Welcome

SharePoint TechFest Houston

Guerilla Usability Testing

James Thompsonsparkhound User Experience designer

@pixelneer

@sparkhound

Horseshit.

“If I had asked people what they wanted,they would have said faster horses.”

- Henry Ford

Horseshit.

“If I had asked people what they wanted,they would have said faster horses.”

- Henry Ford

horse sh!t

Some Popular excuses for not asking users

It’s too hardIt’s too expensive

We don’t have access to usersWe are the users

We already know what the users want

Keep in mind…

These techniques are intended to help you starthaving conversations with your users.

The user doesn’t always know what they want –but they do know what they DO NOT.

If nobody wants to use your project when it’s done …wouldn’t you want to know before you start it?

Enter

Guerilla Usability Testing

Sketch boardsCoffee TimeWhiteboards Online Resources

• A whiteboard preferably in a high traffic area• A printout / drawing of the interface• A simple question you want answered

Whiteboards

What do you need?

Whiteboards

What do you do? • Post the interface you want feedback for on the whiteboard. (masking tape or magnets)

• Ask your question.• Make sure there are plenty of markers

available.

• Quick and easy • Users can comment anonymously• Easily done in an agile environment

Whiteboards

Advantages• May get no suggestions for improvement• Little opportunity for any follow-up with users• Potential for non-focused comments

Disadvantages

• A laptop/ tablet or just paper and a pen• Coffee, Tea, or tasty beverage* (coffee shop or break

room)• A simple question(s) you want answered• No more than 5 minutes of someones time

Coffee Time

What do you need?

* search Drunk User Testing

Coffee Time

What do you do? • Setup in a corner table etc.• Have your laptop/ tablet or sketches out and

ready• Ask random people if you can buy their coffee

for 5 minutes of their time getting some feedback.

• Ask no more than 2-3 ‘non-leading’ questions and take note of their responses.

Coffee Time

• Fairly easy • Instant user feedback• User is present for follow up questions - Like

why? What about…?

Advantages• ‘Random’ people will have dynamically

different skill levels (This is not necessarily a bad thing.)

• Potentially quick turn-around• High Distraction level

Disadvantages

sketch boards

• Some Sharpies, post it notes• A small group (typically no more that 5 or so)• Some 6-up and 1-up templates*• 45 minutes to an hour• A moderator to take notes and manage time

boxes.

What do you need?

6-up template 1-up template

* PDF downloads at sparkhound.com/blog

sketch boards

6-up template 1-up template

What do you do? • Distribute the 6-up templates and begin the timebox.

• At the conclusion of the timbebox, each user should present their 6-up explaining their choices.

• Repeat the process with the 1-up template.

sketch boards

6-up template 1-up template

• Allows the users to feel like they are part of the process

• Gets early ‘buy-in’ from users• Facilitates an open conversation that will

almost always provide new ideas.

Advantages• A bit more time consuming than the other

options• Works best at the front of an agile process

Disadvantages

online resources

usabilityhub.com

• Free (You gain credits by participating in other tests)

• Make your own OR use one of 9 ‘templates’• Tablet and phone versions available

usability.gov

• Free • Over 60 Testing Documents and Templates• How to’s, Best Practices…

Thank You.SharePoint TechFest Houston

Guerilla Usability Testing

James Thompsonsparkhound User Experience designer

@pixelneer

@sparkhound