In our enthusiasm to automate we tend to create designs that providing users the information and access to tools they need to do things. But to be effective, we need to do more. Real self-service, with incremental task completion across multiple-devices and limited customer support means reinventing the (human) guides that, in the past, helped us make good decisions and get things done. We can do this by creating dialogues that unfold over time and leverage motivation strategies (a.k.a., gamification) to shape and encourage behaviors.

1. Watching the edges blur
Rethinking the user experience
in the world of self-service
Kath Straub | Usability.org
HFES | 2 October 2013

2. In your embrace of self-service,
are you helping me do things
or are you helping me get things
done?

3. What are the benefits of self-
service?

6. In the old world I go to a specific place
to do a specific thing. And I stay until its done.

7. Self-service means
I can do things in small increments

8. Task

9. GoalTask

12. WorldGoalTask

13. WorldGoalTask

14. WorldGoalTask

15. WorldGoalTask

16. Tesco / HomePlus
South Korea

17. For effective self-service,
we need to think bigger and smaller.

19. Act
on it
Understand
what they find
Find
what they need
The UX transition Yesterday-ish

20. Act
on it
Understand
what they found
Find
what they need
Self-
diagnose
The UX transition Today-ish and tomorrow

21. Bank tellers

22. How is does this
change UX?

23. How is does this
change UX?

25. • READSMART
Smile, You're in the Dental Care Aisle
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/06/business/06shortcuts.html

27. • READSMART

31. Increasingly, we navigate
the world without guides
What are we losing?

32. Bank tellers

33. HR People

34. How do guides
make things better?

35. Focus on things I need to know

36. Help me learn and do new things

37. Don’t distract me (with squirrels)

38. There when I need them.

39. Help me get things done

40. There is an important difference
between helping do things and
helping me me get things done.

41. For effective self-service,
we need to reimagine the guides

42. Back to the dialogue ….

46. What do on-line “dialogues”
look like?

47. • READSMART

53. There is no web kiosk
In the toothbrush aisle.

54. Barcodes are
In the wrong place

55. Reimagining the guides

56. Help me get started.

57. Tell me how do do it.

58. Help me keep learning.

60. Help me connect the dots.

61. Give me tools and make me accountable.

62. Tell the same story at all of the touch points.

63. Test …content!

64. Make the learning invisible (or at least fun-ish).

65. We spend 3b+ hours a week
playing online games.
says Jane McGonigal
Can the things that keep us
engaged in games can help us
effectively reinvent the guides?

66. Zynga made 3 things acceptable
Begging

67. Zynga made 3 things acceptable
Bragging

68. Zynga made 3 things acceptable
Tiny
Victories

69. 32
MILLION PEOPLE CAN'T BE WRONG
DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE
FARMVILLE
Kath Straub
Diana Nelson
Lori Hawkins
Suzanne Long
232
Kath Straub, Usability.org
Learning

70. Shaping

71. *Insights: Reinforcement seems to work better for shaping.
Rapid, frequent reinforcement supports fast learning.
Random reinforcement supports sustained change.
Negative reinforcement doesn’t mean punishment.
Positive:
Add something
Negative:
Take something away
Reinforcement:
Increasesbehavior
Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement
Punishment:
Decreasesbehavior
Positive punishment Negative punishment
Gamification
is the
ψ of motivation
rebranded.

72. Shapin
g
change
s habits

73. This is a lot of habits.

74. Actionable
positive
feedback.
Success = Small visible incremental steps.

75. Short term
and long term
goals are
interwoven.
Success = Small visible incremental steps.

76. My (tiny)
victories
build up.
Success = Small visible incremental steps.

77. I can
compete or
collaborate.
Its social.

78. Its where
I am.

79. Shape my behavior
• Help me (see and) connect the dots.
• Keep the victories coming.
• Create the context to create new
habits
• Know when I’ll need you

80. Applications

81. Visible
Progress
Tiny victories.

83. << We had her.

84. << We had her. And we lost her.

85. But. She created
new habits
along the way …
Basal
Ganglia

86. For effective self-service,
we need to think about what we
really want people to do. Then
we need to use the psychology of
motivation to nudge them in that
direction.

87. Self-service presents different
problems for UX
1. Think bigger and smaller
2. Reinvent guides
3. Guide users toward behaviors

88. Questions?

89. Connect.
Kath@usability.org
+1. 443.831.1351
Linked in: kathstraub
Slideshare: kstraub
Twitter: kathstraub