field studies virtual seminar · 2015-05-04 · field studies the ultimate tool in your usability...
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Field StudiesThe Ultimate Tool in Your Usability Toolbox
UIE Virtual Seminar20 March 2007
Kate Gomoll
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understanding the problem
identifying users
identifying the work
preparing for the visits
conducting observations and interviews
analyzing the data
the process
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the philosophy
be flexible in your methods
a little can go a long way
quantify what’s quantifiable
respect the experiential
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selecting the right project
you have some ownership
customers want it
management wants it
it has visibility
it’s manageable
there is little organizational resistance
it’s easy to identify, contact, and travel to users
it’s new or ready for changes
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convincing management
the competition is using these techniques
customers are demanding usable products
there are more discretionary users
this approach saves time and moneysupport callstrainingcostly re-designlost saleserrors
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knowing your team
people you might want on your team:
domain expert
software engineer
interface designer
product manager
technical writer
product marketer
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determining the user groups
are there different roles?
how might demographics correlate with behavior?
rule of thumb: 5 – 8 participants per distinct user group
develop a matrix of criteria and get buy-in from stakeholders.
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developing a screener
disqualifiers at the beginning
demographics from matrix
criteria:job roleagework experienceeducationtrainingcomputer experience
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finding people to study
marketing leads
customer registration databases
sales force leads
alpha and beta test sites
people who bought competitors’ products
market research firms
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cataloging tasks
ask domain experts
use the product specification
conduct surveys or interviews
conduct “day-in-the-life” studies
group resulting tasks into categoriesask users to rank the tasks by frequencyask managers to rank the tasks by importancelater, you’ll create a “top-ten” list
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developing forms and surveys
screener
demographic questionnaire
voluntary participation, video/photo release, NDA (if needed)
interview scripts
task-ranking forms
note-taking form for observation
logging forms for long-term studies
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determining participant incentives
give people something you know they want
make sure management approves of the incentive
give a gift to people who helped arrange the visits
new versions of the product are often attractive
money may be appropriate
free service might be motivating
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setting up the visitsget managerial approval
schedule when work is happening
prepare people for your arrival
save typical taskscollect artifactsdon’t clean your deskconfidentiality
send a letter
call to confirm
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the power of observation . . .
watch people doing an activity in the setting where they actually do that activity.
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observing tasks
process steps
verbalized frustrations, problems,and thoughts
physical movement
use of tools
communications with other people
papers, forms, or online references
decision points
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capture it all
work with a team membertake turns watching and recordingor, take different roles
collect forms and other workplace artifacts
videotape or audiotape
take photographs
take notes and sketch
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conducting interviews
ask open-ended questions
get answers to pre-determined questions:goals
front-line peoplemanagers
likes and dislikeswhere attitudes conflict with business goalswhere the process breaks down
problem spots
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tips for the visit
watch the time
consider a pilot
warm up the users
observe, don’t design
try tag-team interviewing
expect the unexpected
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analysis activities
organize your data
illustrate the current state
identify opportunities for improvement
prioritize problems & opportunities
make recommendations
illustrate improvements
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communicating “what is”
illustrated stories
day-in-the-life scenarios
profiles, audience summaries & personas
storyboards
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illustrating improvement ideas�
scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . future user experiences
storyboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . future task flows
affinity diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . types of improvements
flowcharts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . process improvements
UI sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . design concepts
timelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . improved speed / efficiency
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before + after timelines�
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consolidating your materials
create a series of one-pagers, such as:
a collage of photographs
a summary of user goals
the list of top-ten tasks
a summary of user demographics
a big-picture storyboard
a combination:“what is” storyboardtoday’s flowchart“what could be” storyboardfuture flowchart
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gaining visibility
include key stakeholders in the field visits
make presentations
show videosuser frustrationuser enthusiasm
show prototypes as soon as you can
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a final word
your goal is to meet real users, immerse yourself in their world, and gather as much detail as you can about their tasks
you are bound to enjoy the process, because you will have formed a personal connection with your audience, and you will be able to design from a position of knowledge