rapid turnaround usability testing: not just a pipe dream

RAPID-TURNAROUNDUSABILITY TESTING:

IA Summit 2010Holly Phillips & Kyle Soucy

NOT JUSTA PIPE DREAM

Over the last two years, we’veconducted 88 usability teststogether while doing rapiddesign iterations and…

we’ve never met before now!

Q. How do you getmore customer inputinto your designswithout the time andexpense oftraditional usabilitytesting?

A. Rapid-turnaroundUsability Testing

RITE Usability Testing

Test Test TestRevise

Prototyp

e Revise

Prototyp

e

How do you makedesign decisionsbased on only testing1 person?

Process Overview

Define Scope Define Tasks Prototype

Conduct Testing

Debrief

Report/Present Findings

Revise Prototype

2 week iteration

Key to Success…

Attendance of productdecision makers during testing!

A different way to think aboutusability testing…

Where’s the “rapid” in the process?

Define Scope Define Tasks Prototype

3 DAYS!

Conduct Testing

Debrief

Report/Present Findings

Revise Prototype

2 week iteration

Benefits

• Team stays on the same page -- no working ina vacuum!

• Rapid feedback from end users

• Produces rapid findings and recommendations

• Team consensus on product changes

• Saves time and money

• Ingrains usability testing into the design anddevelopment process

Interview-based Tasks

Script

“Improv Testing” Process

1. Interview participant about how they use theproduct.

2. Use the answers given in the interview tocreate tasks on the fly.

When in doubt just ask, “what was the last thing you didwhen you used this product? Can you show me?”

Benefits

• Learn users true intent

• Gain the insight and feedback that truly matters

• No need to conduct an in-depth task analysis

• The unexpected -- enjoy the ride toenlightenment!

Observer Debriefing

Why debrief?

photo by agit8

How to debrief

• Do nothing• Informal discussion• Affinity diagramming.

• Structured• Quote/Observation• Implication:  H2, W4, Wif• Round-robin or lead + additions• After every 3-6 respondents.

GeneralizationsJumping to solutionsI'm right you're wrong.

photo by subboard.com

Benefits

GeneralizationsJumping to solutionsI'm right you're wrong

photo by subboard.com

Different perspectiveootb thinkingImmediate "transcript" and importance.

Benefits

http://www.apw.cnyric.org/teacherpage3.cfm?teacher=438

Report Findings

• fast-turnaround• no surprises• recommendations, not just problem• speeds up start of next round of designs.

Gotchas!

• Not getting the team involved

• Not finding a moderator comfortable withinterview-based tasks

• Not sticking to the structure in the debrief.

Gotchas!

photo by nike

Go for it.

Thank You!