Ellen Beldner

Basic technique Qualitative discount usability studies. I'd phone the participant at the designated time and walk them through the process of getting GoToMeeting hooked up. I used to try to get them to call in on the official GoToMeeting line so we could record audio, but honestly it was usually too much of a pain in the ass. I didn't even bother trying to get them to use their computer's audio: Yeah, how many people have a microphone and headphone set up with their machine? Not many, and I didn't want that to become a screening criteria. Participant recruiting Hagen...

I'm assuming that you're already sold on the basic premise of why one ought to observe members of one's target market using one's software. Personally I drank the user-centered design Kool-Aid at CMU in the late 90s. The biggest problems I've dealt with in my career aren't about "You should watch users and fix the problems they have!" Mostly I run in to logistical issues. How do you execute the different types of data collection that you need for a clear and accurate picture of user behavior? How do you track those findings and use them to inform actual product...