User-Centered Design at a Distance - DocTrainUX 2007 Vancouver

User-Centered Design at a Distance Presented to DocTrainUX 2007 Vancouver April 20, 2007 Paul D. Hibbitts www.paulhibbitts.com

About Me

Usability & interface design specialist for over 14 years

Platforms include Windows, Web, Mac, Pocket PC, SmartPhone, Palm OS, Blackberry, and WAP

Led user experience design of small screen interfaces at Infowave Software (2000-02)

Instructor at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia since 1997

Career origins in Mac multimedia (HyperCard)

User-Centered Design (UCD) Conceptualize Design Evaluate Users & Goals

Typical UCD Activities ©2007 Paul D. 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 Data Analysis

Screen Sharing

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

Core UCD at a Distance Activities + 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 performing specific tasks with a product”

Remote Contextual Inquiries

Benefits and challenges

Choosing screen sharing software

Session preparations

Conducting the session

Post-session activities

Benefits

Larger participant population available

More flexibility in scheduling participants

Reduced travel time and associated costs

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

Choosing Screen Sharing Software

Ease of installation for participants

End-user brand familiarity (e.g. trust)

Screen fidelity and response

Two-way control

Recording support

Cost

Example Screen Sharing Tools

AIM Pro (AOL and WebEx)

Ethnio (Bolt|Peters)

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

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

Key Lessons Learned

More detailed preparation required, not less

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 Lessons Learned

Screen resolution can impact performance

Best response when interacting with software is for participant to share their screen with you

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 are 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 learnt during the session

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

Key Lessons Learned

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

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

Remote Usability Tests

Create an introductory slide show for session

Consider test format (e.g. participants verbally or physically interacting with a prototype)

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

If the participants are verbally interacting with a prototype consider only recording session audio

Case Study

Canadian Real Estate Association, who kindly granted permission to showcase their project

National REALTOR ® Web-based application

Over 25,000 users spread across the country

Client + (most) end users at a distance

Software

Basecamp

GoToMeeting 2.0

Office 2003

SnagIt 7.0

Sony Digital Voice 2.0

SurveyMonkey.com

Example Remote Contextual Inquiry Findings

While most REALTORS ® expressed overall satisfaction with WEB Forms , learnability and efficiency could still be dramatically improved

Some highly beneficial features were underutilized due to low visibility

Feature usage was often impeded by an unnecessarily high level of user interface complexity

Some terminology used within WEB Forms was not understandable or not sufficiently descriptive for REALTORS ®

Valuable design input and feedback from WEB Forms trainers and help desk personnel was underutilized

Printable Single Forms Transaction Kits Transaction Templates Custom Clauses Transaction Kit Name Address Type MLS® # Created Modified  ( )  Rogers 456 Any Street Sale 384564 31-May-06 09-Jun-06 Manage Kit ( )  Lee 789 Any Street Sale 384657 20-May-06 30-May-06 Manage Kit ( )  Miller 123 Any Street Listing 284656 01-Jan-06 12-May-06 Manage Kit ( )  Watkins 456 Any Street Sale 678365 17-Feb-06 21-Apr-06 Manage Kit ( )  McNeil 789 Any Street Sale 198463 25-Apr-06 14-Apr-06 Manage Kit Show: 1-10 of 30 | First | Prev | Next | Last 10 per page ( )  Davis 123 Any Street Listing 783753 18-May-06 02-Apr-06 Manage Kit ( )  Lang 456 Any Street Listing 284675 29-Feb-06 27-Mar-06 Manage Kit ( )  Peters 789 Any Street Sale 864343 12-Jan-06 11-Mar-06 Manage Kit ( )  Lau 123 Any Street Sale 294654 15-Dec-06 30-Feb-06 Manage Kit ( )  Munro 456 Any Street Sale 396754 07-Jan-06 11-Feb-06 Manage Kit Search: for: Search Clear Search Transaction Kit Name Help | Sign Out WEB Forms Your Name, Ottawa Real Estate Board ( Change Board ) Announcements: OREB Standard Form Updates View all announcements… Create New Transaction Kit Email Duplicate Delete Change MLS® # Print ©2006 The Canadian Real Estate Association. All Rights Reserved.

All Forms Recently Used Forms Show: My transaction forms: Change Order Remove « Sales  Add » Add » Add » Add » Add » Add » Add » Agreement of Purchase and Sale - 100 ( Preview ) Select Forms for Transaction Create New Transaction Kit Help | Sign Out WEB Forms Your Name, Ottawa Real Estate Board Agreement of Purchase and Sale - 100 ( Preview ) Agreement of Purchase and Sale - Condominium Resale ( Preview ) Agreement of Purchase and Sale - Cooperative Building Resale - 102 ( Preview ) Amendment to Agreement of Purchase and Sale ( Preview ) Commission Slip - 1 ( Preview ) Commission Slip - Agreement to Lease - 1A ( Preview ) Confirmation of Co-operation and Representation ( Preview ) Preview Transaction Kit Create & Save Transaction Kit Cancel < Back ©2006 The Canadian Real Estate Association. All Rights Reserved.

Remote Usability Test Results ©2007 Paul D. Hibbitts. All rights reserved.  =Success, ½ =Partial Success Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Task 5 REALTOR ® #1 ½     REALTOR ® #2      REALTOR ® #3    ½  REALTOR ® #4      REALTOR ® #5 ½     REALTOR ® #6  ½   

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