helping your company adopt a user-centered process

Zack NaylorWeb Design Day

Aug. 21, 2010

Helping Your Company Adopt a User-Centered Process

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/donsolo/2344509181/

Hi,

I'm Zack Naylor

What is a User-Centered Process ?

“User centered development process shifts from focus on the way the product is made, to how the product is used.”

- Mike Kuniavsky “Observing the User Experience”

“...an approach to design that grounds the process in information about the people who will use the product. UCD processes focus on users through the planning, design and development of a product.”

-Usability Professionals' Association, http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/

Gretchen Thomas

Director, User Experience

Hanson Dodge Creative

Why a User-Centered Process ?

What are the benefts?

Benefts for Designers and Developers:

- Clearly defned specs

- Fewer last minute changes

- Confdence

- KILLS OPINION BATTLES

Benefts for Stakeholder/PM's/Executives:

- Meet deadlines

- More effcient = $ saved

- Builds trust in users → higher likelihood for a return visit

- Discovery and innovation

Benefts for everyone:

Builds empathy with your users

“Feel” their pain

Te concept of “Evidence-based design”

Make better informed design decisions

Decisions based on real users and real data

http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_bennett_finds_design_in_the_details.html

“...a tiny human gesture, dictated the design of this product”

- Paul Bennet, Designer and Creative Director, Ideo

How do I start with a User-Centered Process ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boudster/3781031396/sizes/l/

Evangelize!

be PASSIONATE, be HONEST

Drink your own Kool-Aid©

Nobody will listen to you if they've never heard what you have to say.

Getting it on the radar of those around you

brainwash Educate from within

You don't know what you don't know, until

you know that you didn't know it

Establish yourself as the professional

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_norris/2625251417/

Spread Virally

BlogOther ideas: company newsletter, team book club

Leave stuf where people can see it

Get allies

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19762967@N05/3603609987/

Design and Development team

UX can make your job easier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_b_dublin/2227353246/

Sweet

Great!

Thanks!

Less last minute changes?Nice!

My bow-tie is rad!

Why is it being done?

What does it do?

Who cares about it?

Bonus:

What does the company currently know about it's users?

How does it get that information?

Solve a business problem.

Solve a business problem.Speak the language

Explaining the benefts to executives and stakeholders:

- Increase revenue

- Decrease cost

- Increase customers

- Increase shareholder value

Doing UX can save us money in

development time now and later,

which actually makes us more money

Really? Tell me more.

Interesting proposition chap!

Stakeholders and Executives

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33917494@N06/3801210098/in/set-72157613850407361/

“... one clear finding that has come out of the entire UX movement is that focusing on your customers is the surest, most direct way for any company to make money.”

- Greg Nudelman, User Interface Designer at Ketera

How do I start with a User-Centered Process ?

Go Rogue!

Go Rogue!

Conduct a usability test on a current or upcoming project

Fastest and easiest way of showing value

“outsourcing your usability testing is like outsourcing your vacation”

- Jared Spool, CEO and Founding Principle at UIE

$300 Million Button

Jared Spool, User Interface Engineering

Jared M. SpoolCEO & Founding PrincipalUser Interface Engineering

$300 Million Button

Jared Spool, User Interface Engineering

"I'm not here to enter into a relationship. I just want to buy something."

$300 Million Button

Jared Spool, User Interface Engineering

example only

$300 Million Button

Jared Spool, User Interface Engineering

For the frst year the site saw an additional

$300,000,000

$300,000,000

Tree-hundred-million dollars*

*that's a lot of money

All from a usability test

Excuses not to do user research:

“Too expensive”

“Takes too long”

“We need an expert”

“We think we're right”

- start with friends and family

- cofee shop with a laptop

- if possible, conduct the test in house

- show the results!

Screen recording for low-budget usability testing:

Silverback (Mac only) Windows options:

(Mac version available)

Prepare for the test:

- set goals

- recruit for and screen participants

- determine incentive

- create task list

- ready 'what' will be tested (prototype, wireframe, etc.)

Conducting the test

- practice and maintain “think aloud”

- present the tasks

- balance between “leading” the participant and “guiding” them

- probe for more information where appropriate

After the test (immediate)

- follow up interview

- signed consent form (if recorded)

- compare notes (with others who observed, if any)

After the test (next few day[s])

- write a report

- what you tested- what the tasks were- what problems you found

- list problems and their priority

Excuses not to do user research:

“Too expensive”

“Takes too long”

“We need an expert”

“We think we're right”

Excuses not to do user research:

“Too expensive”

“Takes too long”

“We need an expert”

“We think we're right”

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

Unlikely

Excuses not to do user research:

“Too expensive”

“Takes too long”

“We need an expert”

“We think we're right”

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

Unlikely

Can be done for as cheap as FREE

No longer than an afternoon

Just..no

Very low probability, all luck

So what now?

So what now?Go Hustle.

Tanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/donsolo/2290411073/

www.zacknaylor.com

@zacknaylor

http://speakerrate.com/talks/4236

Sources:

“Observing the User Experience”- Mike Kuniavsky

“Mental Models” - Indi Young

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/roi.html

http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2008/10/selling-ux.php

http://www.uxbooth.com/blog/taming-goliath-collaboration-with-large-companies-part-2-of-2/

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/can-you-say-that-in-english-explaining-ux-research-to-clients/

http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/03/evangelizing-ux-across-an-entire-organization.php

http://www.uie.com/articles/three_hund_million_button/

http://www.90percentofeverything.com/2009/01/26/cheap-and-free-alternatives-to-morae-usability-testing-software/

http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org

http://semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/000029.php

Special thanks to Dan Brown - http://blog.greenonions.com/