Research Plans & Scenarios

Each of my research plans are tailored to the project that they are created to support. I develop them by communicating with the team and assessing their needs. I refine them by going back to the team and making sure that all this research will serve their needs.

These were all real projects, however, all of the confidential information has been taken out of the examples.

Bank (financial institution) Research Test Plan

Research Plan

Savings Redesign

(This is similar to studies I have performed. Please note this is incomplete as it is an example.)

Background

The outdated savings site was replaced by a new savings site. Fewer people opened new savings account the month after it replaced the old version. It is unclear why the redesigned version didn’t do as well as the outdated site. There are suspected usability issues that may prevent site visitors from opening a new savings account.

Hypothesis

The original version had an "open an account" button next to the A, B and C accounts. This encouraged users to open new accounts.

Goal

To discover design elements and usability issues that may be impacting users’ willingness to open a new savings account.

Basics

What: A usability study to test the features of the savings site redesign
Where: In-person – within the local usability lab
Why: To discover problematic elements that cause usability issues
When: Nov. 7th
How many? 10 participants

Details/Remarks

None

Methods

Moderated usability study in the usability lab
Include both behavioral and attitudinal elements
Tasks will assess both behavior and the participants' perception of the savings site
The study will include 5-10 tasks focusing on behavior and/or perception

Screener

There will be a mix of ages: men and women
They must bank online or use an app
They must plan to get a savings account

Success Metrics

If they are able to successfully start the process to get a savings account
If they are able to do it quickly

Schedule

October 23: Start recruit

October 30: Create a draft research plan

November 1: Kick-off meeting

November 2: Moderator guide draft

November 5: Finalize moderator guide

November 7: Testing day 1

November 8: Testing day 2

November 10: Preliminary report/ teaser report

November 20: Full report

TEST GUIDE

Task 1

Tasks area: The page as a whole

Question: Imagine you were looking to open a new savings account. Where would you go to start the process?

Goal of Question: To determine if users start down the correct path.

Success or fail metrics: N/A

Follow up 1: N/A

Go Directly To:

Sustainability Research Test Plan

Usability Test Plan - DRAFT

Project Focus

The sustainability page and the sustainability report page

Contacts

Stakeholders: Joe Brown <joe.brown@ email.com>

Researcher: Elysia Wells <Ely.Wells@ email.com>

Additional Contacts

Jane Does <jane.doe@ email.com>

Type of study

Summative (review of the live pages)

Background

This is a brief summary of what work has been done.

Study Objectives

What do we hope to learn from the study?

Methodology

An unmoderated or moderated usability study will be done with 20 participants. This study will be done using Userzoom or with agency X.

Qualitative data will be used as a base, and whatever other information is needed.

Participant

Define who will be part of this study.

Key Research Questions/Hypotheses

Notes

URL’s

for the test url’s

Health Care Research Test Plan

Stakeholder: Arthur Darvill

Product Owners: Karen Gillan

UX Designers: Billie Piper, Alex Kingston

UI Designers: Christopher Eccleston

Researcher: Elysia Wells

Additional Contacts: Matt Smith, David Tennant

SCOPE

This test will cover the work of multiple work-streams within the Care program. This will cover the new unauthenticated experiences. It will include multiple areas of unauthenticated experience, including finding a health care provider, navigating the hospital's website, and general health care website. It will not cover the authenticated experience.

Background

This care program links the work of multiple teams together. The entire project is a quilt of different efforts by different groups stitched together. Due to various constraints, not all of the pages involved in project were tested. This project is an opportunity to catch things that were not previously tested as well as to test flows that involve the work of multiple groups. Accessibility of some components was tested but general accessibility usability was not tested. This test will include a provision to tests with people who use screen readers and potentially other accessibility tools for this reason.

Why

(Study Objectives)

To test flows from the entry point, where the user enters our site until the user is able to confirm an appointment. There are three primary flows that need to be tested: 'Doctors flow,' 'Authentication flow,' and 'Services flow.'

To figure out if the process of finding a doctor and making an appointment is understandable to the user, if the user understands how to complete each step, if the user is frustrated by the length, if the user is likely to give up midway through the process, if the user is confident in what they are doing, if the user can accurately tell if he or she made an appointment.

What

(Research Questions)

· Are users able to enter through the homepage and successfully schedule a (shop-able) appointment?

· Are users able to log in and successfully find a doctor they like?

· Do users understand that the main site and the hospital sites belong together?

(Is the brand message coming through?)

· Are users able to get between the sites successfully?

· Are users able to enter through the location page and successfully schedule a

(shop-able) appointment?

Who

(Participants)

General population and screen reader users: 5 mobile gen pop participants, 5 desktop gen pop participants, 2 gen pop floaters.

5 mobile screen reader participants, 5 desktop screen reader participants, 2 screen reader floaters.

How

(Methodology)

In-Lab (focus group style) 60 minute session usability test run at a 3rd party site. There will be one moderator and multiple notetakers.

What (URL, Prototype or Item to be tested)

A fully function prototype

Cost

24 participants

$80 per participant

$2,000 total

When

(Timeline)

The timeline is currently in flux and needs to be decided and validated by project teams.

DRAFT Test plan agreed upon

Sept

Test Plan Finalized

Sept

Mod Guild Built

Oct

Contact Testing Space/ Budget

Oct

Recruit users

Oct

Conducting research (2-3 days)

Nov

Analysis & results report

Nov

Findings share out

Nov

Tasks

(Test Scenarios)

1. Imagine you need to make your yearly appointment for a skin biopsy, you have had this kind of biopsy done many times before but haven’t done it online.

2. Imagine your family has a history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. You have recently gained a few pounds and you are worried about your overall health. You want to get a general health screening.

3. Imagine you think you are expecting. You need to go the doctor’s office for the first time to confirm that you are pregnant.

4. Imagine you have been feeling anxious. You recently have gone through a lot of life changes and you think it might be a good idea to see a therapist.

Pre-task Questions

Have you made a doctor’s appointment online before?

What region do you live in?

Post-task Questions

Was there anything strange or confusing about this site?

Scenario for Usability Tasks

Scenarios

Imagine that your friend wants to work at a company that has programs for veterans. You think this company might have some sort of special programs for people who were in the military. Where would you go to find that information?

Imagine that you have done a lot of volunteer work. You would like to work with a company that supports nonprofits and rewards volunteer work. Where would you go to find that information?

Imagine you’re a nurse. You are in charge of the supplies at a hospital. You want to find out more information about new medical technologies that can be used at your work. You found this online science magazine. You want to see if they have a story about new medical technology. Find articles that are relevant to the medical field.

Imagine you are an education. You are starting a course on sustainability and you want to find articles about a new green technology. You plan to use the articles in coursework. You have found this online magazine. Look for articles on sustainability.

My Roles as a Researcher

My Roles

• Moderator: As a moderator, I lead the usability sessions and interact with the participants. I endeavor not to bias my participants by being a neutral presence while still keeping the participant at ease.

• Notetaker: Often when I am not moderating the sessions I am taking notes. In this role I act as a filter, not a transcriber, where I record relevant participant actions and comments.

• Lead Researcher: The duties of a lead researcher start long before any participants arrive. I first find out what problems the team needs to solve for. After I determine what needs to be focused on, I create research plans, and review plans with the team. As a lead, I am in charge of setting up recruiting, and lab studies. I am also in charge of creating contingency plans, course corrections, and making sure the study goes off as smoothly as possible.

• Analyst: After the study, the data has to be analyzed and reported. I spend time understanding the data and then have a discussion with the team or create a formal report.

Notes for Notetakers

The Notetaker's Do's and Don'ts Guide

(I wrote this guide to better help observers take notes for me and my team)

Taking good user research notes is not always easy. Here are a few "Dos and Dont's" to help you along.

Do capture the user actions more than the user's words. A good notetaker focuses on what people do, and less on what they say. Recording quotes can be helpful later on but quotes are only used to support the observations of the user's action.

Don't be a historian, do be a filter. As a notetaker you are not trying to record everything. You want to record the participants (users) actions that are relevant to the design, not what is going on in the room. Good Example: P clicks on blue bottom and then clicks on "settings. Bad example: The participant looks at her phone. The participant clicks on the setting. button, and then asks for some water.

Do write down the time when you can. The moderator may need to go back and look at the

video if the session is being recorded, and capturing times helps when the researcher is

reviewing the session. It also helps the design team if they need to review a recording

Do not try to write in full sentences, and use abbreviations. You also don't need to worry about grammar or spelling. You can always go back and clean up your notes later, it is important to get the data in the moment. Good example: P clicks on settings. P pauses and clicks the back button. Bad example: The participant looks at her phone. The participant clicks on the settings button, and then she looks at the moderator. The participant drinks some water sits there for a moment and then clicks back.

Don't use "it." Use a descriptive noun instead. Good example: P clicked on "Settings" Bad

example: P clicked on it.

Do try to ignore the moderator in your notes. The moderator has a script and says roughly the same thing each session. What we want to know is what the user is doing not what the moderator is doing.

Don't worry about it being perfect. You are helping the user researchers by taking notes and we don't expect you to be a pro. Even a full-time researcher does not capture everything. What you are doing will be helpful even if you don't get everything.

Thank you for taking the time to help the user research team on this project.

Healthcare Moderator Guide

Moderator Guides

Mod Guide - DRAFT

Setup

A: http://sample.invisionapp.com/sample1

B: http://sample.invisionapp.com/sample2

Intro

Hi, my name is [name]. Thank you for agreeing to help us with research today. Before we begin, I’m going to start by asking you a few introductory questions.

Thank you for agreeing to help us today. Before we begin, I’m going to start by asking you a few introductory questions. I’m an independent researcher. I didn’t design or create this site, so there is nothing you can say that will hurt my feelings.

You will be using a test version of the website. You may be asked to make up fake information or use information I provide you complete some of the steps.

I am not evaluating you, you have nothing to fear. There aren’t any right or wrong answers. Please give me your honest feedback. Please do what you would normally do if I wasn’t here.

As you are working, please think out loud. I can’t read your mind. Please just say what you are seeing and feeling. If you are reading something on the screen, please read it aloud.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

Question

Have you ever made an appointment online before?

If yes) Did you encounter any problems?

If no) Would you be willing to in the future?

TASK 1:

Scenario

Imagine you are interested in visiting a health partners location but you don't care which one. Your work and errands take you all over the place. You don't want to use your current location because you don't necessarily need to see a doctor close to your current location.

Questions

Find a location that would work for you.

Happy path:

Care landing page → (location button) → X →

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate

¨ Completed all

¨ Completed most

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Missed a lot of aspects

¨ Failed

Post Task Question

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

TASK 2:

Scenario

Imagine you are new to the twin cities and only have a vague idea where everything is. You would like to see a list of health partners locations to see what your options are.

Questions

Find a list of locations.

Happy path:

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate:

¨ Completed all

¨ Completed most

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Missed a lot of aspects

¨ Failed

Post Task Question

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

TASK 3:

Scenario

Imagine you are interested in making an appointment to get a flu shot at a health partners clinic location. You want to find something close to home. You really don't want to travel more than 15 minutes away.

Questions:

Find a location that would work for you.

Happy path:

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate:

¨ Completed all

¨ Completed most

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Missed a lot of aspects

¨ Failed

Post Task Question:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

TASK 4:

Scenario:

Imagine you have been feeling anxious. You recently have gone through a lot of life changes and you think it might be a good idea to see a therapist. You want to learn a little bit more about the mental health services offered, and you also want to find a therapist who would be a good fit for you.

Questions:

Find something that would work for you.

Happy path:

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate:

¨ Completed all

¨ Completed most

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Missed a lot of aspects

¨ Failed

Post Task Question:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

Post test questions

Sus

1. I think that I would like to use this site frequently. Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

2. I found the site unnecessarily complex. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

3. I thought the site was easy to use. Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

4. I think that I would need the support of a technical person to be able to use this site. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

5. I found the various functions (like the filters, buttons, and forms) in this site were well integrated. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

6. I thought there was too much inconsistency in this site. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

7. I would imagine that most people would learn to use this site very quickly. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

8. I found the site very cumbersome to use. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

9. I felt very confident using the site. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

10. I needed to learn a lot of things before I could get going with this site. - Strongly Disagree 1 - Strongly Agree 5

Was there anything that was confusing or “weird” about this site?

Just one last question, is there anything else you would like to add or mention?

Conclusion

Thank you so much for taking the time to come today. Your feedback will help us!

You will be receiving your compensation in an email in the next week.

Shopping Moderator Guide

Moderators’ Guide

URL: shopping website

Introduction

Hi, my name is Elysia. Thank you for agreeing to help us with research today.

I’m an independent researcher. I didn’t design or create this site, so there is nothing you can say that will hurt my feelings.

You will not be asked to complete any transactions today, nor will you be asked for any personal information. I will be asking you to find products and add them to a shopping cart, and you will stop the task there.

I am not evaluating you, you have nothing to fear. There aren’t any right or wrong answers. Please give me your honest feedback. Please do what you would normally do if I wasn’t here.

As you are working, please think out loud. I can’t read your mind. Please just say what you are seeing and feeling. If you are reading something on the screen, please read it aloud.

Today I am going to ask you to do 4 tasks on this shopping website.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question

When was the last time you brought something online? Can you describe that experience? Did you have any problems?

Please go to the shopping website to start.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

TASK 1:

Scenario

Imagine you are looking for a gift. You want to buy your friend a blue tie for his birthday. You don’t want to spend more than 25 dollars. Without using a search, find a blue tie for a reasonable price. When you find a blue tie you like add it to your shopping cart.

Happy Path: Clothing > Men’s Accessories < men’s Ties & Handkerchiefs

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate:

¨ Completed all

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Failed

---------------------------------------

Post Task Question

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

---------------------------------------

TASK 2:

Scenario

Imagine you joined an adventure group and are going on a trip. You are looking for some good quality hiking boots your size. Without using search, find hiking boots that you think would work. When you find a blue tie you like add it to your shopping cart.

Happy Path: Sports > Camping & Hiking > Hiking > Woman’s hiking boots or Home > Shoes > Men’s Shoes > Men’s Boots

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate:

¨ Completed all

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Failed

---------------------------------------

Post Task Question

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

---------------------------------------

TASK 3:

Scenario

Imagine you want to buy some flannel pajama pants. You want to find some that look warm and comfortable. Without using search, find some pajamas in your size. Add the pants to your shopping cart.

Happy Path: Clothing > Woman’s Pajamas or Men’s Pajamas

User path:

Observations/Notes:

Completion Rate:

¨ Completed all

¨ Missed some aspects

¨ Failed

---------------------------------------

Post Task Question:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy or difficult did you find that task? 1 being very easy, and 10 being very hard.

---------------------------------------

TASK 4:

Scenario:

Imagine you are interested in finding a t-shirt with your favorite professional sports team on it. Find one in your size without using the search. Add the shirt to your cart.

Happy Path: Home > Fitness & Sports > Fan Shop > Team Apparel > Woman’s Team Apparel or Men’s Team Apparel