Sessions at Interaction12 about User Testing

Wednesday 1st February 2012

• Gumshoe User Research

  by Sara Summers

  Calling all crafty, beguiling technologists! We might not always have budget or time for formal user testing, but don’t let that stop you. We’ll look at several quick and sneaky techniques for ‘on the fly’ research, and then put them to the test. We’re going to dive into ways to better our bedside manner to achieve more accurate, insightful results and increase our understanding of the users we hope to serve. We’ll become UX detectives. This will be an interactive, collaborative, get your hands dirty, workshop experience…No man is an Ireland.

  Outcomes/Goals:

  Grow your practical knowledge in observational research; better your awareness, empathy and emotional intelligence, while creating user research scenarios with peers. Participants will walk away with techniques to user test with limited resources and improved test accuracy by reading user verbal and nonverbal cues.

  Audience:This is for any designer, ux practitioner, product manager, developer or manager.

  • Interactive
  • User Research
  • User Testing

  At 9:00am to 12:00pm, Wednesday 1st February

Friday 3rd February 2012

• Your Users are Hobbits: How classic quests can inform your next design

  by Abi Jones

  In your head you've probably called your users a lot of names, but is ‘Hobbits’ one of them?

  Thinking about your users as Hobbits can help you frame the use of your website or application and help you put yourself in the user's shoes. Uh, except they’re hobbits, so they’re not wearing shoes.

  Thinking about your users Hobbits will help you by:

  Establishing a path through the application
  Creating a call to adventure (even if you work in online banking)
  Showing how to overcome Frodo's (ahem, a user's) refusal of the call
  Introducing a mentor (like Gandalf or Yoda)
  Helping users overcome an ordeal (ordering pizza online counts), and
  Returning as a changed person (ideally changed for the better).

  • User Research
  • User Testing

  At 2:15pm to 2:25pm, Friday 3rd February

  In Liffey B, The Convention Centre Dublin