Face time with your users is precious, but a lot of funny (and not so funny) things can happen on the way to the session. We’ve seen it all: prototypes that don’t work, stakeholders who throw last-minute curveballs, participants who don’t show (or show up drunk!), etc., etc…. While the possibilities for failure can seem endless, disasters can be prevented if you know what to anticipate and how to plan for it. In this talk from Madison+ UX 2014 and UXPA 2014, Centralis co-founder Kathi Kaiser shares lessons learned, drawing on war stories from fifteen years of field research and usability testing. She offers tips, tricks and practical guidance for reducing risk and increasing the odds that you can make the most of your time with your users.

1. If It Can Go Wrong, It Will:
How to Bulletproof Your User Research
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

2. A UX Tale…
@Centralis_UX@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

3. A UX Tale…
@Centralis_UX@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

4. A UX Tale…
@Centralis_UX@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

5. Risks about People
Face time with users is precious.
It’s our duty to make the most of it.
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

6. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

7. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
People Places
Technology
Random Acts of Chaos
Clients
Vendors
Participants
Stakeholders
You
Getting there
Gaining access
Distractions
Prototypes
Audio Quality
Camera Batteries
Remote Platforms
Severe Weather
Earthquakes
Terrorist Attacks
Power Outages

8. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Anticipate Prevent
Fix
Deal
Learn

9. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Inaccurate
Expectations
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

10. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
@Centralis_UX
Conflicting Incentives
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

11. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
@Centralis_UX
Unwanted Interference
Unwanted Interference
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

12. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
@Centralis_UX
Tech Failure
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

13. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser
Hooligans!

14. How to Protect Yourself
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

15. How to Protect Yourself
Checklists
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

16. How to Protect Yourself
16
@Centralis_UX
Pack Lists
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

17. How to Protect Yourself
17
@Centralis_UX
‘Time Outs’
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

18. How to Protect Yourself
18
@Centralis_UX
Retros
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

19. How to Protect Yourself
19
@Centralis_UX
‘Murphy’s Journey Map’
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

20. How to Protect Yourself
20
@Centralis_UX
‘Murphy’s Journey Map’
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

21. A Happy Ending
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser

22. A Happy Ending
22
@Centralis_UX@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser
Happy clients…

23. A Happy Ending
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser
…and happy UXers.

24. Thanks!
@Centralis_UX @kathikaiser