how to run a live ux lab at a tradeshow
DESCRIPTION
A case study of running a live UX lab at a tradeshow. Rather than running product demos on our stand, we decided to try something different! Taking inspiration from Lean Startup and The Nordstrum Innovation Lab case study, we came up with the 'Live Lab' concept. We developed a prototype for a new tool, for source controlling database schemas, in 3 days at an Oracle Developer conference in Texas. On the stand I ran UX feedback sessions using a paper prototype, collected customer feedback and made changes to the prototype on the fly. I then fed back to the developer who was working on an HTML version of the prototype. We ran 9 mini 'sprints' and had a kanban board to track our development progress throughout the conference. This was a great way to get early feedback from customers on a product design concept. In the slides I share some lessons learned.TRANSCRIPT
Michele Ide-Smith, User Experience Specialist
A bit about Red Gate
• Tools for database developers, software
developers and database administrators (DBAs)
• Use Agile / Lean Startup methods
• UX team of 15, with senior management
support for UX as a function
• “Ingeniously simple tools”
A typical tradeshow…
Demoing tools, selling to customers…
‚By the time the product is ready to be distributed
widely, it will already have established
customers.‛
The Lean Startup
‚We wanted to make sure we were getting
customer feedback as we worked so that we
were never working on anything that wasn’t
valued by the customer.‛
Nordstrom Innovation Lab: Sunglasses iPad
App Case Study
‚Create meaningful connections – marketing that
customers choose to engage with.‛
The Next Evolution of Marketing: Marketing
with Meaning
Our hypothesis
• Oracle Developers & DBAs need a better way to get
their database schemas into source control
>70% interest – develop a tool a.s.a.p.
Reaching potential customers
• Kscope12, the Oracle Development Tools User Group
(ODTUG) annual conference, June 24 – 28 in Texas
• Attracts mainly devs and DBAs, but also managers
• An opportunity to test our hypothesis, get feedback and
create meaningful connections with customers
9 (mini) sprints, 3 days, 1 prototype
UX feedback area Dev area
25 feedback sessions
Not usability tests!
*
*
Easy to get feedback and quick to change
Paper prototyping
Helped build personas and a talking point!
Empathy Map
People returned to see the feedback we had gathered!
Affinity Mapping
A great way to identify pain points and create scenarios
Sketching processes and workflows
Validation of our survey results
Gathering data on environments
Stand-up meetings
Be prepared to be interrupted
Feedback went directly into the HTML version
The Dev part of the stand
Twitter’s bootstrap is awesome!
HTML prototype
Testing the prototype
On day 3 we tested the HTML version
• Great for feedback on early designs, not usability testing
• Paper prototyping is compelling and ideal for ‘on the fly’
changes during feedback sessions
• If possible have someone doing design and someone
facilitating feedback sessions (I had limited design time)
• Capture participant profile details and relate them to
requirements / feedback gathered
Lessons learned
• Affinity mapping was ideal for on-going analysis
• Keep a note of repeat requirements / issues, to help
prioritise features and design changes
• Hard to record audio / video of feedback sessions –
awkward to ask for consent and very noisy environment
• Hard to keep to scheduled sprints and provide feedback
to developers
Lessons learned
Lessons learned
• The whole team needs to be on board and wear multiple
hats (be prepared to do product demos, interviews etc.)
• A Live Lab is a great way of engaging with customers at a
tradeshow
• The UX team is a powerful marketing asset
• Don’t expect time for coffee breaks!
Questions?
• Lean Startup: http://theleanstartup.com
• Nordstrum Innovation Lab: www.youtube.com/watch?v=szr0ezLyQHY
• The Next Evolution of Marketing: www.marketingwithmeaning.com/the-book/
• Pawson & Greenburg (2009), Extremely Rapid Usability Testing:
www.upassoc.org/upa_publications/jus/2009may/pawson1.html
• Our product page: www.red-gate.com/source-control-for-oracle
• Our blog: www.allthingsoracle.com/red-gate-live-lab-source-control-for-oracle
References