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The Usability of Usability
The document discusses key challenges in usability and design, emphasizing the importance of identifying user needs and defining problems accurately before creating solutions. It explores common misconceptions about user design, the significance of minor design details, and the necessity of user research in the design process. Ultimately, it illustrates that effective usability is often overlooked until it is no longer present.
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The Usability of Usability
- 1. The Usability of Usability AND R E W CHA K F E B R UA R Y 20 1 4
- 2. About Me • 19years spanning visual design, front end coding, information architecture, usability research, and digital strategy • AVP, Digital Customer Experience at TD • Klick Health, OnX, Immersa nt • Connect with me on LinkedIn if you’re interested in a contract UX position • I’m an avid runner and overshare about it on Twitter @andrewchak
- 3. Why are wehere?
- 4. Why are wehere?
- 5.
- 6. Pick a partner… “Hithere… I’m…” “What’s the best thing that has happened to you recently?”
- 7. Now pick arole… Tappers Listeners Keep eyes open Read instructions Get a pen & paper Close your eyes
- 8. The Mystery Song “Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star”
- 9. Instructions Tappers When prompted, start tapping the song Listeners Writedown song names until you are correct
- 10. So… how wasthat?
- 11. The Problem We knoweverything, they don’t
- 12. What we do Ourjob is to do the hard work to make something so easy that people don’t even notice
- 13. In other words… It’shard to be easy but most people don’t know that
- 14.
- 15. Great designs are deceptivelyeasy • • • • • Weather Stock Quotes Time Sport Scores Sunrise & Sunset • • • • • Calculator Book Search Earthquakes Unit Conversion Synonym Search • • • • • Local Search Movie Showtimes Flight Tracking Poison Control Currency Conversion
- 16. When it comesto our work… • It’s like we get challenged with the same questions over and over and over again…
- 17. So… What are therecurring issues you encounter about our practice over and over again?
- 18. For me, thereare 5…
- 19.
- 20. Bertrand Russell “The greatestchallenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.”
- 21. Ever get requirementslike this? “We just need to add this button”
- 22. Ever get requirementslike this? “We just need to improve the functionality”
- 23. Ever get requirementslike this? “We just need to redesign it”
- 24. “Delivers hot andcold water” http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwichary/2508045324/
- 25. “Delivers water ata desired temperature” http://www.flickr.com/photos/vimages/2302862517/
- 26. “Help to washhands clean” http://www.us.kohler.com/
- 27. The most importantquestion you can ask is… “Why?”
- 28. How to havegreat problems • Identify your users unmet needs through customer journies – low points, break points • Diary studies conducted over time • Summative usability test of existing experience • Base problems on direct observation or feedback • Don’t take users feedback at face value – ask the “why?” behind their feedback too • Define problems based on desired customer behaviours or responses • The right problem statement = innovation
- 29. So… What are your examplesof “poor” requirements and how did you deal with it?
- 30. #2 Everyone’s a userso everyone’s a designer
- 31. A rhetorical question “Whyis that when people watch a movie, they don’t necessarily think they can be a director, but when they use a web site, they think they can be a designer?”
- 32. Who we oftendesign for http://www.flickr.com/photos/markjsebastian/290368272/
- 33. Our self-image isn’t oftenaccurate http://www.flickr.com/photos/oter/3104958433/
- 34. The compromise: Design foreverybody http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/613445810/
- 35. What do youget when you design for everybody? 32 flavours of vanilla
- 36. The Paradox: Designingfor a specific somebody is much better than a generic anybody http://www.flickr.com/photos/24143601@N08/3205140655/
- 37. Designing for aspecific, more “difficult” user • The user that isn’t motivated • The user that doesn’t know much • The user that is a newbie • Designing for someone specific & more “difficult”: • Makes design decisions easier – gives us the courage to make tradeoffs • Hones us in on creating a robust solution
- 38. So… Any examples of“extra” designers in your work?
- 39. #3 Thinking that thelittle design details are simply “cosmetic”
- 40. Sabre Reservation System From:LGA To: DTW Search 50%+ selected first result 92% selected in first screen Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabre_(computer_system)
- 41. Sabre Reservation System From:LGA To: DTW Search • In 1981, New York Air added a flight from La Guardia to Detroit which competed with AA • 8 flights / day • Guess where they put the New York Air flight search results? Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabre_(computer_system)
- 42. How do youincrease return completion rates?
- 43. How do youincrease return completion rates?
- 44. Every little thingmatters in context • Some things that worked well for certain products didn’t work at all for others • Sometimes it’s better to have more clicks – there is no such thing as a 3-click rule • Be suspicious of “best practices” • The only correct answer is “it depends”
- 45. So… What are someof your learnings on the “little things” that have made a big difference?
- 46. #4 Lack of time,money, or desire to do user research
- 47. A common usability testingquestion “Isn’t it the same thing as a focus group?”
- 48. Do you washyour hands every time you use a public bathroom? 96% 88% 89% 66% Claimed Observed Women Claimed Observed Men Source: Harris Interactive – Hand Washing Survey, 2007
- 49. Analogies for explaining usabilitytesting • The Hockey Team • Imagine assembling a new team of hockey players • Each player is like an element of the experience • You would want to have them practice against other teams to see how they work together and identify strengths and weaknesses • The Flight Simulator • Suppose you had a student pilot • Would you allow that student to fly a jumbo jet before at least trying it out in a simulator? • Wouldn’t testing in a simulator be much more cheaper than making a mistake in the real thing?
- 50. Remember what wedid in the beginning? “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” We can’t “undo” our knowledge
- 51. “Your first usabilitytest” • The intent of this test is to find out where the gaps are in the experience – it’s perfectly OK for us to find mistakes as that is what this test is for • Your role is to listen and observe – please make note of what users struggle with and try to identify what the real issue is • You’ll be given an opportunity to ask your questions at a prescribed time so please don’t yell at the participants if they don’t navigate through the experience with flying colours
- 52. So… What’s your tipfor selling user research?
- 53. #5 The use offoul language
- 54. There is onething that is true across all UX practitioners We’re anal about definitions of artefacts
- 55. We (and ourstakeholders) are often confused about these terms • User Experience • Information Architecture • Wireframes • Mockups • Lorem Ipsum • Usability Test / UAT / Focus Groups • Business Requirements Document • Use Cases • Creative Brief / Experience Brief • Vision / Demo / Prototype
- 56. The #1 tipfor clarity Always show don’t just tell
- 57. So… What UX wordsare in your “foul” language?
- 58. In closing… Usability islike oxygen – you don’t notice it until it’s missing