Presentation by Sarah Weise at Digital Summit Denver June 16, 2015 Build better products, faster with these actionable, inventive techniques to help you amp up UX sessions with your team, customers, and stakeholders. Boost creativity and participation with activities inspired by lean UX, lean startup, agile coaching, express usability, design thinking and more. After a decade of experimenting with literally hundreds of hands-on activities for commercial and government clients, Sarah Weise will be sharing time-saving tricks for uncovering deep drivers and creating better experiences. Learn how to quickly and effectively identify, ideate and refine target audiences, business/site goals, top tasks, key differentiators, personas and more. Take these UX hacks back to your team tomorrow!

1. Sarah Weise, UX Director, Booz Allen Hamilton @weisesarah
Lean UX Secrets
UX Hacks to Build Better Experiences, Faster

2. I
want
to
tell
you
a
story
about
the
first
UX
project
I
ever
worked
on.
It
was
over
a
decade
ago,
and
it
lasted
a
full
year…

3. We
analyzed
customer
segments,
and
idenBfied
and
recruited
a
ton
of
users
in
each
of
those
segments.
We
made
sure
to
select
a
staBsBcally
significant
number
of
parBcipants
from
each
group
so
that
we
could
report
our
findings
with
scienBfic
precision
–
confidence
intervals
and
margin
of
error.
I
was
doing
t-­‐
tests
and
z-­‐tests
to
find
out
which
recommendaBons
should
go
in
Phase
I
versus
Phase
2.
I
even
remember
bringing
my
old
college
staBsBcs
textbook
to
work
with
me!

4. We
conducted
our
research
in
a
lab
with
a
two-­‐way
mirror.
We
filmed
the
test
parBcipants
and
went
back
and
watched
the
tests
mulBple
Bmes,
scruBnizing
facial
expressions
and
body
language.

5. By
the
end
of
the
year,
we
had
a
big
honkin’
report.
There
were
over
100
findings.
We
actually
had
tables
to
group
and
categorize
all
of
the
findings.
It
was
in
a
binder
like
this.
With
a
cover
page
slaved
over
by
a
graphic
designer.
This
was
my
first
UX
job,
and
at
the
Bme
I
was
so
proud
of
this
report.
It
was
massive.
It
showed
off
all
the
hard
work
we
did.

6. The best part…
Over
10
years
later,
their
website
is
largely
the
same.
Only
2-­‐3
recommendaBons
had
been
implemented
out
of
100+,
and
those
were
preRy
much
low
hanging
fruit.

7. This
process
stole
a
year
of
my
life.
Countless
billable
hours,
your
taxpayer
dollars,
painstaking
work,
meeBngs
and
staBsBcal
nonsense.
Are
you
familiar
with
this
heartbreak?

8. “The biggest lie in
software is Phase II.”
Jeff Gothelf

9. Over
a
decade
later,
the
organizaBon
re-­‐engaged
us.
Some
of
the
very
same
clients,
actually.
But
this
Bme,
our
process
was
lean.
In
under
a
month,
we
had
a
substanBally
beRer
product.
With
far
less
work
and
hassle.
Clients
parBcipated
in
the
process,
and
became
our
advocates.
It
leW
me
thinking…
Why
can’t
it
always
be
like
this?

10. PRIX FIXE MENU
Data Gathering :: choose one
Usability testing
Create scenarios based on top tasks, craft post-test survey, and conduct 6
hours worth of one-on-one usability testing*
Web survey
Create survey questions to solicit preference data and discover more
about target audiences*
Existing data trends
Evaluate existing data such as help desk tickets, web analytics, and/or
survey data
Focus group
Plan and lead 6 hours worth of focus group sessions*
Analysis :: choose one
Expert review
SME evaluation of select screens from a website or application
Visual evaluation
Analysis of branding strategy, colors, images, typography
Task analysis
Evaluate paths to streamline information architecture
Persuasion, emotion, trust evaluation
Evaluate how to more effectively move customers to take action
Stakeholder analysis
Based on a web survey, focus group, or existing data if available
Pattern analysis
Identify trends in existing data
Benchmark
Compare my site to my competitors’* Recruiting/scheduling not included
Presented in 2010 by Sarah Weise & Linna Ferguson, User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA)
Now
this
is
not
the
first
Bme
I’ve
asked
myself
this
quesBon.
In
fact,
I’ve
spent
my
career
trying
to
make
UX
as
simple
and
effecBve
as
possible.
5
years
ago,
Linna
and
I
even
coined
the
term
“Express
Usability”
at
a
UXPA
conference
in
Munich,
where
we
convinced
a
whole
bunch
of
people
to
implement
UX
strategies
in
just
1
week
with
a
fixed
price
menu
approach,
an
idea
that
came
to
us
aWer
drinking
heavily
at
a
fixed
price
restaurant.

11. PRIX FIXE MENU
Deliverable :: choose one
Recommendations report
Details top recommendations based on our analysis in a finding-rationale-recommendation format
Screen-by-screen findings report
Points out areas on each page that can be improved
Design concepts
Pair with the visual evaluation: two alternate design concepts
Information architecture recommendations
Navigational outline or flow chart detailing enhancements to organization and page flow
Wireframe(s)
Visually displays layout recommendations; interactive prototyping may be an option if time permits
Trend report
Pair with the pattern analysis or benchmark; couple with stakeholder analysis if data is available and time permits
Presented in 2010 by Sarah Weise & Linna Ferguson, User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA)

12. TOP UX HACKS
Time-saving, inventive techniques
1 Play Mad Libs
2 Personas (Lite But Deep)
3 Start with Heuristics
4 Quick & Dirty Usability Testing
5 Journey Mapping… Just Sketch It

13. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS

14. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
• There’s no dial-in number
Maximize human connection with pure attention and focus. 4 – 20 people.
• No phones, tablets, laptops
We have a short time with you. We have to focus!
• Goal is to generate a lot of ideas quickly
There are deadlines and timers for each activity.
• ELMO
Pretend your in an elevator. Talk quickly and stay on topic. Call ELMO.
Parking lot for off-topic ideas.
• We are not in the idea or ego squashing business
We succeed through a breadth of perspectives and concepts. Not just execs.
Step 1: Schedule a “Hands-On Strategy Session”

15. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
Step 2: Mad Libs
FOR: target customer
WHO NEEDS: services/features
UNLIKE: competitors/alternatives
WE ARE A: business type
WE PROVIDE: emotional benefit
WE STAND OUT BY: key differentiator

16. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
Step 3: Wall Voting
Retirees
Entrepreneurs
Lottery
Winners
Busy CEO’s

17. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
Step 3: Wall Voting
Retirees
Entrepreneurs
Lottery
Winners
Busy CEO’s

18. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
Step 3: Wall Voting
Retirees
Entrepreneurs
Lottery
Winners
Busy CEO’s
When
everyone
adds
their
votes,
which
ones
do
we
need
to
discuss?
VoBng
saves
Bme!

19. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
Step 4: Move popular stickies to top. Read vision statement across.

20. HACK 1 / PLAY MAD LIBS
Step 4: Move popular stickies to top. Read vision statement across. Write it out.

21. Why would a UX director tell me to start by
talking to internal staff (not users)?
In
my
opinion,
the
key
difference
between
Lean
UX
and
tradiBonal
UX
is
the
idea
that
UX
professionals
are
NOT
just
advocates
for
the
user.
In
Lean
UX,
we
work
to
understand
and
define
the
business
and
product
vision,
and
find
where
that
intersects
with
customer
needs.
Let’s
say
we
find
out
that
users
need
bicycles,
but
the
goal
of
the
business
is
to
sell
unicycles.
If
we
don’t
take
that
into
account,
we’re
going
to
be
fighBng
every
step
of
the
way,
and
our
recommendaBons
will
never
be
implemented.

22. HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)
Hashtags are big.
Let’s make sure there
are at least 4-5 on
our homepage.

23. HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)
When I was 10 my father had a heart
attack in front of me. From then I
vowed to be prepared if that situation
ever happened again.
- Bill Winters

24. HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)
Personas instantly create empathy
because it’s much easier for humans
to relate to other humans.

25. HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)
Have people create
personas in the
strategy session.
Instant empathy!
It’s much easier for
humans to relate to
other humans.

26. Hi! My name is…
Description
Goals & Needs
Tech Usage (laptop, tablet, phone, wearables, favorite apps…)
Picture (yes, draw it!)
Age / Gender:
Occupation:
Key Emotional Driver:

27. 1 page is more than enough
Bullets are great. Quickly state what resonates
(and what doesn’t) for a customer.
Role play
Stubborn exec or client? Have them role play. Ask
them to take on a persona and then ask a bunch of
questions.
Hack of a hack
Only have 10 mins? Give a team a half-started
persona and have them fill in the rest.
HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)

28. Can be visual
Check out what’s on Amy’s
work station!
HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)

29. Deepen with image-based
projective interviews
Want to see if your hypothesis is
right? Image-based projective
interviews identify deep feelings
behind behavior.
Talk about images
Ask participants to bring 10-15
images to the interview that reflect
how they feel about your product /
problem you are trying to solve.
HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)

30. FEAR
Of the unknown
For my life (helplessness)
For my health and body
For my family and kids
For my home.
For nature, environment, planet
PROTECTION
For loved ones, especially kids
ANGER
At the government
HACK 2 / PERSONAS (LITE BUT DEEP)

31. HACK 3 / START WITH HEURISTICS
For me, the site
might work better
with a search.
No shit.

32. There’s nothing worse than wasting your time with users validating
things you already know. Standards can be your friend.
Identify best practices
Don’t conduct user interviews until you’ve fixed the basics.
Focus on patterns
• Presentation – Especially first impressions
• Navigation – Information architecture, page flow
• Top Tasks – Findable, action-oriented
• Content – Value, structure, timeliness
HACK 3 / START WITH HEURISTICS

33. HACK 4 / QUICK & DIRTY USABILITY TESTING

34. Bare minimum “tools”
You can use a free screen share software like join.me, Google
Hangout or WebEx and the phone. You don’t need pricey tools.
Keep it small, then iterate!
You’ll see trends with just 3-5 users. Make a few key changes,
then test again with 3-5 users.
Forget unmoderated testing
Sounds tempting, but you’ll learn more qualitative data in less
time from just a couple moderated sessions.
You don’t need scenarios
If you don’t have time or aren’t sure what to ask, have users
walk you through what they generally do on the site.
Don’t wait.
Test wireframes or even sketches!
HACK 4 / QUICK & DIRTY USABILITY TESTING

35. HACK 5 / JOURNEY MAPPING… JUST SKETCH

36. HACK 5 / JOURNEY MAPPING… JUST SKETCH

37. 30+ screens to apply for a job???
We streamlined it to 9 screens on the
first pass using this technique.
HACK 5 / JOURNEY MAPPING… JUST SKETCH

38. TOP UX HACKS
Time-saving shortcuts to bring
back to your team
1 Play Mad Libs
2 Personas (Lite But Deep)
3 Start with Heuristics
4 Quick & Dirty Usability Testing
5 Journey Mapping… Just Sketch It

39. You now know new techniques
to build better experiences, faster

40. BUILD.
AWESOME.
THINGS.

41. Sarah Weise
@weisesarah
linkedin.com/in/sarahweise/
weise_sarah@bah.com
Slides from the full workshop
If you liked this, you might also
enjoy the 4-hour workshop version,
conducted at Digital Summit
conferences in 2014 – 2015.
Workshop slides >