April 2006
Chapter Business
As the newly elected president, Chris welcomed everyone who made it out to Maynard and found the appropriate building. He then introduced the newly elected board members, reminded folks about the upcoming May meeting at MITRE, and as usual allowed job seekers and posters to say a few words.
Presentation
The Monster usability team wanted to get their organization to understand usability and why the team is there. While co-workers may have had exposure to the team in the past, over time they began to develop their own ideas about what the team did (mostly end-of-cycle usability testing). The usability team wanted to communicate that they have much to offer at the beginning of the development cycle, particularly around user/customer data, requirements gathering, etc., and that working together would be beneficial for everyone. So they created a presentation that they tailor slightly for different audiences inside Monster.
Originally usability testing at Monster was outsourced, which was problematic because co-workers did not understand what the usability team did off site. To make usability a more open and collaborative process, Monster built their own "Usability Studio" (which attendees got a tour of after the presentation). The Studio is three impressive rooms filled with the necessary video/audio equipment.
The Monster usability team then proceeded to speak to attendees as if they were a target audience for the presentation, explaining what usability is and how it applies to all sorts of things people use. They explained why their co-workers should care about putting the user at the center of the development process: it’s widely recognized that products need to be built and sold, but a third piece is missing—users need to be able to find and use it for it to be worth something. Users ought to be involved every step of the way to help prevent errors found during usability testing.
The Monster usability team talked about how they use personas to help them identify tasks and participants for usability tests and to make other design decisions. (Monster hangs their personas and other artifacts on the walls for everyone to see.) The audience was then taken through a description of various tools that the usability team can employ early in a design process, such as field studies, card sorting, task analysis, interactive design, and paper prototyping. A discussion about how to identify the right problem followed, using an example of a deli and corned beef. (You had to be there.)
The Monster usability team explained how at this point in the presentation the level of enthusiasm from their audience grows, and they typically want to know whether the usability team can help them and/or train some of their folks to use these techniques. The presentations they give are not "death by Power Point" but are generally interactive and engaging. In particular, their last slide is targeted specifically at the group they are speaking to, and the example they showed us was for their customer training team, who may not have originally realized how the information they are already privy to could be valuable to usability. There are parts of other people’s jobs that overlap with usability and we should strive to help each other. The more avenues a usability team gets information from, the more traction they will have.
At Monster, people live and breathe metrics. Showing qualitative usability data is often more powerful because it shows not just the "what", but the "why".
Questions
Q: What are the pros and cons of having a separate room for observers?
A: Pros: soundproof, people come/go without interruptions. It’s a collaborative area for the Monster community.
Cons: no place to put observers when do a focus group.
Q: Does Monster have problems recruiting usability test participants?
A: Absolutely. Job seekers are easier, but customers are typically busy. They’re working on a partner program and other ways (remote tests, site visits, etc.) that might help.
Q: How do you get folks to recognize that they should bring usability in early in the process?
A: Get designers involved early when product managers are writing requirements and review the requirements. Form bonds with people over time and try to make the process more collaborative. When people are reviewing the process, push usability there. This has been a 5-6 year struggle.
Q: Can you give more examples of your grassroots efforts / usability evangelizing?
A: Because of reorganizations, Kristina got bounced around and got to know several VPs. When you see people’s doors open, and they vaguely know what you do, attempt to clarify/reset expectations. When you sell people on the idea they’ll become evangelists for you. The best selling factor is the final resuls (i.e. the work). Pitch the UCD activity in terms of what they need help with, and what you’ve seen happen (big issues). Ask questions to get people to come to the same conclusions you have so you’re not preaching and they understand how to get there. Ask for a seat at the table, and don’t be too tough or too lose. Find ways to be helpful to the project overall, so you’ll be asked back and can do more later. Know when to concede.
Q: How do you publish your research?
A: It depends on the turn around time and the audience. For quick turn around times they do collaborative sessions. If they have more time and the group they’re reporting to trusts them, they do a power point. If that has to go out to an external customer, they follow up with a formal report. They also do newsletters with links to all their reports and raw data. The goal is to be convincing and connect to the audience. They have templates but they pick and choose. The first time they may need to build trust and include substantiating information. They do whatever will motivate their audience.
Q: Are you asked to provide quantitative metrics over time?
A: Not yet, but they’re trying to track. Rich qualitative data is most helpful, and it may be more helpful as one looks back over the changes.
Q: How do the usability team’s services get accounted for?
A: Monster pays for most of their work unless it’s a subsidiary needing the work, in which case they’re charged. Usability comes out of the product and marketing budget. They keep track of what they do each year and project out to the next year.
Q: Is the priority monster.com or do you also work on internal applications?
A: Mostly Monster.com, though they’ve dabbled in some internal applications. Internal stuff is more political, and it’s a balancing act. You have to find out where time is most needed.
Q: Does the interchanging of "usability" versus "user centered design" ever confuse your audience?
A: "Usability" has been described as both the quality a site exhibits and the team. People don’t seem to have much trouble with that. But the presentation is to get people thinking about more than the team. Monster has many terminology issues throughout the company, as groups got reorganized old names stuck. Of particular issue: "user experience, "creative / design", "customer experience". Many are legacy from reorganizations and make it difficult.
Q: The presenters asked the audience what techniques they might have overlooked.
A: Surveys. If these are someone else’s territory it might be a good way to form an alliance. Offer to make suggestions to help both groups be more effective.
Q: Have they done any remote usability testing?
A: With employers yes, but while it’s easier to get participants there are other technical issues that make it more difficult.
Q: Any last words of advice?
A: Recognize yourselves as consultants wherever you are. Look at everyone as a client. Ask people to contribute and give thoughts in debriefing sessions. Have open houses with mock usability tests, create brochures about what you do and how to contact the usability team, hold raffles, etc.