Involving Users - Why Is It So Hard To Do The Right

Thing?

Donna SpencerMaadmob

About me• Freelance information architect/interaction

designer 8 yrs Complex websites, intranets, business applications Design, strategy, mentoring, training

• Conducted loads of user research

• Writing a book about card sorting - due soon

Key points• Images – veggies, exercise, alcohol

But first, what is user research

What is user research

Why would we do it?• Your users may have different:

experience with computers understanding of the domain working patterns and working arrangements ways of describing their tasks contexts in which they will use the product goals for using the product

• You will learn interesting things!

How we do it

Why don’t we do it?

No money

We are the users

Too hard

The outcome really

doesn’t matter

The client actually

doesn’t care

We already know what users need

Someone already

‘gathered requirement

s’Don’t know

who our users are

No time

What helps us do it

Included it in proposal budget

Team have the skills to

Client cared about doing

well

Acknowledged that we don’t

know the usersExplained that

requirements weren’t enoughHave easy access to

users

Made it fast

How to decide...

How to decide• How important is it to the organisation• Risk if we get it wrong

Impact on the users Money spent Profile

• Need to convince others• Existing knowledge of users• Ability to iterate• Ability to collect feedback

How to decide

Personal blog

Conference website

E-commerce system

Big internal business app

Making it easier…

Making it easier• Start with existing materials

Staff who have contact with users Website analytics Search terms

• Small research, not huge• Focus your research – don’t try to learn

everything

Share it!• Personas/scenarios

Personas

Share it!• Personas/scenarios• Analytics reports• Analysis of feedback

Questions & thanks

• http://maadmob.com.au/• 0409-778-693• donna@maadmob.net• Twitter etc: maadonna