"Usability Testing in Practice: First Fridays at the U.S. General Services Administration" was presented at the Center for Health Literacy Conference 2011: Plain Talk in Complex Times by Nicole Burton, User Experience Evangelist, Center for Excellence in Digital Government at GSA. Description: Come and find out how the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) conducts easy and inexpensive usability tests of government websites. Discover what the most frequent problems are and how to apply quick-fix solutions.

1. It’s Not Rocket Surgery:First Fridays in the U.S. GovernmentImproving the Customer Experience Nicole Burton 9/27/2011 1 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

2. One Morning a Month Choose a site 3 customer participants perform tasks with a facilitator Observers watch and take notes Lunch debrief and identify three serious problems + fixes Follow–up call on quick improvements One-page report and copy of test recordings 9/27/2011 2 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

3. Two One Mornings a Month Choose a site 3 customer participants perform tasks with a facilitator Observers watch and take notes Lunch debrief and identify three serious problems + fixes Follow–up call on quick improvements One-page report and copy of test recording 9/27/2011 3 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

4. First Fridays Final Report 9/27/2011 4 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

5. First Fridays Final Report 9/27/2011 5 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

7. UX “magic” revealed

8. More time spent coaching

9. Fewer comprehensive tests & studies?9/27/2011 6 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

10. Government Sites Tested USA.gov NSF.gov DOL.gov m.gobiernoUSA.gov DOI.gov Advisory Council on Historic Preservation m.usa.gov Travel.state.gov FCC.gov DOT.net Weather.gov Data.gov Apps.gov/NOW Pueblo.gsa.gov OnGuardOnline.gov HowTo.gov

11. Upcoming Product Tests 9/27/2011 8 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

12. Building Capacity Across GSA - and Government Fix problems Train and mentor Raise awareness 9 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

13. It’s Not Rocket Surgery 9/27/2011 10 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies forum.sensible.com Talk Amongst Yourselves Steve Krug’s Method Commit to monthly product testing, same time each month: more observers, more testing, more buy-in

14. What Kinds of Improvements? From post-test interviews with Passports and FCC.gov stakeholders, May 2011 9/27/2011 11 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

15. Passports Application 9/27/2011 12 Before After Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

16. NSF.gov SESTAT data tool page 9/27/2011 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies 13 Before After

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19. FF’s Top Problems & Solutions Top Tasks Hard to Find Make top task “starting points” stand out Place top tasks at center or left and above the fold Too Many Words Cut content by 50% Remove outdated content Confusing Jargon Use common terms and customer language; avoid acronyms Put technical terms in parentheses Irrelevant Search Results Make top task content appear at top of search returns Move search filters to left or top of screen Navigation Ineffective List nav tabs or links from left to right, top to bottom, in order of use Re-write links 9/27/2011 16 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

20. Actual Improvements Made Top Tasks list driven by analytics Added step-by-step instructions Reduced jargon Made Home Page news area smaller Updated top task content Added Home Page area for Browse Documents Added Doing Business links for industry users Move Search filter to top of search results Changed top nav tabs to drop down on mouse hover rather than on mouse click From post-test interviews with Passports and FCC.gov stakeholders, May 2011 9/27/2011 17 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

21. Actual Benefits Focusing on a limited number of practical problems and solutions. “Our website has a lot of problems and it can be overwhelming” “Getting the whole team at the test watching together for the first time, seeing through the eyes of the customer” “At least four of the people who weren’t there watched the video and read the report” “We started testing with employees who use screen readers, making accessibility improvements” 9/27/2011 18 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

22. Challenges* Resistance: Internal and external “pushback” to small changes Governance: Five teams work on website Legal: Policy-related web content must be cleared “Project Overlord”: Postponements due to redesign and CMS Reorganization: New staff lack web writing skills Priorities: Public Affairs responsible for news, video, Congress IT: Team lacks admin rights over Home Page and templates Staff: Good people leave - “I’d just start pulling the thread…” * Steve: Private industry also faces these challenges 9/27/2011 19 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

23. Carrots & Sticks Free Product Test Chocolate croissants & lunch Attention Monthly schedule Letter of Intent Follow up call Post report + B&A screenshots 9/27/2011 20 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

24. First Friday’s Mobile Usability Set Up Based on the ingenious rig by Cory Lebson of Lebsontech.com

25. Presenting… First Fridays Mobile Testing Equipment

26. 1. Stand Banana stand Desk lamp Cost: $0 (office lamp - $30)

27. 2. Webcam Logitech 1080p Webcam Pro C910 with Skype HD Cost: $60

28. 3. Binder clips / Duct tape Find them in your office supply closet Cost: $0 - $5

29. Binder clip / duct tape Web cam Desk lamp Smartphone

33. Recruit loosely

34. Word of mouth

35. Use Twitter, email, Craigslist, office, listservs

36. Three back-ups, one for each time slot

37. Site stakeholders help – they know their audiences

39. Get experience in facilitating

40. Facilitator mentor for guidance

41. Support for your own agency test team

42. $100 through Web Manager University

44. Join Us! Teach non UX staff to facilitate simpletests Volunteer as a FF participant or observer StartFirst Fridays @ your agency (or company) Offer your high-impact government website or app for First Fridays testing 9/27/2011 32 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

45. Contact Us Nicole BurtonFirst Fridays Program Manager/ GSA User Experience Evangelist nicole.burton@gsa.gov To participate in GSA First Fridays: FirstFridays@gsa.gov First Fridays Product Testing Program info: HowTo.gov/FirstFridays 9/27/2011 33 Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies