Spotting Icebergs

in the DarkMeasuring success and avoiding failure

with real-time user experience insights

Brighton Digital Marketing Festival 08 Sep 2011

Using user and customer experience to

measure the success of your projects and

avoid disaster.

Jason Buck

@jasonbuck

Simon Nixon

@neecouk

Who we are

„Satanic Mills‟

Many businesses operate a traditional

“Board knows best” process when

approaching digital projects.

Image: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2160086954_5958c823e9.jpg

“What would happen if we designed

bridges like we design websites?”Dr Jakob Nielsen, web usability „guru‟

Image: http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Future-Bridges-Will-Rock-With-Earthquakes-Without-Breaking-2.jpg

What is UX?

(the complicated answer)

Wireframe deliverables are just the tip

Image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icriY5kDwtg/TlRJyEy4YLI/AAAAAAAAKR8/xMEat3BVdWA/s1600/tip_of_the_iceberg.jpg

Prototypes save you money.

But wireframes aren‟t

inherently user-centered.

User-Centered Design

Don‟t work on assumptions:

“We don‟t like their sound and guitar music is on the

way out” Decca records rejecting The Beatles, 1962

Design for your customers, not for internal meetings:

“Search all of your parks in all of your cities and you

will not find a statue of a committee” David Ogilvy, advertiser

Technology is not the answer, only part of the solution:

“… you gotta start with the customer experience a9nd

work backwards to the technology” Steve Jobs, 19979

„Useful, usable and desirable‟ is what makes the difference between a

product that succeeds and one that is consigned to history.

User-Centred Design process and deliverables

Content plan

agreed and

content

commissioned

Generate

content

Review and

sign off

Publication

date

Measure, review

and plan next cycle

Intelligence /

planning sources

(e.g. Customer

calendar)

Ad hoc

requests

Editorial

planning

meeting

Editorial boardEditor / editorial

Multi channel

Marketing

Commercial

Metrics

Buying

Catalogue

Content owners

Editor

User Experience

Designer(s)

Developer(s)

Multi media

Upload topical content to topical area

Decommission outdated topical content

Upload permanent content to permanent area

Replace redundant content with regenerated content

Replacing current Inspiration centre

Disposable, ephemeral

topical copy

Regenerative „How to‟

replacing outdated

existing „How to‟

Disposable, ephemeral

review, leading to

enduring existing

product pages

This template used for

all feature articles

Disposable, ephemeral

discount / offers page

Disposable, ephemeral

creative imagery

Content lifecycle & publishing strategy

Image: http://www.coldtoast.com/images/toastSliceWhiteBkgd.jpg

Speak to your audience and you‟ll be

amazed what you find out

Case study:

Toast on the Coast

„Toast on the CoastA light-hearted speedy design project, conducted in 1 hour,

with conference delegates

• Number of interviews: 60 (50% audience

sample)

• Total number of people eating breakfast: 53

• Favourite toast topping: Marmite

• Anomalies: Marmite and avocado

• Unexpected lack of jam

Marmite

Marmalade

Peanut Butter

No toaster

Butter

Honey

Raspberry

Strawberry jam

Nutella

Blueberry jam

Fried egg

Sardines

Marmite with avocado

Cheese

Q: What is your favourite toast topping

Lizzie“Actually I often end up eating when I've got to work”

Demographics· Salary: £34,000· Education: BA · Location: Sussex· Relationships: Long term boyfriend

Personal· Name: Lizzie· Age: 33· Gender: Female· Personality: Outgoing, ambitious,

tenacious· Occupation: Marketing comms

professional

Quotes· “If I've got time I'll have muesli"· “Most important but least valued meal

of the day”· “Actually I often end up eating when

I've got to work”

Internet usage:· Experience: Advanced· Access: Home and work and mobile· Uses: Webmail, social networking, shopping, research· Favourite sites: Gmail, Facebook, Amazon, ASOS,

Linked In, Twitter

User goals:· Understand new, interesting and healthy toast options· Download special offers for breakfast grab

Organisation objectives:· Promote new toast toppings for experimentation· Change Lizzie's perception, to see toast as a healthy,

fast food option· Gift branded coffee cup

I have a busy job and social life. I like to be healthy and eat well, but I don't have time.

I'd like to bring a bit more routine into my daily life, but work's often too busy and my evenings are taken up with close friends or family.

If I'm honest, I end up eating breakfast on the go, so I don't see a lot of toast, day to day.

However, my favourite toast topping is definitely Marmite, but I'm open to trying new ideas if they're healthy and not too weird.

Persona, representing a ‘typical’ customer / user

Toast on the Coast

· Marmite· Marmalade· Peanut butter· Jams· Butter and

spreads· Honey· New to toast?

Raspberry blows strawberry awayWeb article on how raspberry jam is now more popular than strawberry jam. Read more...

How much do you love Marmite?Download money off vouchers for Marmiteand enter our competition photo to win alifetime supply of Marmite.Read more...

“Avocado in my marmite”Web article on the frightening trend of marmite and

savoury combos on toast goes here. Read more...

search

Page mock up, showing prioritised navigation and content types

Summary of UX and UCD benefits

• Accurate targeting of customers

• Reduction of reputational risk

• Lowering design and development costs

• “Right first time”

“For something this complicated, it’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Bloomberg Businessweek

How do you know this has worked?

• User experience often ends at launch

• Measure success by knowing what

you‟re goals are

Explicit data

• Anonymous users provide lots of ‘data’

• Without understanding the users’ motivations and goals it’s hard to turn this data into information

• Better to apply: Analytics, Profiles, Themes, Patterns, Multivariate testing

Implicit data – „we are all individuals‟

• User profiles fuel patterns. Patterns change as we learn more about user behavior

• Create customised rules based on the same tools as ‘Outlook’ rules wizard

• Create content according to user profiles

• Understanding user journeys, goals

• Multivariate testing – presenting different versions of the same content to test which performs better

Some CMS metrics providers

Summary

• Identify your users (customers)

• Understand their needs

• Help your organisation by helping your

users

• Plan, test, measure, improve

Jason Buck

LongDog.

@jasonbuck

07804 851925

jason@thelongdog.co.uk

www.TheLongDog.co.uk Simon Nixon

Aqueduct.

@neecouk

07970 798620

simon@aqueduct.co.uk

www.Aqueduct.co.uk

Contact details: