The Science of UX - April 2012 Nerdery Interactive Primer

#UXNERDS
Monday, April 30, 2012

MATT TONAK
COMMUNITY MANAGER

#UXNERDS

ZACK
SENIOR USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
USER RESEARCH PRACTICE LEAD

#UXNERDS

MIKE
DIRECTOR OF USER EXPERIENCE

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE
¼ Using the questions panels in the GoToMeeting app
¼ On Twitter @The_Nerdery
¼ Send us an email at primers@nerdery.com

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THE SCIENCE OF
USER EXPERIENCE
INTERACTIVE PRIMER SERIES

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ART IS NOT DESIGN

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ART IS NOT DESIGN
NOT FOR US ANYWAY

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ART
AIMS TO
Body Level 1 ¼

Body Level 2 ¼

INSPIRE3
Body Level ¼

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DESIGN
¼ Body Level 1
¼ Body Level 2 SOLVES
¼ Body Level 3
PROBLEMS
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ART
IS
INTERPRETED

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DESIGN
IS
UNDERSTOOD

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES
There is no “one-size-fits-all”

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

Self Design

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

Self Design

Genius Design

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DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

Self Design

Genius Design

User-Centered Design

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SELF DESIGN
SOLVING YOUR OWN PROBLEM


SELF DESIGN

I know what I want for dinner.
Self Design is cooking for yourself.


SELF DESIGN

I know what I want for dinner.
Self Design is cooking for yourself.

Pretty simple.


GENIUS DESIGN
SOLVING A PROBLEM YOU’VE SOLVED BEFORE


GENIUS DESIGN

If I’ve made dinner for Mike
(or people like him) many
times before, I rely on my
domain specific experience
to cook dinner for Mike.


GENIUS DESIGN

If I’ve made dinner for Mike
(or people like him) many
times before, I rely on my
domain specific experience
to cook dinner for Mike.
I don’t actually cook for Mike. #justsayin’


GENIUS DESIGN
THERE’S A CATCH


GENIUS DESIGN
THERE’S A CATCH

Genius Design presupposes that
you originally did your research to
define the problem.


USER-CENTERED DESIGN
AKA: UX Design

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AKA: UX Design

A UX process starts with
understanding the problem

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Focuses on behavior, use, and context

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Focuses on behavior, use, and context

Building empathy

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HOLISTIC DESIGN:
FOCUSED ON PEOPLE

USER INFORMATION INTERACTION VISUAL
RESEARCH ARCHITECTURE DESIGN DESIGN

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HOLISTIC DESIGN:
FOCUSED ON PEOPLE


Where art occurs in design

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HOLISTIC DESIGN:
FOCUSED ON PEOPLE


INTERSECTION OF ART, DESIGN AND SCIENCE

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DESIGN SOLVES PROBLEMS

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NERDERY UX APPROACH
Throughly define the problem DEFINE THE “WHAT”

Build empathy with the audience LEARN THE “WHO”

Understand why it’s a problem UNDERSTAND THE “WHY”

Evaluate and execute the solution CRAFT THE “HOW”

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DEFINING THE “WHAT”
IMPORTANCE OF THOROUGHLY DEFINING THE PROBLEM



¼ Can’t appropriately solve an undefined problem




¼ Stated problems vs. actual problems





¼ Unable to measure success






¼ Measuring the wrong factors to success






¼ Measuring the wrong factors to success

¼ Can create tumbler effect of:

undefined problem incorrect solution intangible success


SCIENCE

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Science is a systematic enterprise that
builds and organizes knowledge in the form
of testable explanations and predictions
about the universe.

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SCIENTIFIC METHOD

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SCIENTIFIC METHOD
1. Define a question

2. Gather information and resources (observe)

3. Form an explanatory hypothesis

4. Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting data

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as
a starting point for new hypothesis

7. Publish results

8. Retest (frequently done by other scientists)

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SCIENTIFIC METHOD
1. Define a question


3. Form an explanatory hypothesis Iterations

4. Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting data

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as
a starting point for new hypothesis

7. Publish results

8. Retest (frequently done by other scientists)

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UX DESIGN METHOD
1. Define the problem


3. Form an explanatory hypothesis

4. Research and collect data

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions to inform design decisions

7. Document results

8. Measure design decisions

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UX DESIGN METHOD
1. Define the problem

2. Gather information and resources (observe) INJECTION OF
3. Form an explanatory hypothesis SCIENTIFIC
REASONING

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions to inform design decisions

7. Document results

8. Measure design decisions

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HUMAN LOGIC:
SCIENTIFIC REASONING

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HUMAN LOGIC:

How do we make design decisions?

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HUMAN LOGIC:


How do we define problems?

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HUMAN LOGIC:


How do we define problems?

How do we craft solutions?

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HUMAN LOGIC:

Deductive reasoning

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HUMAN LOGIC:

Deductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning

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HUMAN LOGIC:

Deductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning

Abductive reasoning

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HUMAN LOGIC:

Precondition

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HUMAN LOGIC:

Precondition

Rule

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HUMAN LOGIC:

Precondition

Rule

Conclusion

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DEDUCTIVE REASONING

¼ Determining the conclusion
¼ Precondition and rule “follows necessarily”
¼ Conclusion must be true where rule and precondition are

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DEDUCTIVE REASONING

1. Men are mortal.
2. Zack is a man.
3. Therefore, Zack is mortal.

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DEDUCTIVE REASONING
1. When our conversion rate on the checkout page is 5% or
less, our total revenue decreases.
2. Our conversion rate on the checkout page is less than 5%
3. Our total revenue has decreased.

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INDUCTIVE REASONING

¼ Uses probability to draw conclusion.
¼ Abstracts of observations from individual cases
¼ It’s possible that the conclusion is false.

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INDUCTIVE REASONING
Easier to read.
1. Small text is hard to read for most Harder to read.

people.
2. Most people can understand larger text.
3. Therefore, we can assume larger text
will be easier to read.

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INDUCTIVE REASONING

1. There were usability flaws every time we had
conversion rate of 5% or less on the checkout page.
2. Therefore, if conversion rate on the checkout page
is 5% or less, we have usability flaws.

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ABDUCTIVE REASONING

¼ Separation of facts within limited contexts.
¼ Precondition is related, but must be a reasonable
suggestion that the conclusion is true.

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ABDUCTIVE REASONING
1. I’ve seen people have a hard time reading small text.
2. Sometimes, people understand
a message better if it’s with a picture.
3. We can abduct, people may understand
our content better with pictures.

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ABDUCTIVE REASONING
1. I’ve seen conversion rate lower on websites with
usability flaws.
2. Sometimes, usability flaws are caused by unclear calls
to action.
3. We can abduct that clearer calls to action can improve
conversion rate.

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AND APPLIED LOGIC IN UX

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APPLIED LOGIC IN UX DESIGN
1. Define the problem DEDUCTIVE LOGIC


3. Form an explanatory hypothesis INDUCTIVE LOGIC

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions to INDUCTIVE &
inform design decisions ABDUCTIVE LOGIC
7. Document results

8. Measure design decisions DEDUCTIVE & INDUCTIVE LOGIC

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“When our conversion rate on the checkout page is 5% or
less, our total revenue decreases.”

“Our conversion rate on the checkout page is less than 5%”

“Our total revenue has decreased.”

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“When our conversion rate on the checkout page is 5% or
less, our total revenue decreases.”

“Our conversion rate on the checkout page is less than 5%”

“Our total revenue has decreased.”

Deductive logic for problem definition

#UXNERDS


“There were usability flaws every time we had conversion rate
of 5% or less on the checkout page.”

“Therefore, if conversion rate on the checkout page is 5% or
less, we have usability flaws.”

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“There were usability flaws every time we had conversion rate
of 5% or less on the checkout page.”

“Therefore, if conversion rate on the checkout page is 5% or
less, we have usability flaws.”

Inductive logic for hypothesis formation

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5. Analyze the data
INDUCTIVE &
6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions to inform ABDUCTIVE LOGIC
design decisions

“I’ve seen conversion rate lower on websites with usability flaws.”
“In our research and observations, we saw usability flaws caused by
unclear calls to action.”
“We can abduct that clearer calls to action can improve conversion rate.”

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5. Analyze the data
INDUCTIVE &
6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions to inform ABDUCTIVE LOGIC
design decisions

“I’ve seen conversion rate lower on websites with usability flaws.”
“In our research and observations, we saw usability flaws caused by
unclear calls to action.”
“We can abduct that clearer calls to action can improve conversion rate.”

Abductive logic for research data analysis and
informing design decisions
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“When we fixed our usability flaws, our conversion rate
increased to 10%, also increasing our total revenue.”

“We’ve fixed our usability flaws.”

“Therefore, our total revenue has increased.”

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“When we fixed our usability flaws, our conversion rate
increased to 10%, also increasing our total revenue.”

“We’ve fixed our usability flaws.”

“Therefore, our total revenue has increased.”

Deductive logic for design success measurement

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WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

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FINAL THOUGHTS

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FINAL THOUGHTS
UX Design and “Scientific-like” approach allows us to:

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FINAL THOUGHTS
UX Design and “Scientific-like” approach allows us to:

¼ Thoroughly define the problem
¼ Learn how to make informed design decisions
¼ Articulate our reasoning for design decisions
and features
¼ Reduce risk and strengthen chance for success
¼ Measure ROI of design (even against KPIs)

#UXNERDS

We’re using scientific methods, logic and
reasoning, applied to creative process in
order to solve problems through design.

#UXNERDS

THANKS

#UXNERDS

QUESTIONS?
¼ Using the questions panels in the GoToMeeting app
¼ On Twitter @The_Nerdery
¼ Tweet with the #uxnerds hashtag
¼ Send us an email at primers@nerdery.com
¼ More answers online at http://nerdery.com

#UXNERDS

The Science of UX - April 2012 Nerdery Interactive Primer

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