Database Reference
In-Depth Information
The prototype is built so that it tests the most important issues of the design. (Lean UX
embodies the same philosophy: identify and test critical points early.) If the design is to
work on mobile devices, the prototype may be implemented as smartphone-sized cards to
test whether it can be useful in that size and in real life contexts. We test such designs with
people while they are on the go, not just in their homes or offices. If the product collects
and presents information, as many task support systems do, real content is developed and
embedded in the prototype so that users can experience having such content available at
the moment of need. This helps us test content tone, length, clarity, and structure.
A mockup interview is based on the principles of Contextual Inquiry described earlier:
We test with users in their
contexts
to keep them grounded in their real practices. Users
interact with the prototype by playing out their own activities within the mock-up manip-
ulating and modifying the prototype directly. The
partnership
is one of co-design: as the
user works with the prototype, performing a task they need to do or did in the recent past,
the user and designer uncover what works and delights—and they uncover problems and
adjust the prototype to fix them. Together the user and interviewer
interpret
what is going
on in the usage and come up with alternative designs. The overall
focus
of the interview
is to understand what works and what doesn't in the prototype—and whether there is per-
ceived value.
The team may decide to administer the Cool Metric as part of evaluating how they are
doing during each round of iteration. The Cool Metric is presented at the end of the inter-
view, after the user has experienced the product idea and so can give a meaningful score.
This measurement tool allows the team to get a quick read on their new design—how well
are they supporting the Cool Concepts? How much of an improvement is it? And where
is it weak so there are opportunities for improvement? The score points to strengths and
weaknesses to be addressed in the next round of redesign.
The context of the interview is designed to mimic as closely as possible the context of
realuse.Forexample,whenmakingnewinterfacesforautomobiles,oneteamputmockups
on the dashboard of the users' own car and played pre-recorded audio from an iPod and
mini speaker. In the test, they drove with users in their cars, imitating the verbal and visual
messages of the new system. In this way the design team saw the user's actual response
in their car while driving. They discussed the user's reaction with them and, co-designing,
determined the best way to communicate to a driver. In the same way, mockups for mobile
devices can be presented as cards on the target device itself, so designers can see how the
device affects user interaction.
After the design has been tested with four to six users (depending on the scope of the
project), the team redesigns to reflect the feedback. The Cool Metric score (if used) and
design principles from the Cool Concepts inform the redesign. Multiple rounds of mockup
interviews and iteration allow design and testing in increasing levels of detail. Over the
