Design at a Distance:Remote User-Centered Design (Agilent Technologies)

Design at a Distance: Remote User-Centered Design Presented to Agilent Technologies February 4, 2009 Paul Hibbitts www.paulhibbitts.com

Target Audience Involvement Web-based Collaboration Tools

Target Audience Involvement

User-Centered Design (UCD) Target Audience Activities 2/4/2009 ©2009 Paul Hibbitts. All rights reserved. Focus Groups Contextual Inquiries Interviews/Surveys Card Sorts Participatory Design Studies Paper Prototyping Design Reviews Usability Tests Illustrations: Indiana University User Experience Group Meetings

Screen Sharing

The ability to remotely view the contents of another computer screen in real-time

Practical Remote UCD Activities

Quantitative (what is happening)

Card sorting

Questionnaires

Usability testing (summative)

Qualitative (why something is happening)

Interviews

Contextual inquiries

Usability testing (formative)

Core Remote UCD Activities using Screen Sharing

Remote contextual inquiries

Generally defined as “observing people while they do their everyday tasks in their own environment”

Remote usability tests

Generally defined as “observing people trying to perform specific tasks with a product”

Remote User-Centered Design: Target Audience Involvement Remote Contextual Inquiries

Remote Contextual Inquiries

Benefits and challenges

Screen sharing software

Session preparations

Conducting the session

Post-session activities

Benefits

Reduced travel time and associated costs

Larger participant population available

More flexibility in scheduling participants

Provides a more natural environment for participants

Visibility of any end-user customizations

Additional observers can be easily accommodated

Some Challenges

Exposure to company culture and physical work environment

Participant workplace interruptions

Rapport with participants

Time zone differences

Technical issues, including bandwidth

Screen Sharing Software

AIM Pro (AOL and WebEx)

Glance (Glance Networks)

GoToMeeting (Citrix)

MeetMeNow & Meeting Center (WebEx)

Uservue (Techsmith)

Session Preparations

Budget adequate time for scheduling participants

Create an online survey which combines an application for participants + user profile + preferred session times

Decide on session format (ideally participants would use their own system, or if necessary a provided “demo” system)

Create an on-line consent form or equivalent

Key Points

More detailed preparation required, not less

Put entries in your calendar as ‘Project Name’ ‘Remote Date’ ‘Remote Time’ ‘Remote Timezone’ ‘(Participant Name)’

Conduct one or more subject matter expert interviews (i.e. highly insightful users) before typical end-user sessions

Keep sessions short, ideally 30-45 minutes

Budget time for setup and session overruns

Conducting the Session

Ask users to demonstrate, with real data if possible, their typical work tasks with the system

Record (with permission) audio, and possibly video, of the session – this better supports individually conducted contextual inquiries

Use a telephone headset if at all possible

Key Points

Screen resolution can impact performance

Have participants share their screen with you for better interactive screen sharing performance

Let participants know that you can see their mouse pointer when they are sharing their screen

Don’t be surprised if users have a lot to say!

Screen captures of key screens can be an effective alternative to video recording

Post-session Activities

Confirm with participants that they have demonstrated their most important tasks to you

Briefly review the key issues that you’ve learned during the session

Thank participants, and as appropriate, ask participants if follow-up contact is ok

Key Points

Review and transcribe interview sessions as soon as possible (ideally the same day!)

Take advantage of playback speed controls when reviewing audio recordings of sessions

Remote User-Centered Design: Direct User Research Remote Usability Testing

Remote Usability Tests

Develop a traditional test plan, including a script

Create a post-test on-line survey (e.g. SUS)

Consider test format (e.g. participants verbally controlling static mockups or physically controlling an interactive prototype)

Create an introductory slide show for the test

usability session Today’s 3:00pm EST Session is Conducted by Paul Hibbitts Hibbitts Design Usability and User Interface Design [email_address] Company/Project Logo

What We’ll Be Doing Today

You’ll be asked to perform a series of tasks

We are evaluating our designs, not you

Please “think aloud” as you perform each task

Feel free to ask any questions that come to mind

These tasks are not being timed, so please take your time

You can stop this session at any time

Do you have any questions so far?

Company/Project Logo

Key Points

At least one remote pilot test is essential

Use the term “session” rather than “test”

Send any needed test documents in advance

When participants are verbally interacting with mockups or a prototype, be extra careful about providing unintentional hints (e.g. mouse pointer position)

Web-based Collaboration Tools

Web-based Collaboration Tools for Supporting UCD

Project communication

Data collection

Meeting scheduling

Remote User-Centered Design: Web-based Collaboration Tools Project Communication

Remote User-Centered Design: Web-based Collaboration Tools Data Collection

Remote User-Centered Design: Web-based Collaboration Tools Meeting Scheduling

Where To Go From Here?

The slides presented today will be available at

http://www.paulhibbitts.com/presentations.html

Collaboration & UCD at a distance links

http://www.paulhibbitts.com/collaboration-and-ucd-at-a-distance-links.html

Thank You! Comments or Questions?

My contact information

[email_address]

Design at a Distance:Remote User-Centered Design (Agilent Technologies)

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