Comparing two designs (or anything else!) using independent sample T-tests - Improving the User Experience through Practical Data Analytics - page 48

The La La ofices are housed in an old New England mill that has been repur-
posed for the new millennium; the clanking of enormous looms has been replaced
by the incessant click-clack of designers, programmers, IT specialists, marketers
and others pounding away at their computer keyboards, feverishly responding to the
pontiications that come from upper management. In the basement, young female
models—usually close to anorexic—are constantly photographed showcasing the
latest fashions that are featured on the Web site. The actual architecture of the ofice
is “dot-bomb chic”: exposed brick and beams, cube “pods” that ostensibly serve to
increase collaboration, comfy couches, and white boards covering nearly every wall,
covered with low charts, page designs, and random verbiage like “Key Takeaways”
accompanied by bulleted lists. There are lots of recreational opportunities as well:
foosball and ping-pong tables, pinball machines, and faux basketball hoops with
accompanying smurf balls. (Ironically, hardly any of La La's employees can avail
themselves of the recreational toys; they're all too busy working.)
Within a couple of days of your start date, you're able to determine the source
of the nervous energy that permeates the Creative Group: the rumor mill has it that
CEO Massimo Ranieri thinks the home page needs a complete revamp to increase the
“sophistication” factor of the brand—and he wants it fast.
As expected, Creative Director Kristen McCarthey calls a team meeting
to give out the marching orders. Thin, short-coiffed, over-caffeinated, with a
penchant for body piercings, McCarthey has been with “La La” for over 5 years,
and has been terrorizing her information architects, designers, researchers, and
front-end coders for just as long. Every directive is accompanied by patronizing
lectures that are laced with dot-bomb buzzwords: “eyeballs” needs to be “mon-
etized” to ind “synergies” in our “click and mortar” world where “push technolo-
gies” will decrease our “burn rate,” on and on. After studiously taking notes for
the irst couple of “status meetings,” you've given up copying down anything she
says, and simply wait for the designers and IAs to take turns updating the group
on what they've been working on.
But in this particular meeting, McCarthey has ratcheted up her game, berating
the entire group about the “astonishing ineptitude” of the Creative Group. “Massimo
is right,” she says, “our brand is about sophistication, but we're appealing to bargain
basement shoppers in our design!” She glares at the group, as her shrill voice bounces
off the exposed brick: “I'm giving you lightweights one more chance with this new
website design. Make it sophisticated, make it hip—and make it pop.” Grabbing her
iPad and latte , she heads out the door, but screams one last time: “And I want it by
the end of the week!”