User Experience for Business Analysts

Carol Smith

@carologic

IIBA February 8, 2016

About Carol• 15 Years UX Experience

• Mix of consulting and in-house• Web, software, mobile• Conducted both BA & UX and managed a BA team

• Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction• Currently manage a 12-person UX Team - software development

2

Discussions on UX & BA’s

http://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1892/Business-Analysis-and-User-Experience.aspxhttp://www.siolon.com/blog/the-necessary-convergence-of-business-analysis-and-user-experience/http://www.jamieclouting.co.uk/2012/12/blending-business-analysis-with-user-experience-the-baux-continuum/http://seyekuyinu.com/the-business-analyst-versus-the-user-experience-analyst/

3

Business Analysis and User Experiencehttp://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1892/Business-Analysis-and-User-Experience.aspx 4

Busin

ess A

naly

sis a

nd U

ser E

xper

ienc

ehtt

p://

ww

w.m

oder

nana

lyst

.com

/Res

ourc

es/A

rticl

es/t

abid

/115

/ID/

1892

/Bus

ines

s-An

alys

is-an

d-U

ser-E

xper

ienc

e.as

px

5

Business Analysis and User Experiencehttp://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1892/Business-Analysis-and-User-Experience.aspx

6

None of this Requires Waterfall

Define

Design

Build

Test

Deploy

7

Define & DesignTestBuildIncrement Define & DesignTestBuildIncrement Define & DesignTestBuildIncrement

Waterfall Agile

Months & Years

Weeks Weeks Weeks

None of this Requires Waterfall

Define

Design

Build

Test

Deploy

8

Define & DesignTestBuildIncrement Define & DesignTestBuildIncrement Define & DesignTestBuildIncrement

Waterfall Agile

Months & Years

Weeks Weeks Weeks

Learn

Learn

Learn Learn

My Assumptions• Minority

• Usability testing• Full UX department

• Majority • Agile environment• Trying to fit in UX

9

What do I mean by UX?

User Experience• Making Decisions (good and bad)

with Constraints• User needs• Business needs• Market demands• Best Practices

Three Circles of Information Architecture/UX by Peter Morvillehttp://semanticstudios.com/user_experience_design/ 11

Preferably Good Design

Drawings of Affordance: http://paaralan.blogspot.com/2010/09/affordance-and-educational-games.html

User’s Perspective• Useful and usable to get things done• “I feel in control – I know what to do next”• Satisfied Delighted

Photo by Greyerbaby http://pixabay.com/p-49361

Design for Everyone is

IMPOSSIBLE

14

Who will use it?

What they need to do?

Think about a college student• Project to make a scheduling application for a college student

• Think about that student• What kind of student?• What is their goal?• What are their needs?

Connie

Which Student?Rick

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjkbh/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/caharley72/ (Christopher Alison Photography) via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Most Important UX Jobs:

Identify Primary User(s)

and

Patterns in needs & behaviors

18

19

How do we do that?

Interviews & Observations

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10419299@N06/5639386309/in/photolist-9Akk5r-3MAXCb-4quMpM-9gKYJ6-7vTJKc-5TAbfV-5pJyoN-4Fru7K-5BkosD-4emfRn-5KMwHc-ajJzKz-5SYdSP-5AY4Ub-5cqBp6-bQPZHz-3eg6BK-c3c2mA-63EuC4-6cZEso-9brmYr-6jms8Z-46GnZi-ju763e-3NSyxt-a7ZhRf-aK2zWa-4i42rA-5T7ncR-qA2ZZj-xzzf8-xzyHu-oE3tpw-nuWL1-5pESsX-zduXT-dNiTBz-6daLaG-E4iZ4-3dGAD-t773s-ortje-7TED7w-m7kBV-f6ZJw3-oYaVe-6VgJwN-3GpdxD-3ewK5-3KKdMS

Artifacts!

Card Sorts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Search Results on “card sort” + activity, December 2015 using Google Images.https://www.google.com/search?q=3x5+cards&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=809&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjp9dW_gs7JAhVBJB4KHW7PDy0Q_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=card+sort+activity

23

Organize Information with User’s Feedback

Optimal Sort, Optimal Workshop - http://www.optimalworkshop.com/

24

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelquinet/513351385/sizes/l/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelquinet/

Usability Testing

UX Basics

25

We are all in the Business of creating:

engaging; usable;accessible;and relevant experiences (that people buy).

Functional Aspects• Effective• Efficient• Learnable

Benefits of Good UX• Increased Usefulness• Increased Efficiency ($$$) • Improved Productivity

Interviews & Observations

30

Interviews are to Learn and Confirm…• Build on your hypothesis or tear them down• Actual tasks• Attitudes and Opinions• Problems• Goals• Experience level and knowledge

Interviews for UX are not• Documentation of business needs (though may be gathered)• Documentation of what the system currently does• Documentation

31

Artifacts!

Collect, Copy, Photograph http://www.flickr.com/photos/camknows/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

33

Quality questions = Quality answers• Open-ended• Unbiased• Not leading or making assumptions• Using participant’s words

Find A Partner

34

Tim Morgan IMG_4404https://www.flickr.com/photos/timothymorgan/2530425949/in/photolist-4RB6tB-4REupG-4RB3v4-4RA55x-4RzuUn-4RzDJX-4RyHuD---------------4RBarM-4RATpR-4RH7FA-4RFfoE-4RB9uz-4RAYyx-4RB5sk-4Rzssp-4RyNCn-amURdc-6E3Mzj-619CNm-619CNf-615iz2-615iyx-615izx-615izc-615iyK-615iyT-4rY9yB-6i6rPf-4rY9NH-Nxqv3-NxqUU-NxTLB-NxqvU-NxTvH-NxqxY-7UuqLy/

35

Question 1: What is a better question?• Do you regularly book your travel online to save money?

36

Alternates – Question 1• How often do you travel?

• <listen>

• What proportion of that do you book online? • <listen>

• Why do you book travel online? • <listen>

37

Rationale - Question 1• Address one issue at a time and avoid double-barreled questions.

38

Question 2: What is a better question?• What are your thoughts about a new feature, that allows you to

instant message a travel agent with any questions, as you book your travel?

39

Alternates – Question 2• Would you like to correspond with a travel agent while you are

booking travel? • <listen>

• What are some ways that you would like to correspond with a travel agent while you are booking travel? • <listen>

40

Rationale – Question 2• People are not good at predicting the future.• Can only tell you what they’ve done in the past

• you can assume they will repeat• job interviews - behavioral questions

41

Facilitation• Remain passive (body, face) • Don’t confirm or reject answers• Listen for vocalizations • Watch non-verbal gestures

• Encourage participant to elaborate

• Ask your question and let them talk

42

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Card Sorting

Card Sorting• Maximize probability of users finding content• Explore how people are likely to group items• Identify content likely to be:

• Difficult to categorize • Difficult to find• Misunderstood

43

Gaffney, Gerry. (2000) What is Card Sorting? Usability Techniques Series, Information & Design. http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/cardsorting.asphttp://www.flickr.com/photos/richtpt via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

44

Users organize information

Optimal Sort, Optimal Workshop - http://www.optimalworkshop.com/

Benefits of Card Sorting• Easy and inexpensive• Use to determine:

• Order of information• Relationships between info• Labels for navigation• Verify correct audience

45

Gaffney, Gerry. (2000) What is Card Sorting? Usability Techniques Series, Information & Design. http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/cardsorting.asp

Facilitation/Direction• Ask to:

• Group items in own way• Talk out loud

• Think about:• What expect to be together• When expect to see

46

Online Tools• Moderated• Un-moderated

47

Optimal Sort, Optimal Workshop - http://www.optimalworkshop.com/

48

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelquinet/513351385/sizes/l/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelquinet/

Usability Testing

Usability Tests• Measure the design’s ability

to support users in achieving specific goals

• Real users, doing real tasks• Prototypes or live products• Observed, not guided

Image from Steve Krug’s “Rocket Surgery Made Easy“

PrioritizeTest Update Test1

23

High

Medium

Low

Rapid Iterative Testing

It is not…• Quality testing• Full accessibility testing• System testing• Acceptance testing

Test early to avoid mistakes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwulff/12256075/sizes/m/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwulff/

Can Test…•Websites, mobile apps, blenders, airport service

•Simulations or mockups•Early prototypes (paper, low-fi)•Production prototypes (html, hi-fi)•Help documentation•Processes (receipt of materials, purchase)

Prototype Testing• Find out if initial designs are helpful• Before money spent on visual design

or backend development

A/B Testing• Answer questions about:

• Layout on homepage• Effectiveness of banners• Choice of wording on call to action

ChiChaCha - https://www.flickr.com/photos/chichacha/2471138966/in/photolist-4Lnewf-cRCzz3-4SZUX9-oq3abM-3NqSR-9SfMm-3KAuRV-8sBf5d-ngpiNe-CSgJ9-5F1ua6-9CrdLg-64eMPL-i2yCSA-68KsUW-68Ksyh-9TbmoU-beqhNT-6fGATS-7kwmFC-9xve19-6wSrga

Don’t need a lab, but it is nice• Anywhere• Any Phase• Anytime

Photo by Roebot at http://www.flickr.com/photos/roebot/2964156413/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzdave/491411546/sizes/o/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzdave/

Participant observed through 2 way mirror and on screens

Just Do It!• Anywhere (conference room, remotely)• Any Stage (earlier in process the better)• Anytime (un-moderated)• Realistic test environment

Photo by Roebot at http://www.flickr.com/photos/roebot/2964156413/

Regular Testing

(Yes, this is an old idea; a great one!)

User Testing Day!• Make team aware• Invite everyone

• Watch remotely• Recurring meeting invites for stakeholders

“Teams should stretch to get work into that day’s test and use the cadence

to drive productivity.”

- Jeff Gothelf

Jeff Gothelf - http://blog.usabilla.com/5-effective-ways-for-usability-testing-to-play-nice-with-agile/

Improving Products

61

Tweak, Don’t Redesign• Small iterative changes

• Make it better now• Don’t break something else

• Take something away• Reduce distractions• Don’t add – question it

Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems. By Steve Krug

True Statements• All interfaces have usability problems• Limited resources to fix them• More problems than resources• Less serious problems distract• Intense focus on fixing most serious problems first

Adapted from: Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems. By Steve Krug

Goal• Identify top 5 or 10 most serious issues

• Top 3 from each list• Prioritize from lists• Commit resources for next sprint• Stop

Adapted from: Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems. By Steve Krug

"The biggest waste of all is building something

no one wants“

- Eric Ries @ericries

Eric Ries @ericries via @MelBugai on Twitter at LeanStartupMI in 2011

Make Useful & Usable Recommendations

Quickly

Create Information Radiators

67

68

Thoughtful Discussion

Business Analysis and User Experiencehttp://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1892/Business-Analysis-and-User-Experience.aspx

69

Identify Primary User(s)

and

Patterns in needs & behaviors

70

Recommended Readings

Contact Carol

in/CarolJSmith

@Carologic

slideshare.net/carologic

References & Further Reading• Cato, John. User-Centered Web Design. Addison Wesley Longman; 2001.

• Gaffney, Gerry. (2000) What is Card Sorting? Usability Techniques Series, Information & Design. http://www.infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/design/cardsorting.asp

• Hackos, JoAnn T., PhD and Redish, Janice C. User and Task Analysis for Interface Design. Wiley; 1998.

• Henry, S.L. and Martinson, M. Evaluating for Accessibility, Usability Testing in Diverse Situations. Tutorial, 2003 UPA Conference. (Activity)

• Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.

• Krug, Steve. Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems

• Kuniavsky, Mike. Observing the User Experience: a Practitioner's Guide to User Research. Morgan Kaufmann, 2003.

• Mandel, Theo. The Elements of User Interface Design. Wiley; 1997.

• Nielsen, Jakob and Robert L. Mack. Usability Inspection Methods. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1994.

• Powell, Thomas A. The Complete Reference: Web Design. Osborne/McGraw-Hill; 2000.

• Redish, Janice (Ginny). Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works.

• Rubin, Jeffrey and Dana Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.