The Ethics in UX Testing

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User experience (UX) designers are responsible for human interactions and with this comes a good deal of influence and responsibility.

One essential phase of UX design is the user testing phase.  Testing provides critical user data which informs UX designers of the viability and usability of their products.  Although UX testing is critical a UX designer must consult their moral compass and consider ethical guidelines when undertaking any testing.  Here are a few things to consider.

Is this test needed?

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Is this test necessary or appropriate?  Data from testing can pinpoint needed improvements.  However, not all prototypes are ready to be tested.  Before you subject a test group to the prototype consider whether you have iterated to a point where you need input.  UXPA Magazine’s article titled Should We Conduct this Usability Study?  suggests conducting a one-minute inspection before considering any UX test.  Testing should be delayed if a product is deemed to be likely to fail.  Deal with critical issues prior to any user testing initiation.

Is this User Group Inclusive?

When selecting test participants, the UX specialist needs to ensure that bias is avoided.  Does the test group match the user group?  Is the test group inclusive and diverse?  Facilitating a test which includes all ranges of the user group will ensure a full-spectrum analysis and provide data to ensure that deliverables are being developed from an inclusive and equitable perspective.  The Nielson Norman Group makes the case that only 5 subjects are necessary for an effective test.  Completing multiple studies through multiple iterations with small test groups will lead to a more improved outcome.  But let’s make sure these tests include diverse subjects to ensure the equity and the usability of the final outcome.

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What about privacy?

User testing subjects are putting a lot of faith in UX specialist to protect them and their information.  All testing needs to include some level of informed consent as well as assurances of respect, privacy and confidentiality.  Interactive Design Foundation  asks a few pointed questions to UX designers in their article about ethical and legal guidelines for freelancers. "How will you collect, use and store data?" As well as, "How will you protect data once collected?"  Putting practices in place to ensure data is either protected or anonymized is crucial in the digital sphere.

Be honest with the data!

Data from testing is gold.  Be diligent and ensure that all of the test results are given equal weight and equal priority.  Bias is tricky.  Bias in the sample group or bias in data reporting can lead to skewed results.  As usertesting.com points out, biases can subconsciously lead researchers to lean towards data which supports their hypothesis.  Proactively plan for this by identifying assumptions prior to testing.  Knowledge of these assumptions will allow you to compare and contrast raw data with your assumptions during the testing process.

Do No Harm.

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Just as a doctor might take a Hippocratic oath so must a UX tester be sure that any prototype testing will do no harm.  Ensuring inclusivity in test subjects is important but also ensuring the test will not be overly taxing or cause undue stress is important.   Including subjects with accessibility issues is important but ensuring that all testing will not cause exhaustion or harm is also necessary.  UXPA magazine discussed this very issue in an article about the user testing of a two-button switch.  The switch was designed to be used by people with dexterity issues.  Planning showed that the testing process would be extensive and laborious.  When confronted with this issue the researchers realized this testing could actually lead to extreme fatigue and possibly lasting physical discomfort for the test subject.  Ultimately, the researchers realized they would not be able to perform a thorough test.  
Realizing a test can not be performed without causing harm needs to cue the UX designers to find alternative solutions, to both the product and the test.

Wrap up.

UX testing can be as simple as a low-fidelity paper template or as extensive as a high-fidelity highly interactive interface.  The format used to deliver the test is not important.  The important thing to remember is that each test subject is a person.  The people that participate in research deserve respect and protection.   Recommendations vary as to who to include and when and how to proceed with testing but, in a society that is striving for equity, we need to remember that we should not plan for equity after the fact.  Equity needs to be top of mind during the design and testing phases to ensure that accommodations are not necessary after the fact.   Even if you are only testing with five users be sure to include a diverse and broad selection of users.  Your data will thank you.

One last tidbit, here is a link to a UX code of conduct!

Networking is Hard

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I attended a MeetUp networking event tonight hosted by Girl Geeks TO.  The topic of the Meetup was Female FoundersPanel: Got What It Takes to be an Entrepreneur?

The event was inspiring on many levels.

The panel of 4 women were an intelligent and introspective group who all came to entrepreneurship from different paths and backgrounds.

The discussion focused on inspiration, courage, partnering, funding, failure, success and the female voice in start-ups.  The discussion was very informative and as I said earlier inspiring.  My take away is to make sure whatever it is you are doing makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning.  The path may not be easy but if you are excited it will keep you going.

Lily Tse, founder & CEO of Think Dirty caught my attention when she mentioned a quick exercise to find your path.  Imagine a blank business card in front of you, what do you want to see written on that card?  What title does it say?  What organization or company is written there?  That made me pause.

Another stand out moment for me was listening to Nancy Peterson Founder & CEO of Homestars.com speak about a failed attempt to launch an app for client and business connection.  The description of their process was an exact description of a non-user centric design.  The build was huge, took forever and cost millions.  Ultimately, the product failed and eventually they followed the user needs and wants and for much less money and in much less time created a product which worked.

The event was really enjoyable but walking away I felt maybe I had failed.  I did not reach out to speak with anyone new, I did not network.  My save came on my way out.  I decided to take the stairs down.  I met an interesting woman one floor down and we talked as we walked.  She also comes from a fine arts background and has meandered her way to tech as I have.  Meeting this woman made me realize that it is possible to talk with someone you do not know and find common ground very quickly.  My goal now is to get out to another event and force myself to speak with at least two new people ( I need to start small!). 

Buliding empathy with Instagram Stories

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The Pitch

Many social media platforms are now offering new posting options such as ‘Stories’ or ‘social videos’.   Instagram ‘Stories’, for example, function differently than the regular feed.  Stories appear at the top of the feed on your follower’s page, visibility is controllable and stories disappear after 24 hours.  By creating ‘Stories’ for Instagram a not-for-profit can create content that evokes empathy, promotes their vision, highlights their cause and engages their volunteers and donors (both existing and potential).

Business Cases

Instagram Stories is new, and because it is new it is currently under-used.  A well-planned, well-targeted, engaging campaign will build a following for all the right reasons, potentially gaining traction quite quickly.  Here are four business case uses to consider:

• Promotions – Stories are a unique opportunity to create a ‘call to action’.  Sending out a promotion via stories gives you the opportunity to ask your followers to act.  Share with 3 people, upload their own video, tag a friend! 
• Highlight Events - Event coverage can quickly fill up a feed.  Following an event through multiple phases can be exciting and engaging but it is also limiting.  Utilizing ‘Stories’ creates a narrative around the event.  Daily ‘stories’ about the lead up to an event and targeted ‘stories’ during the event will provide a narrative for followers without crowding out all other content.  The regular feed can be updated with key moment ‘photos’ but the ‘stories’ will be a hands on, in the action, play-by-play of the event.  Potentially, the stories will promote volunteer and donor involvement in future events.
• Keeping the Account Active – Lack of posts equal lack of followers.  To stay top of mind stay engaged.  ‘Stories’ pop up at the top of the feed of followers so capitalize on this to ensure you are being seen by followers on a regular basis.  Stories are short lived content but done well they will drive people to view the regular feed content.
• Show the Human Side – Shape the brand, even a not-for-profit is a brand.   Show the human side of the organization.  Stories about volunteers and the work they do, about clients and the impact on their lives, about donors and what brought them to donate will all support the intent of showing what you do and your cause.

With every new development and every new feature comes a list of pros and cons.

Pros

• The target demographic - The largest demographic of Instagram users are young and female.   Known as a group of influential buyers this younger demographic of consumers tend to support brands they feel are promoting or sponsoring social responsibility.   Brand donors will view following and partnering with your organization as a ‘good will’ marketing opportunity.
• Reveal the human side of the organization - Behind the scenes of the branded image is a group of volunteers and people doing great things.  Instagram stories will allow you to have two ‘threads’ of content within their social media platform.  The curated images of the regular feed will tell followers about your vision and your cause.  The stories thread will bring the human touch to the organization by revealing the people behind the cause, the dedicated volunteers and the staff.
• Opportunity to test content with readers - See in real time who is viewing their content and how often.  Gauge reaction to campaign ideas without committing to permanent content.
• More discoverability – Use targeted hashtags and geotags to ensure the story is discoverable and searchable.

Cons

• Content disappears after 24 hours - Yes, this is both a pro and a con.  If posts are driving users to your feed and the post is no longer there to be found the follower may be disappointed.
• Analytics and data are lost - The post disappears after 24 hours and so does the data.  Track the stories closely or you will not benefit from the data being generated.
• A successful campaign will send users to the  brand website - Success on social media will lead viewers to the website as the end point.  Without a strong website and clear messaging all of the traction and brand awareness built on social media will be lost.  Consider a thorough content audit of your brand website to ensure messaging and vision is consistent across all platforms.

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Best Business Practices

For every organization doing social media well there are dozens if not hundreds doing it poorly.  To stay on the right side of statistics follow a few best business practices.

• Be discoverable - Use a catchy hashtag that is consistent and discoverable.  The hashtags, tags or labels make the stories searchable.  Ensure all tags are relevant, consistent and broadly used. Include tags found in your donors' posts!
• Get followers excited – Create content that builds up to an event or build in actionable content.  Engage the followers in the campaign whenever possible.
• Share your campaign progress – Put the progress of the campaign right in the stories.  Post how many donations you have accumulated or how many volunteers have signed up or how much money has been raised.
• Thank donors – Always remember to thank your donors, volunteers and followers for their support.  Include your thanks right in the story!  Use the stories as a chance to connect with your donors, tag your donors directly so that they can easily find a thank you post and like or follow you in return!
• Make it easy – when creating a campaign make sure that followers can easily understand what you want them to do; create a story of their own or use your hashtag and tag 3 people to do the same.

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Summary

The takeaway, in order to build a presence and define yourself as a not-for-profit with vision, compassion and action be sure to make social media work for you.  Implementing a stories campaign and following a social media posting schedule will keep your organization top of mind and draw followers to your cause.  Make sure to fill the screen!

A Migraine Sufferer's Pain . Accommodating needs need not be pricey.

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Coming from a family of migraine sufferers the idea of a workplace which might accommodate this condition is long overdue.  

Typically, the issues which arise for migraine sufferers fall into a few categories: 

• trigger avoidance
• multiple sick days
• believability

Contrary to what some think, migraine sufferers do not actually want to take multiple days off.  Most of the migraine sufferers I know will push through and try to stay at work or continue coming in to work as long as they can, sometimes to the detriment of their health, in order not to be seen as pulling a sick day.  Working through the pain can be agonizing and extremely difficult.

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As a team lead, given the opportunity to assist a migraine sufferer to make their work environment as trigger- free as possible and therefore more productive would help the employee to feel more recognized and valued.  Ensuring that the employee is recognized as a migraine sufferer by the employer and their team mates and that both the employer and the workers are aware of how migraine affects the employee will bring understanding and compassion to the workplace.

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Creating a trigger-free work place is the first step in accommodating the migraine sufferer.  Typical triggers include; strong smells or food smells, bright lights, loud sounds or multiple sounds competing all at once.  Every migraine sufferer has their own unique triggers.  Having a discussion with the sufferer to pinpoint their unique triggers would be a first step.

Other options include:

•       Providing screen dimmers.
•       Providing some method to control flow of sunlight.
•       Limiting extraneous noise in the workplace. 
•       Providing an office space away from the open plan environment for all employees who need a time out from the busy and noisy open plan space. 
•       Creating a scent free environment, no perfumes or colognes.
•       Limiting food in the workplace, particularly full meals as food smells can be an issue.
•       Encouraging multiple short breaks though out the day.  Get up and move time.

Even in an entirely trigger free environment migraines will still happen.  When this does happen the employer needs to show compassion and understanding.  The employee will be more valuable to them healthy.   If stress over missing work is not a factor the migraine episode may be less impactful for the sufferer and their return to full health will be easier.  Allowing for a flexible work schedule and work from home days are options to assist the sufferer feeling less pressure to ‘show up’ at all costs.

Here is a cute little infographic which gives you an idea of the differences between migraine and a regular headache.

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