@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
You can have it both ways
Fast and Unbiased Usability Research
Eva Kaniasty, Red Pill UX
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
2
What do we want? Everything.
When do we want it? Now
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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What is good research?
“You can’t always get what
you want.”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Bias is everywhere!
• Inter-evaluator bias
• Loaded or leading questions
• Cognitive biases (e.g. primacy, recency)
• Group dynamics (i.e. groupthink)
• Prejudgements
• Selection bias
• Respondent bias (e.g. positive, social)
“Soylent Green…
Bias… 

it’s made of
people!”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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• Plan
• Structure
• Focus
• Automate
• Don’t rely on memory
Reduce Your Cognitive Load
“An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure.” - Ben Franklin
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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“Efficiency is intelligent
laziness.”
Objectivity through Optimization
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
Good + Efficient
Participant Recruiting
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Recruiting
Recruiting Brief
Screening Survey
Scheduling
- Research Recruiter
- UserInterviews.com
- Stakeholders
Participant Data
- Contact Info
- Time Zones
- Screening Data
“Keep it simple…”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Customer Super Screener (i.e. survey)
Better screening
- Larger pool of potential
participants
- Foot in the door
- Comparison sample
- Bias fighter
Measure twice, cut once
Collect data as you screen
- Demographics
- Feature usage
- Card sorts
- Desirability (product reaction)
- Technical
- Quotes (collected judiciously)
- Opt-in for future research 

(online & moderated)*Don’t forget legal review
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Recruiting Logistics
Written Consent
•Context
•Logistics
•Recording
•Compensation
•(Optional) Nondisclosure
*Don’t forget legal review
“80 percent of success is just showing up.”
Reducing No-Shows
•Written consent
•Email confirmation
•Remote tool testing/setup
•Phone/Texting
Session Status Tracking
Compensation
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
Good + Efficient
Study Design
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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“Get your priorities straight.”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Moderator Guide
Pre-Test Interview
- Background / Profile Fit
- Past experience/usage
- Top 3 tasks/needs
First Impressions
- (if website) HP overview
- (if navigation) Navigation
expectations
- (if new user) Free exploration
- (if current user) Recent task
Tasks or Process
- Probing questions
- Ease of use ratings
- Task Success
Wrap-Up
- Salient Likes/Dislikes
- “Change one thing”
- System Usability Scale/Global
Measures
“How the sausage gets made.”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
Good & Efficient
Data Collection
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Session Housekeeping
Participant Briefing
- Context-setting
- Recording consent
- Think-aloud instruction
- Honest Feedback
- Neutral Observer
Logistics
- Apps / Links
- Notes templates
- Equipment
- Logins
- Recording
- Reset
“Don’t forget to eat.” - Mom
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Recording & Photography
• Personal room
• Test meeting OR
Tech call
• Mac & Windows
compatible
Mobile Screen
Mobile Device
• Sleds
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Super Notes!
Mod Guide + Notes + Audio
PearNote Mac
OneNote Windows
Livescribe
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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The Session Summary
This participant had major issues with X and Y features
because she expected [X] and [Y] to happen. She followed an
interesting workflow that was different from what we
expected. She also did [this interesting or surprising thing].



She was hesitant to explore the UI and fit the ‘Ms. X’ persona
pretty well…
“Take 5.”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Avoiding the Slow TV Syndrome
• Re-watching videos
• Relying on notes alone
• Human transcription
• Automatic transcription
VLC player
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Task Data
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Usability Measures
Custom Tools
Question Banks
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Question Banks
Product Reaction CardsSemantic Differentials
Ease of Use
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Spreadsheets
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
Good & Efficient
Reporting
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Analysis & Reporting Strategy
Findings Report
- Narrative
- Includes detailed study
methodology & background
- Includes raw data
- Includes participant detail
- Includes session summaries
- Focused on detailed findings
Strategic Brief Presentation
- Focused on the big picture
- Focused on priorities
- Focused on critical findings
- Includes recommendations
- Visually impactful
- Includes quotes
- Synthesizes data from multiple
sources
- Summary deliverables: 

(e.g. profiles, personas, user journeys)
“Use the right tool 

for the job.”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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NOT Survey Reports
No Custom Color Coding
Always reports %
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
Participant Data
27
♀ 5 Female ♂ 5 Male
4 on Laptops 4 on Smartphones 

(4 iPhone, 3 Android, 1 Windows Phone)
Customers
Company 1, Company 2,
Company 3
Customers RepresentedProfile 1 | Profile 2
Session Summaries
as part of detailed
findings / or with
recordings
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Task Data
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Structured Data
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Usability Measures
Tullis & Albert
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Data Analysis
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Infogr.am
PROS:
Range of Graphs
Fun viz options
Full control over colors
Option to show values (not %)
CONS:
Limited font control
No option to show confidence intervals
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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plot.ly
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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“Last but not least… qualitative data analysis.”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
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Final Presentation
Strategic Brief
- Focused on the big picture
- Focused on priorities
- Focused on critical findings
- Includes recommendations
- Visually impactful
- Includes quotes
- Synthesizes data from multiple
sources
- Summary deliverables: 

(e.g. profiles, personas, user journeys)
“Looks matter”
@kaniasty | #uxpabos17
Questions?

Fast and Unbiased Usability Research

  • 1.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 Youcan have it both ways Fast and Unbiased Usability Research Eva Kaniasty, Red Pill UX
  • 2.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 2 Whatdo we want? Everything. When do we want it? Now
  • 3.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 3 Whatis good research? “You can’t always get what you want.”
  • 4.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 4 Biasis everywhere! • Inter-evaluator bias • Loaded or leading questions • Cognitive biases (e.g. primacy, recency) • Group dynamics (i.e. groupthink) • Prejudgements • Selection bias • Respondent bias (e.g. positive, social) “Soylent Green… Bias… 
 it’s made of people!”
  • 5.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 5 •Plan • Structure • Focus • Automate • Don’t rely on memory Reduce Your Cognitive Load “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Ben Franklin
  • 6.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 6 “Efficiencyis intelligent laziness.” Objectivity through Optimization
  • 7.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 Good+ Efficient Participant Recruiting
  • 8.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 8 Recruiting RecruitingBrief Screening Survey Scheduling - Research Recruiter - UserInterviews.com - Stakeholders Participant Data - Contact Info - Time Zones - Screening Data “Keep it simple…”
  • 9.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 9 CustomerSuper Screener (i.e. survey) Better screening - Larger pool of potential participants - Foot in the door - Comparison sample - Bias fighter Measure twice, cut once Collect data as you screen - Demographics - Feature usage - Card sorts - Desirability (product reaction) - Technical - Quotes (collected judiciously) - Opt-in for future research 
 (online & moderated)*Don’t forget legal review
  • 10.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 10 RecruitingLogistics Written Consent •Context •Logistics •Recording •Compensation •(Optional) Nondisclosure *Don’t forget legal review “80 percent of success is just showing up.” Reducing No-Shows •Written consent •Email confirmation •Remote tool testing/setup •Phone/Texting Session Status Tracking Compensation
  • 11.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 Good+ Efficient Study Design
  • 12.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 12 “Getyour priorities straight.”
  • 13.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 13 ModeratorGuide Pre-Test Interview - Background / Profile Fit - Past experience/usage - Top 3 tasks/needs First Impressions - (if website) HP overview - (if navigation) Navigation expectations - (if new user) Free exploration - (if current user) Recent task Tasks or Process - Probing questions - Ease of use ratings - Task Success Wrap-Up - Salient Likes/Dislikes - “Change one thing” - System Usability Scale/Global Measures “How the sausage gets made.”
  • 14.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 Good& Efficient Data Collection
  • 15.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 15 SessionHousekeeping Participant Briefing - Context-setting - Recording consent - Think-aloud instruction - Honest Feedback - Neutral Observer Logistics - Apps / Links - Notes templates - Equipment - Logins - Recording - Reset “Don’t forget to eat.” - Mom
  • 16.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 16 Recording& Photography • Personal room • Test meeting OR Tech call • Mac & Windows compatible Mobile Screen Mobile Device • Sleds
  • 17.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 17 SuperNotes! Mod Guide + Notes + Audio PearNote Mac OneNote Windows Livescribe
  • 18.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 18 TheSession Summary This participant had major issues with X and Y features because she expected [X] and [Y] to happen. She followed an interesting workflow that was different from what we expected. She also did [this interesting or surprising thing].
 
 She was hesitant to explore the UI and fit the ‘Ms. X’ persona pretty well… “Take 5.”
  • 19.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 19 Avoidingthe Slow TV Syndrome • Re-watching videos • Relying on notes alone • Human transcription • Automatic transcription VLC player
  • 20.
  • 21.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 21 UsabilityMeasures Custom Tools Question Banks
  • 22.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 22 QuestionBanks Product Reaction CardsSemantic Differentials Ease of Use
  • 23.
  • 24.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 Good& Efficient Reporting
  • 25.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 25 Analysis& Reporting Strategy Findings Report - Narrative - Includes detailed study methodology & background - Includes raw data - Includes participant detail - Includes session summaries - Focused on detailed findings Strategic Brief Presentation - Focused on the big picture - Focused on priorities - Focused on critical findings - Includes recommendations - Visually impactful - Includes quotes - Synthesizes data from multiple sources - Summary deliverables: 
 (e.g. profiles, personas, user journeys) “Use the right tool 
 for the job.”
  • 26.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 26 NOTSurvey Reports No Custom Color Coding Always reports %
  • 27.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 ParticipantData 27 ♀ 5 Female ♂ 5 Male 4 on Laptops 4 on Smartphones 
 (4 iPhone, 3 Android, 1 Windows Phone) Customers Company 1, Company 2, Company 3 Customers RepresentedProfile 1 | Profile 2 Session Summaries as part of detailed findings / or with recordings
  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 30.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 30 UsabilityMeasures Tullis & Albert
  • 31.
  • 32.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 32 Infogr.am PROS: Rangeof Graphs Fun viz options Full control over colors Option to show values (not %) CONS: Limited font control No option to show confidence intervals
  • 33.
  • 34.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 34 “Lastbut not least… qualitative data analysis.”
  • 35.
    @kaniasty | #uxpabos17 35 FinalPresentation Strategic Brief - Focused on the big picture - Focused on priorities - Focused on critical findings - Includes recommendations - Visually impactful - Includes quotes - Synthesizes data from multiple sources - Summary deliverables: 
 (e.g. profiles, personas, user journeys) “Looks matter”
  • 36.