UX HACKS. Better Experiences. Faster. Leaner. Smarter

Sarah Weise, UX Director, Booz Allen Hamilton

UX Hacks Better Experiences. Faster. Leaner. Smarter.

I want to tell you a story about the first UX project I ever worked on – back when I was a UX virgin. It was over a decade ago, and it lasted a full year…

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We analyzed customer segments, and idenCfied and recruited a ton of users in each of those segments. We made sure to select a staCsCcally significant number of parCcipants from each group so that we could report our findings with scienCfic precision – confidence intervals and margin of error. I was doing t-‐tests and z-‐tests to find out which recommendaCons should go in Phase I versus Phase 2. I even remember bringing my old college staCsCcs textbook to work with me!

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We conducted our research in a lab with a two-‐way mirror. We filmed the test parCcipants and went back and watched the tests mulCple Cmes, scruCnizing facial expressions and body language.

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By the end of the year, we had a big honkin’ report. There were over 100 findings. We actually had tables to group and categorize all of the findings. It was in a binder like this. With a cover page slaved over by a graphic designer. This was my first UX job, and at the Cme I was so proud of this report. It was massive. It showed off all the hard work we did.

The best part…

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Over 10 years later, their website is largely the same. Only 2-‐3 recommendaCons had been implemented out of 100+, and those were preRy much low hanging fruit.

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This process stole a year of my life. Countless billable hours. Your taxpayer dollars (it was a government website, aVer all). Painstaking work, meeCngs and staCsCcal nonsense. You’re familiar with this type of heartbreak? Well, let me tell you a secret…

“The biggest lie in software is Phase II.”

Jeff Gothelf

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Over a decade later, the organizaCon re-‐engaged us. Some of the very same clients, actually. But this Cme, our process was lean. In under a month, we had a substanCally beRer product. With far less work and hassle. Clients parCcipated in the process, and became our advocates. It leV me thinking… Why can’t it always be like this?

PRIX FIXE MENU

Data Gathering :: choose one

Usability testing Create scenarios based on top tasks, craft post-test survey, and conduct 6 hours worth of one-on-one usability testing*

Web survey Create survey questions to solicit preference data and discover more about target audiences*

Existing data trends Evaluate existing data such as help desk tickets, web analytics, and/or survey data

Focus group Plan and lead 6 hours worth of focus group sessions*

Analysis :: choose one

Expert review SME evaluation of select screens from a website or application

Visual evaluation Analysis of branding strategy, colors, images, typography

Task analysis Evaluate paths to streamline information architecture

Persuasion, emotion, trust evaluation Evaluate how to more effectively move customers to take action

Stakeholder analysis Based on a web survey, focus group, or existing data if available

Pattern analysis Identify trends in existing data

Benchmark Compare my site to my competitors’ * Recruiting/scheduling not included

Presented in 2010 by Sarah Weise & Linna Ferguson, User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA)

Now this is not the first Cme I’ve asked myself this quesCon. In fact, I’ve spent my career trying to make UX as simple and effecCve as possible. 5 years ago, Linna Ferguson and I coined the term “Express Usability” at a UXPA conference in Munich, where we convinced a whole bunch of people to that they could “do” UX faster, and that in just 40 hours they could make an impact. We did this with a fixed price menu approach, an idea that came to us aVer drinking heavily at a fixed price restaurant.

PRIX FIXE MENU

Data Gathering :: choose one

Usability testing Create scenarios based on top tasks, craft post-test survey, and conduct 6 hours worth of one-on-one usability testing*

Web survey Create survey questions to solicit preference data and discover more about target audiences*

Existing data trends Evaluate existing data such as help desk tickets, web analytics, and/or survey data

Focus group Plan and lead 6 hours worth of focus group sessions*

Analysis :: choose one

Expert review SME evaluation of select screens from a website or application

Visual evaluation Analysis of branding strategy, colors, images, typography

Task analysis Evaluate paths to streamline information architecture

Persuasion, emotion, trust evaluation Evaluate how to more effectively move customers to take action

Stakeholder analysis Based on a web survey, focus group, or existing data if available

Pattern analysis Identify trends in existing data

Benchmark Compare my site to my competitors’ * Recruiting/scheduling not included


PRIX FIXE MENU

Deliverable :: choose one

Recommendations report Details top recommendations based on our analysis in a finding-rationale-recommendation format

Screen-by-screen findings report Points out areas on each page that can be improved

Design concepts Pair with the visual evaluation: two alternate design concepts

Information architecture recommendations Navigational outline or flow chart detailing enhancements to organization and page flow

Wireframe(s) Visually displays layout recommendations; interactive prototyping may be an option if time permits

Trend report Pair with the pattern analysis or benchmark; couple with stakeholder analysis if data is available and time permits


TOP UX HACKS Smart, time-saving techniques

1 Play Mad Libs

2 Lean Personas

3 Start with Heuristics

4 Quick & Dirty Usability Testing

5 Journey Mapping… Just Sketch It

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So today I’m going to share with you a my top UX Hacks. Doesn’t maRer what you call them. They are shortcuts that work for my team of UX-‐ers at Booz Allen – techniques and tricks that we’ve adapted from Lean UX, Lean Startup, Agile, Design Thinking, and all those other methods de jour.

HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS

HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS

•  There’s no dial-in number Maximize human connection. 4 – 20 people.

•  No phones, tablets, laptops We have a short time with you. We need pure attention and focus!

•  Goal is to generate a lot of ideas quickly There are deadlines and timers for each activity.

•  Call ELMO Tell people up front that it’s not rude to call “ELMO”. Goal is to talk quickly and stay on topic. No history discussions here!

•  We are not in the idea or ego squashing business We succeed through a breadth of perspectives and concepts. Not just execs. Facilitator required to diffuse tensions.

Step 1: Schedule a Hands-On Visioning Session

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HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS Step 1: Schedule a Hands-On Visioning Session

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E.L.M.O stands for “Enough. Let’s Move On.” Bring these cards to your meeCngs. Tell the group up front that it’s everyone’s job to keep the group on track, and that it’s not rude to hold up these cards while people are speaking. An agile team I know actually uses these cards during their daily stand-‐ups to keep them to 15 mins. One guy even holds it up on himself quite a bit.

HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS Step 2: Mad Libs

FOR: target customer WHO NEEDS: services/features UNLIKE: competitors/alternatives WE ARE A: business type WE PROVIDE: emotional benefit WE STAND OUT BY: key differentiator

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HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS Step 3: Wall Voting Quickly visualize the most agreed-on concepts.

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HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS Step 3: Wall Voting Dual-colored dots save you time. Only talk about the ones with red and green.

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HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS Step 4: Move popular stickies to top. Read vision statement across.

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HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS Step 5: Write it out.

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Why would a UX guru advise me to start by talking to internal staff, not users?

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Let’s say we find out that users need bicycles, but the goal of the business is to sell unicycles. If we don’t take that into account, we’re going to be fighCng stakeholders every step of the way, and our recommendaCons will never be implemented. Knowing the business vision (or more specifically the vision for the website, app, or product we’re building) gives us context. It saves us Cme because we can ask users targeted quesCons – and bring back recommendaCons that no one can argue with.

HACK 2 / LEAN PERSONAS

Hashtags are big. Let’s make sure there

are at least 4-5 on our homepage.


When I was 10 my father had a heart attack in front of me. From then I vowed to be prepared if that situation ever happened again. - Bill Winters

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Personas instantly create empathy because it’s much easier for humans to relate to other humans.

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Hi! My name is…

Description

Goals & Needs

Tech Usage (laptop, tablet, phone, wearables, favorite apps…)

Picture (yes, draw it!)

Age / Gender: Occupation: Key Emotional Driver:

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Have people create personas in the strategy session. Instant empathy! It’s much easier for humans to relate to other humans.

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1 page is more than enough Bullets are great. Quickly state what resonates

(and what doesn’t) for a customer.

Role play Stubborn exec or client? Have them role play. Ask

them to take on a persona and then ask a bunch of questions.

Hack of a hack

Only have 10 mins? Give a team a half-started persona and have them fill in the rest.


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Can be visual Check out what’s on Amy’s work station!


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Deepen with image-based projective interviews

Want to see if your hypothesis is right? Image-based projective

interviews identify deep feelings behind behavior.

Talk about images

Ask participants to bring 10-15 images to the interview that reflect how they feel about your product /

problem you are trying to solve.

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FEAR Of the unknown

For my life (helplessness) For my health and body For my family and kids

For my home. For nature, environment, planet

PROTECTION

For loved ones, especially kids

ANGER At the government


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HACK 3 / START WITH HEURISTICS

For me, the site might work better

with a search.

No shit.

Argh! There’s nothing worse than wasting your time with users validating best practices. Start with best practices Don’t conduct usability testing on wireframes, mockups, prototypes or the website until you’ve fixed the basics.


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Do this even if when sketching quickly! Patterns to follow… •  Presentation – Especially

first impressions

•  Navigation – Information architecture, page flow

•  Top Tasks – Findable, action-oriented

•  Content – Value, structure, timeliness


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HACK 4 / QUICK & DIRTY USABILITY TESTING

Bare minimum “tools” You can use a free screen share software like join.me, Google Hangout or WebEx and the phone. You don’t need pricey tools. Keep it small, then iterate! You’ll see trends with just 3-5 users. Make a few key changes, then test again with 3-5 users. Forget unmoderated testing Sounds tempting, but you’ll learn more qualitative data in less time from just a couple moderated sessions. You don’t need scenarios If you don’t have time or aren’t sure what to ask, have users walk you through what they generally do on the site. Don’t wait. Test wireframes or even sketches!


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Get out from behind your desk. People talk about how hard recruiting is. But honestly, people are everywhere. Strike up a conversation.


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HACK 5 / JOURNEY MAPPING… JUST SKETCH



A sketch is all you need to visually communicate the journey that your average user goes through. This way, we can understand the complexity in order to simplify it…


A journey map for each persona is often helpful to visualize differences between target users.


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30+ screens to apply for a job???

We streamlined it to 9 screens on the first pass using this technique.


TOP UX HACKS Time-saving shortcuts to bring back to your team 1 Play Mad Libs

2 Lean Personas

3 Start with Heuristics

4 Quick & Dirty Usability Testing

5 Journey Mapping… Just Sketch It

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You now know new tricks for a super fast cycle to design & test. Scientific precision is overrated. A little push here, little pull there is all you need to build better experiences, faster.

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BUILD. AWESOME. THINGS.

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Sarah Weise @weisesarah linkedin/in/sarahweise/ [email protected]

Technology

UX HACKS. Better Experiences. Faster. Leaner. Smarter