The document discusses methods for evaluating user experience (UX), including talking to users (TTYFU) and reading the manual (RTFM). It recommends starting with structured UX reviews by simulating a target user's goals and stepping through the interface. For startups with limited time or money, it suggests beginning with internal reviews before launching and collecting metrics. The document also identifies common "UX bombs" that negatively impact new users and provides tips to avoid them.

1. The RTFM of Usability @uxrick @angelpadorg Sep/28/10

2. Cast Eng Product UX User Thanks to Braden Kowitz for smiley graphics

3. http://www.all-tribes.com/eng/catalog/rtfm-vol2-girls-mastic-p-51.html

4. http://www.all-tribes.com/eng/catalog/rtfm-vol2-girls-mastic-p-51.html R ead T he F antastic(?) M anual How do I get CNN in MS-Office? Go away. RTFM!

5. Unfortunately real people don’t RTFM 1. F != “Fantastic” 2. Easier to bug the local techie 3. Better things to do http://www.flickr.com/photos/juandesant/2320949867/

6. Unfortunately real people don’t RTFM 1. F != “Fantastic” 2. Easier to bug the local techie 3. Better things to do http://www.flickr.com/photos/juandesant/2320949867/ Usability time!

7. TTYFU co-creation credit: Dave McClure Pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriapeckham/164175205 How do we make our product usable?

8. TTYFU co-creation credit: Dave McClure Pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriapeckham/164175205 T alk T o Y our F antastic(?) U sers Go away! TTYFU! How do we make our product usable?

9. http://www.sensible.com/rocketsurgery/index.html TTYFU = “ Usability” + Field studies + Surveys + Metrics ++ Great starting point

10. Unfortunately real startups don’t TTYFU 1. Lack of time 2. Lack of money 3. Too shy 4. “Launch and see” syndrome http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkv/97119622/lightbox/

11. Unfortunately real startups don’t TTYFU 1. Lack of time 2. Lack of money 3. Too shy 4. “Launch and see” syndrome What is the “ Hello World” of TTYFU? http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkv/97119622/lightbox/

12. TTYFU W/O TTYFU* * T alk T o Y our F ... U sers W ithout T alking T o Y our F ... U sers

13. %^&*!! WTF? Eng Product bash% man ttyfuwottyfu

14. Simulate a target user! - Simple & quick - Catch issues early Not a substitute for TTYFU but a useful compliment ... Structured UX Review

15. Simple Process 1. Choose a Target User 2. Identify their goal 3. Step through UI to achieve goal ( & note problems ) At each step ask: “ What would they do next?”

16. User: My Mum (Mom) Goal: I want to donate some money to my son’s sponsored bike ride Example

17. Step 1

18. Step 1 Not personalized Very wordy Buried call to action

19. Step 2

20. Step 2 Again, easy to miss call to action Distracting animations Distracting navigation Very wordy

21. Step 3 Exercise for you!

22. Step 4 Exercise for you!

23. Iterative “small-n” user studies - Involve entire team - Again, start early - Cover entire lifecycle Triangulate findings with metrics Bonus points: TTYFU hi!

24. Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” How to provide users with a “challenging” first experience in 5 easy steps! %^&*!! WTF?

25. Forget about how users get to your landing page Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” #1

26. No clear call-to-action on every step of the new user flow Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” #2

27. Provide a long, drawn-out signup form Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” #3

28. Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” #4 Post-signup, dump users on the Account page

29. Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” #5 e.g. Don’t tell user its out of stock until they checkout Don’t do QA of all end cases in your conversion flow

30. Startup UX Bombs - “New Users” #5 Its not just startups who make these mistakes See http://bit.ly/bccatS

31. Recap TTYFU! No money? No time? Too shy? - Start with a structured UX review - Choose target user and goal - Step through flow systematically - You will learn loads (promise!) - Then TTYFU

32. GO FORTH & TTYFU! Rick Boardman [email_address] @uxrick