We all know that you can cut costs dramatically by building the right thing to begin with. But it may not feel like a gain when you’re delaying an app’s release or writing big checks for formal usability research. In this session, Erin shared specifics for how you can spin up quick and inexpensive mobile usability tests that your entire team can watch in real time. Learn how to recruit and schedule, how to stream and record, how to field real-time suggestions from your team, and how to turn around an analysis within hours or days instead of weeks. With a minimal upfront investment, your team will be able to fulfill the Agile/Lean vision of continuous, user-centered improvement.

1. MOBILE
USABILITY RESEARCH
IN A PINCH
All Things Open
Thursday, October 27, 16

2. Hi, I’m Erin.
• UXer for over a decade.
• Founder of Slide UX, a UX design
consultancy in Austin, TX
• Gets to lead 10 of the greatest UX
designers & researchers in all the land.
• Has AMAZING clients - who often have to
get things done on a budget.

3. So, we need to test this with real
users, but the board will freak out if
we have to delay the app’s release.
Oh, and there’s, like, no budget for
this.
– Our well-intentioned client, Tom
“

4. Confidential 4
Tom’s right. Usability testing pays off.
• ↓ development rework
• ↓ support costs
• ↑ conversion rates
• ↑ engagement
• ↑ retention
• ↑ competitive advantage

5. 5Confidential
BEFORE DURING AFTER
5Confidential

6. BEFORE
1. What do we want to learn?
2. What’s the stimuli?
3. What about participants?
4. Where & how will we test?
5. Spread the word

7. What do we want to learn?
Most often:
• Uncover unknown problems with the current
design.
• Investigate particular interactions, features, or
areas of contention within the design.

8. What’s the stimuli?
• What will we test: A native app? Design
prototype?
• Who’s making it and who can support it during
the tests?
• Timing: When can we preview? When will it be
ready for test?

9. What about participants?
• Screening. Only what’s needed to hit goals.
• Recruiting.
• Who’ll recruit? Sales team, product team, UX, hired help
• How: Site intercepts? Pre-scheduled?
• When? If pre-sched, start 2 weeks before test date.
• Scheduling & reminders.

10. How & where will we test?
• Remote or in-person?
• If In-person: lab, office, users’ place, users’
hangouts?
• Moderated or unmoderated?
• Specialized tools or simple web conference?
• Will we provide devices?

11. Spread the word
• Calendar invites for moderator, notetaker,
prototypers, and observers
• ‘What to expect’ memo for observers – chat,
note-taking, debreifs, etc.
• FYI memo to those in the office

12. 12Confidential
BEFORE DURING AFTER

13. DURING
1. Set up the space & technology
2. Collaborate in real time

14. Set up the space & technology
• Ideally quiet & isolated from distractions
• Two web cams: Face, Hands
• A square box of painter’s tape
• Printed materials: printed prototype, consent,
incentive receipt
• Streaming, recording, and chat

15. Collaborate in real-time
• Live chat with moderator
• Rainbow spreadsheet or Google Doc for
observations during test
• Team debrief after each session

16. 16Confidential
BEFORE DURING AFTER

17. It’s triage time!
• Rewatch & flesh out rainbow spreadsheet
• Triage each item as a team
• Straight to dev backlog
• Design backlog
• More research needed
• Kill

18. IN CONCLUSION
• Establish goals
• Plan stimuli
• Target participants
• Determine methodology
• Spread the word
Confidential 18
BEFORE

19. IN CONCLUSION
• Establish goals
• Plan stimuli
• Target participants
• Determine methodology
• Spread the word
Confidential 19
• Set up the space &
technology
• Collaborate in real time
BEFORE DURING

20. IN CONCLUSION
• Establish goals
• Plan stimuli
• Target participants
• Determine methodology
• Spread the word
Confidential 20
• Set up the space &
technology
• Collaborate in real time
• Rewatch & flesh out rainbow
spreadsheet
• Triage each item as a team
BEFORE DURING AFTER

21. THANKS!
Let’s stay in touch
erin@slideux.com
www.slideux.com
@erinlynnyoung