Quick and Dirty Usability Techniques for Startups

@cperfetti

Reserving a hotel room

Choosing check-in and checkout dates

Click and view the room

Fill out reservation form

Did Broadmoor help users achieve their goals?

In usability tests, many users booked the wrong number of nights at the hotel

Usability Testing

Putting someone (usually a member of your target audience) in front of something (usually your product or web site) and watching them work

The benefits of usability testing for startups

Helps startups make informed decisions about the product or the product’s design

Provides information about your customers’ needs and goals

Gets the right members of your team involved in the design process

Makes your product better!

Results from user research and usability studies often lead to small breakthroughs

Quick and Dirty Research Techniques

User research and usability testing don’t have to be time intensive

The best teams start conducting quick and dirty techniques and tricks right away

They avoid making excuses about constraints

They start testing with customers in the first two weeks of development

Not enough time

No resources and staff

Little money Unsure where to start

Testing is too scientific

The Excuses

A usability test

The Quick and Dirty Version

Bring in user, sit beside them, and watch what they do

Greet the user

Explain how the test will work

Give users tasks to complete and observe the problems they experience

General Q&A

Debrief with observers

Start testing anywhere

Start testing anyone

A usability test

Exploration: Usability Test

One person is the userThink aloud as you work

One person is the observerObserve silently and take notes

As the user...

We’re evaluating the design, not you

The answer is somewhere on the siteIf you experience problems, it’s not your fault

You’re helping the observers learn more about the design problems

You can stop the task at any time

As the observer...

Take notes as the user worksWas the user successful?

How did the user go about performing the task?

Did they go to the search engine, what links did they click on?

What obstacles did the user encounter?

What confusion did they experience?

Note things that worked well

When you complete a task, say, “Got it!”

Disney.com

ScenarioYour 5-year-old niece has always wanted to go to Disney World.

You have decided to take her there for a vacation.

Task AssignmentYou are looking for a hotel within the park. You want it to be

the cheapest hotel with access to the monorail. Which Disney hotel would you choose to stay in?

Discussion

How many users found the answer?

What helped users succeed?

What obstacles prevented them from finding what they wanted?

What do you expect will happen when you test your product?

Tests can take 10 minutes

5 Second Page test

A simple technique

Can be done in less than 10 minutes

Tells designer if page is clear and concise

Buying A Notebook Computer

You’re ready to buy a new notebook computer

You consider a computer a big purchase

How much technical support will you get if you experience problems?

Exercise Questions

Write down everything you remember about the page

From this page, do you feel the site would give you reliable technical support?

If not, why?

Exercise Questions

Write down everything you remember about the page

From this page, do you feel the site would give you reliable technical support?

If not, why?

Do you feel this page was better or worse than the previous page?

Exercise Questions

Write down everything you remember about the page

From this page, do you feel the site would give you reliable technical support?

If not, why?

Do you feel this page was better or worse than the previous pages?

Five-Second Page Tests

Designers often intend pages to have a single purpose

We use when users complain that pages are too cluttered or confusing

Identifies if pages quickly communicate their purpose

Comprehension Tests

Pages contain complex content Such as policies or procedures

User comprehension is imperative to their success

Questions determine if users understand content

What causes most design problems?

We’ve conducted hundreds of usability studies

Each test identifies dozens of problems

The underlying cause is the same for every problem:

Someone on the team didn’t communicate everything they knew about the product or users

The best studies...

Usability tests are only successful if the right people are involved in the design process

Designers, developers, engineers, marketing, usability professionals, content strategists can all involved

This is possible even with quick and dirty testing

Tests should happen early

The most common usability technique for startups

Paper prototype tests typically happen during the first two weeks of development and involves all team members

Design is in flux

Development team needs to try ideas and get feedback quickly

All team members can participate in the study

Allows design teams to go through multiple design iterations in a week

“We’re building a what with what?”Heather O’Neill, Above the Fold

http://www.abovethefolddesign.com/blog/2010/08/24/from-paper-to-prototype/

Building a paper prototype

The paper prototype consists of:

A “screen” (large cardboard or paper rectangle)

Separate pieces of paper for each screen state, drop-down menu, or pop-up

1-2 team members silently simulate the behavior of the computer by placing pieces of paper in front of the user

Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder

Testing the Home Page: First Click Tests

Useful method to assess where users first click on your site’s home or entry page

Provide users with a specific task to complete when they arrive at the site

By observing where users first click, it’s a clear indicator whether they’ll eventually be successful

What do customers find valuable?

Inherent value testing

Variant of usability test

Identifies why loyal users love the site/service

Determines if new users see the same value

Inherent Value Testing

Trying to attract new users

Loyal user base already exists

Phase I: Identifies the value of the site for loyal users

Phase II: Do new users see the same value?

Competitive Testing

Compares designs to competitorsLooks for innovationsPrevents copying features that don’t really work

Tasks are identical across competitors

Quick and Dirty Techniques

We use these techniques when we’re unsure of who are users are and what they want to accomplish

Interview-based Tasks

User Interviews

Interview-based tasks

Combine interviewing before and during test to identify users’ goals

As part of the test, users talk about their specific goals and perform tasks based on these goals

Realistically assess usability given users’ own goals

Stylous.com

The user interview

If you are short on time and money

Bring in one user per month

Ask them about their goals, motivations, and needs

General questions

What activities waste your time or drive you crazy?

How did you learn about the product?

Who do you provide information to? What information do you collect?

What information do you need to make a decision?

Questions about the product

What are your most important and frequent activities with the product?

What are the two things you like best about the product?

What are the two things you would like to see improved?

Are there any activities you currently perform that you’d like to see automated?

What changes to the product would make your life easier?

Thank You!

Email: christine@perfettimedia.com

Twitter: @cperfetti

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Perfetti Media Workshops

October 25: Paper Prototyping Essentials

October 26: Designing for the Social Web

January 27-28: Usability Bootcamp

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www.perfettimedia.com/workshops

Quick and Dirty Usability Techniques for Startups

@cperfetti