxD, visual design and contentAnd with a live site: front end, back end…

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Get down to it!

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The 4 basics of a 1 on 1 usability check

1.  Let your user experience the prototype/MVP/site Observe don’t tell. Put your prototype in the user’s hands (or your user in the prototype) and give just the minimum context so they understand what to do. Give them a task.

2.  Have them talk through their experience (talk aloud) For example, when appropriate, as the host, ask “Tell me what you are thinking as you are doing this.”

userneeds! @anous

The 4 basics of a 1 on 1 usability check

3.  Actively observe Watch how they use (and misuse!) what you have given them. Don’t immediately “correct” what your user tester is doing.

4.  Follow up with questions This is important; often this is the most valuable part of testing. “Show me why this would [not] work for you.” “Can you tell me more about how this made you feel?” “Why?”Answer questions with questions (i.e “well, what do you think that button does”)

userneeds! @anous

Key: moderating the test If they… Say…

Are not talking “What are you thinking?”

Ask you a question (e.g. “Is that what I should do here?”)

Rephrase the question (e.g “ What do you think you should do?”)

Get a task right or wrong “Thank you , that is very helpful”“Thanks for the feedback”

Mess up “Remember, you can’t make any mistakes. You’re doing a great job.”

Are unsure if they have completed a task and ask you

“Is this what you would do if you were doing X at home?”

Criticize the design “Thanks for the feedback”

userneeds! @anous

Observe the user’s behaviour

The observer(s) note every occasion the user:

•  hesitates, worries, or is forced to think

•  misunderstands something

•  gets frustrated or annoyed

•  gives up

•  is surprised

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User Checks set up •  Test script with real tasks

•  Real target users as participants

•  Ideally conducted in context user on their own device

•  Record audio and screen capture

•  1 test moderator, 1 observer (more observers are possible, but not too much and really on the background)

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Test script-agenda

1.  Introduction and questions up front

2.  Situation sketch + think aloud instruction

3.  Think aloud session

4.  Evaluate session, open questions

5.  End session - thank participant

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1. Example Introduction Thank you for participating, we really appreciate it!

I’m <name> and there is one person besides me <name> is also here. We’re helping a company to develop a new service / to optimize a website

This company cares about their customers and thinks it’s very important to involve potential customers when developing new services. They want the new service to be valuable for you.

That’s why we want to ask you some questions and along the way we’d like show you the service/site. You can walk through it.

 The interview takes about a 20 minutes. If you do not understand something, or you want to add something, do not hesitate to interrupt me!

 Do you mind if we record the session for future reference within our organisation? Everything we discuss and record is confidential; we will not share things without your permission!

Any questions?

userneeds! @anous

Task-think aloud instruction You are going to see: a draft proposal of the service, which has not yet been developed/ the site now.

<if a proptotype> The proposal is only images. It looks finished and you can click through it, but most of it is not working yet. It’s also not as fast as a normal app and you can’t do anything wrong.

<Situation sketch and task>

Please open the link on your mobile phone and walk through the app.Can you please say things aloud? Not to me, but for yourself? Everything you do or say is fine, eg. Also "what the hell is this ?! “.

You can start now by clicking the link

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Evaluation questions After the think aloud session, zoom in to what you observed, like:

•  You mentioned… what did you mean with that?

•  I saw you doing… why? What did you expect? How would you call it?

•  You didn’t go to … why not? What do you expect to find?

Also ask service, product or content specific questions, e.g.:

•  You read this text thoroughly, why?

•  You were going back and fourth between product X and Y, why?

•  You choose X and said something about .., what did you mean with that ?

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a case!

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Volunteers

•  2 moderators

•  2 users

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Tell us

•  The main goal(s) of the site/application

•  Target users

•  Main tasks, main questions of the users

•  Context of use

Do not tell us how you think the site works now!!!

userneeds! @anous

Observe the user’s behaviour

Note every occasion the user:

•  hesitates, worries, or is forced to think

•  misunderstands something

•  gets frustrated or annoyed

•  gives up

•  is surprised

userneeds! @anous

1st user check session!20 min !2nd user check session!20 min !Findings & improvements!20 min !

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The findings, issues

•  Collect Findings

•  Prioritize issues to be solved: prioritize from the business/user goals perspective, rate them

Do this with the whole team

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Improvements •  Improvements on every level, note down

Labeling, content, categorization, visual assets, interaction, concept, flow, persuasion > but keep the business/user goals perspective in mind (focus)!

•  Prioritize by Impact & Effort (matrix) or dot-voteChoose improvement(s) to be re-tested

Do this with the whole team

userneeds! @anous

Impact & Effort matrix Impact: creates high/low value for users effort: high/low effort in terms of time, knowledge, tools, people…

Source: http://www.innovationgames.com/impact-effort-matrix/

Do this with the whole team

incl. decision makers!

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Prepare to retest

Improve the design

Set up the hypothesis (or more than one, focus for the retest)

We believe that

[this statement is true (e.g adding social proof, better labeling, visual cues… will…)]

We will know we are right/wrong when we have the following result

[quantitative feedback; qualitative feedback; KPI;…}

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A better design fast!

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With User Checks •  Checking with users on a regular bases

Effective problem detection

•  Ensures that users can successfully reach their goals and shows where their satisfaction can be improvedBoosts optimalization

•  Offers insights about the proposition or concept weaknesses and unknown opportunities Enables innovation

•  Ensures the whole team understands how users use their product Empathy and commitment

•  Emphasizes where a design change is needed, reduces wasteBrings focus, avoids feature creep

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A holistic focus on a good UX!

Understand!

Find out!Build!

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Be outrageous efficacious and !make people’s lives better!!Just do it!!

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Thank you!

anouschka.scholten@userneeds.nl

www.userneeds.nl

Twitter: @anous

LinkedIn: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/anouschkascholten