1. Quick and Dirty
Usability Techniques
for Startups
@cperfetti

2. Reserving a hotel room

3. Choosing check-in and
checkout dates

4. Click and view the room

5. Fill out reservation form

6. Did Broadmoor help
users achieve their goals?
In usability tests, many users booked the wrong number of
nights at the hotel

7. Usability Testing
Putting someone (usually a member of your target audience) in
front of something (usually your product or web site) and
watching them work

8. The benefits of usability
testing for startups
Helps startups make informed decisions about the product or
the product’s design
Provides information about your customers’ needs and goals
Gets the right members of your team involved in the design
process
Makes your product better!
Results from user research and usability studies often lead to
small breakthroughs

9. Quick and Dirty Research
Techniques
User research and usability testing don’t have to be time
intensive
The best teams start conducting quick and dirty techniques and
tricks right away
They avoid making excuses about constraints
They start testing with customers in the first two weeks of
development

10. The Excuses
Testing is too scientific Not enough time
Little money Unsure where to start
No resources and staff

12. A usability test
The Quick and Dirty Version
Bring in user, sit beside them, and watch what they do
Greet the user
Explain how the test will work
Give users tasks to complete and observe the problems they
experience
General Q&A
Debrief with observers

13. Start testing
anywhere

14. Start testing
anyone

15. A usability test

16. Exploration: Usability Test
One person is the user
Think aloud as you work
One person is the observer
Observe silently and take notes

17. As the user...
We’re evaluating the design, not you
The answer is somewhere on the site
If you experience problems, it’s not your fault
You’re helping the observers learn more about the design
problems
You can stop the task at any time

18. As the observer...
Take notes as the user works
Was the user successful?
How did the user go about performing the task?
Did they go to the search engine, what links did they click on?
What obstacles did the user encounter?
What confusion did they experience?
Note things that worked well
When you complete a task, say, “Got it!”

19. Disney.com
Scenario
Your 5-year-old niece has always wanted to go to Disney World.
You have decided to take her there for a vacation.
Task Assignment
You are looking for a hotel within the park.You want it to be
the cheapest hotel with access to the monorail. Which Disney
hotel would you choose to stay in?

20. Discussion
How many users found the answer?
What helped users succeed?
What obstacles prevented them from finding what they
wanted?
What do you expect will happen when you test your
product?

21. Tests can take 10 minutes
5 Second Page test
A simple technique
Can be done in less than 10 minutes
Tells designer if page is clear and concise

22. Buying A Notebook
Computer
You’re ready to buy a new notebook computer
You consider a computer a big purchase
How much technical support will you get if you experience
problems?

24. Exercise Questions
Write down everything you remember about the page
From this page, do you feel the site would give you reliable
technical support?
If not, why?

26. Exercise Questions
Write down everything you remember about the
page
From this page, do you feel the site would give
you reliable technical support?
If not, why?
Do you feel this page was better or worse than
the previous page?

28. Exercise Questions
Write down everything you remember about the
page
From this page, do you feel the site would give
you reliable technical support?
If not, why?
Do you feel this page was better or worse than
the previous pages?

29. Five-Second Page Tests
Designers often intend pages to have a single purpose
We use when users complain that pages are too
cluttered or confusing
Identifies if pages quickly communicate their purpose

30. Comprehension Tests
Pages contain complex content
Such as policies or procedures
User comprehension is imperative to their
success
Questions determine if users understand content

33. What causes most design
problems?
We’ve conducted hundreds of usability studies
Each test identifies dozens of problems
The underlying cause is the same for every problem:
Someone on the team didn’t communicate everything they
knew about the product or users

34. The best studies...
Usability tests are only successful if the right people are
involved in the design process
Designers, developers, engineers, marketing, usability
professionals, content strategists can all involved
This is possible even with quick and dirty testing

35. Tests should happen early
The most common usability technique for startups
Paper prototype tests typically happen during the first
two weeks of development and involves all team
members
Design is in flux
Development team needs to try ideas and get feedback
quickly
All team members can participate in the study
Allows design teams to go through multiple design
iterations in a week

36. “We’re building a what with what?”
Heather O’Neill, Above the Fold
http://www.abovethefolddesign.com/blog/2010/08/24/from-paper-to-prototype/

37. Building a paper prototype
The paper prototype consists of:
A “screen” (large cardboard or paper rectangle)
Separate pieces of paper for each screen state, drop-
down menu, or pop-up
1-2 team members silently simulate the behavior of the
computer by placing pieces of paper in front of the
user

39. Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder

43. Testing the Home Page:
First Click Tests
Useful method to assess where users first click on your
site’s home or entry page
Provide users with a specific task to complete when they
arrive at the site
By observing where users first click, it’s a clear indicator
whether they’ll eventually be successful

48. What do customers find
valuable?
Inherent value testing
Variant of usability test
Identifies why loyal users love the site/service
Determines if new users see the same value

50. Inherent Value Testing
Trying to attract new users
Loyal user base already exists
Phase I: Identifies the value of the site for loyal
users
Phase II: Do new users see the same value?

51. Competitive Testing
Compares designs to competitors
Looks for innovations
Prevents copying features that don’t really work
Tasks are identical across competitors

54. Quick and Dirty Techniques
We use these techniques when we’re unsure of who are
users are and what they want to accomplish
Interview-based Tasks
User Interviews

55. Interview-based tasks
Combine interviewing before and during test to identify
users’ goals
As part of the test, users talk about their specific goals and
perform tasks based on these goals
Realistically assess usability given users’ own goals

58. Stylous.com

59. The user interview
If you are short on time and money
Bring in one user per month
Ask them about their goals, motivations, and needs

60. General questions
What activities waste your time or drive you crazy?
How did you learn about the product?
Who do you provide information to? What information do you
collect?
What information do you need to make a decision?

61. Questions about the
product
What are your most important and frequent activities with the
product?
What are the two things you like best about the product?
What are the two things you would like to see improved?
Are there any activities you currently perform that you’d like to
see automated?
What changes to the product would make your life easier?

62. Thank You!
Email: christine@perfettimedia.com
Twitter: @cperfetti
Free Newsletter: www. perfettimedia.com/subscribe

63. Perfetti Media Workshops
October 25: Paper Prototyping Essentials
October 26: Designing for the Social Web
January 27-28: Usability Bootcamp
Sign up with promotion code MASSCHALLENGE for
$100 off each workshop
www.perfettimedia.com/workshops

64. Quick and Dirty
Usability Techniques
for Startups
@cperfetti