When it comes to create and deliver the best features for target users, usability discussions can go on endlessly. But there are other features to implement in the release, and at some point, this new release must be shipped. So how to make sure you have achieved the minimum usability to avoid rejection.. and even foster adoption? What does it take to make your assessment and reduce the risk of any further negotiation? This is what this talk intends to provide - an explanation of a method and a team-spirit to adopt.

1. Non-Negotiable Usability
We’re not the same,
but we’re One
Nathalie Cotté
@NathErgo38
nathalie.cotte@bonitasoft.com

2. Agenda
• Why such a radical concept
– May identify with some situations
• Non-negotiable usability
– Hopefully learn something to take away
• A Goal
• A Team
• A Checklist
• A Process
• A Toolbox
3

3. Introduction
4

4. Introduction
So important to know whom we interact with
• Audience first
Raise your hand if you’re:
– Not front-end/UI developer
– Usability person
– Used to working with a
usability person
– Used to working with users
5

5. Introduction
So important to know whom we interact with
• Usability person
1998 2001 2003 20162013
Usability
specialist
Usability consultant
Usability
engineer
Cognitive
scientist
6

6. Introduction
So important to know whom we interact with
Process and
Business data
Modeling
3 solutions:
• Business Process Management
• Enterprise Application Development
• Digital Business Transformation
7

7. Introduction
So important to know whom we interact with
3 solutions:
• Business Process Management
• Enterprise Application Development
• Digital Business Transformation
UI
Modeling
8

8. Introduction
So important to know whom we interact with
Personalized User
Interfaces
3 solutions:
• Business Process Management
• Enterprise Application Development
• Digital Business Transformation
9

9. Introduction
So important to know whom we interact with
• As Bonitasofters, we:
– Are passionate human with substantial egos
-> involvement
– Think we are quite clever
-> self-confidence
– Like to enjoy ourselves
-> motivation
– Are a little shy or…
-> Space for improvement
… have preferences
– All pursue the same goal: create a product that rocks!
10

10. Tension points around UX
11

11. Tension points about UX
“Everyone has common sense.
UX is an optional polish on top of
the technical base.
It is an additional constraint when
time is short. ”
12

12. Do with common sense
• No UX person, no users involved
Formal specs
Technical POC
(feasibility)
Working Alpha
Bug-free Beta
End-to-end tested
Release
13

13. Do with common sense
• No UX person, no users involved
Bad user
feedback.
⇒ Lots of rework after it’s delivered. Sad. Hurts egos.
⇒ If you code for someone else than yourself, you need UX
14

14. Tension points about UX
“OK, UX is a job in itself.
It’s a needed polish on top of the
technical base.
It’s an additional constraint when
time is short. ”
15

15. Tension points about UX
“OK, UX is a job in itself.
It’s a needed polish on top of the
technical base.
It’s an additional constraint when
time is short. ”
16

16. An additional constraint
• Because of hard-to-translate usability principles?
– User guidance, information structure, incitation
– Help
– Minimal workload, concision, low density
– Consistency & standards
– Visibility on the system status, feedback, waiting time
– User control and freedom
– Flexibility, variability intra-individual
– Avoid errors and help error recovery, manage delete
⇒ Leave it to the usability person, work with him/her
⇒ Learn/train as you go
17

17. Not a constraint. A purpose.
• User eXperience = make your
– Users, whoever they are
– Succeed on all use-cases
– Avoid and recover from error
– Be efficient
– Learn
– Enjoy
⇒Make your work worth it
⇒Make its value real: create perceived quality
18

18. Tension points about UX
“OK, we can all be part of UX.
It’s a needed polish on top of the
technical base.
It’s a team purpose.Time is short. ”
19

19. Tension points about UX
“OK, we can all be part of UX.
It’s a needed polish on top of the
technical base.
It’s a team purpose.Time is short. ”
20

20. Polishing…
• UX person as a disastrous post-disaster relief
– After the feature / product is developed
– External consultant
– An audit/validation, as the last testing suite.
Formal specs
Technical POC
(feasibility)
Working Alpha
Bug-free Beta
End-to-end tested
Release
Usability
validation
21

21. Polishing…
• UX person as a disastrous post-disaster relief
22

22. Polishing…
• UX person as a disastrous post-disaster relief
– Eventually, nothing may be improved, at all 23

23. Tension points about UX
“OK, we can all be part of UX.
It’s a needed integrated layer.
It’s a team purpose. Time is short. ”
24

24. Tension points about UX
“OK, we can all be part of UX.
It’s a needed integrated layer.
It’s a team purpose. Time is short. ”
25

25. Time vs. influence
• UX person as an internal influencer
– Why “influencer”?
• This shirt is made of great fabrics, nicely cut and shaped...
26

26. Time vs. influence
• UX person as an internal influencer
– Why “influencer”?
• The difference between a shirt and a piece of software
– So the UX person is not a doer; only an influencer
Nice shirt
Taylor
Useful and usable product
Developer
Raw material Finished product
Nice fabric
Textile worker
Clean, smart, bug-free code
Developer
Shirt
Piece of
software
27

27. Time vs. influence
• When influence is not enough:
– UX design comes last in a thick roadmap:
• A new feature always start with technical feasibility
⇒Feasibility of what? What do we want, in details?
⇒It’s like running in the morning mist
28

28. Time vs. influence
• When influence is not enough
– UX improvement comes last in a sprint planning:
• New features and maintenance go first
⇒Some bugs are less critical than users getting stuck
(Usability improvements have severity levels too)
⇒Usability debt
29

29. Time vs. influence
• UX person as a Silly Crusader vs Team Manager
– “Release date is fixed”
– “Other features are in the queue for this release”
– “The time spent on the feature is enough”
– “You cannot argue till you get to the perfect UX”
– “You have to let go”
Just - Based – On – Time
Regardless – Of – The – Value – Delivered
LET GO ?!
30

30. Time vs. influence
• Users feedback implies rework. Painful.
• More rework that it would have taken if UX was put 1st
31

31. Time vs. influence
– Fight for UX.
– UX can become a person to person struggle
32

32. Tension points about UX
“OK, we can all be part of UX.
It’s a needed integrated layer.
It’s a team purpose. But time is
short. ”
So what?
33

33. The good news
34

34. Fresh truth
35

35. Fresh truth
• 68% of users give up because they think you don’t
care about them
• 50% development time is about fixing avoidable
issues
• 97% of users cite “ease of use” as the main factor
in selecting enterprise applications
• By 2020, customer experience will overtake price
and product as the important brand differentiator
⇒ There is no other way than spend time on UX
36

36. The good news
Rationale
• With sensible goals, a team can gather
– We’re not the same, but we’re One
• Part of the answer already exists and proved right
– It’s called User-Centered Design
• Now calling on developers’ nature of Heroes
– That is true at Bonitasoft
37

37. The good news
Rationale
- Heroes’ qualities
• Solid logic
• Sense of responsibility
• Empathy
• Courage
• Humility
• …. But no super-hero: not reading users’ minds 38

38. The good news
Rationale
• Solid logic, that’s it!!
⇒The team needs:
• Data from the field
• Thresholds
⇒ Turn usability into a Boolean system:
• Good to release / Not good to release
• Feedback on non-negotiable items are bugs
• No perfect UI. Good enough UI. Checked.
⇒That is Non-Negotiable Usability
39

39. Non-Negotiable Usability
40

40. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping solid logic
• A goal:
– The user needs to be successful to find value in
what we produce
• A team:
– We want to build pride on what we release
– We all play a part in this goal
– We work with data from the field and thresholds
to avoid endless discussions and tension
41

41. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping solid logic
• A checklist:
(modified from User-Centered Design):
UX = make your
– Users, from the VIP personas
– Succeed, on the basic use-cases
– Avoid and recover from error
– Be efficient whatever their “profile”
– Learn
– Enjoy
42

42. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping humility
• A checklist to learn:
– Users, from the VIP personas
• Create and know your personas
– Succeed, on the basic use-cases
• Get use-cases from them
– Learn
• Easy to notice
• Easy to guess the value
• Easy to understand words, controls, flow
– Avoid and recover from error
• Guidance
• Clear, complete messages
43

43. • A process: user success means
• Drink beers…. with users
Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping sense of responsibility
TESTIMPLEMENTDESIGNCOLLECT FINALIZE
Communicate with users
Real drawInquiries Personas Real test Personas
44

44. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping empathy
• We need data, on users
– Do you know your users?
– Do you know what you should
know about your users?
• A process: COLLECT
45

45. • A process: COLLECT data on users
– What you have in common: a cognitive brain
Decision
making
ActionFeedback
Decoding
Attentional
focus
MemoriesBeliefsSenses
Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping empathy
46

46. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping empathy
COMPANY GOAL
TEAM SUB-GOALS
TASK
Pick a ticket
from a sorted
list
Answer tickets
relevantly and
on time
Expand
Please
customers
• A process: COLLECT data on users
– What you have in common: Goals to achieve
• E.g.: Customer support team member
47

47. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping empathy
Physical state
Mental state
Gender
Skills
Seniority
Prescription
Materials
Machines
Social relationships
Organization
Work time
Work space
Activity
Parameters
Parameters
• A process: COLLECT data on users
– What is different:
• Personal history
• Environment
– Relationship to the piece of software 48

48. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping courage
• A process: COLLECT data on users
– What’s different
• We have built the system – they haven’t
• We have to bridge the gap, not them
What Bonita BPM needs to do to let Dave use it
User-centered design
Techno-centered design
What Dave needs to do to use Bonita BPM Studio
49

49. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping empathy and courage
• A process: COLLECT data on users. Who’s DAVE?
50

50. Non-Negotiable Usability
Tapping courage
– Gather questions relevant to the
application you build
– Get help from customer-facing Depts:
Marketing, Sales, Customer Support,
consultants
– Research networks of professionals,
forums…
– Meet your users in the streets (B2C)
– Do surveys, interviews, observations
– Use movie tickets, vouchers, goodies,
offers, to thank for the time they spend
– Create your network of personas, then
each persona
• A process: COLLECT data on users and create
personas
51

51. • A process and a toolbox
Non-Negotiable Usability
Identify
customers and
their projects
Gather a panel
A stakeholder
For each new feature: COLLECT
User Acc Criteria
Power users
Personas
Use-cases
52

52. • A process and a toolbox
Non-Negotiable Usability
FUNCTIONAL DESIGN
• At least in parallel with technical design, if not before
Design Studio
(UI and navigation)
Mockups /
Quick specs
Technical design /
Quick POC
Agreement on the
feasible must
have
Split /
Backlog
Story telling
(= pre-Doc)
53

53. • A process and a toolbox
• Share your screens with the usability person to get
him/her guide you to implement usability principles
Non-Negotiable Usability
IMPLEMENT
Write tests
Code
Personas
Write target
value for a
sprint
Checklist
Mockups
UAC
Story told
54

54. Examples
55

55. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Easy to notice: use hierarchy
Non-Negotiable Usability
56

56. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Easy to notice: Catch attention (tours)
Non-Negotiable Usability
57

57. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Easy to notice: use tips
Non-Negotiable Usability
58

58. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Understand: use contextual help
Non-Negotiable Usability
59

59. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Understand: Embed generic help
Non-Negotiable Usability
60

60. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Understand: Give examples
Non-Negotiable Usability
61

61. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Learn/Understand: Offer tutorials
Non-Negotiable Usability
62

62. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Avoid errors: Use warnings
Non-Negotiable Usability
63

63. © 2015 Bonitasoft 64
• A process/IMPLEMENT
– Avoid errors: Implement validation
Non-Negotiable Usability

64. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Avoid errors: Also give positive feedback
Non-Negotiable Usability
65

65. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Avoid errors: Use default values
Non-Negotiable Usability
66

66. • A process/IMPLEMENT
– Avoid errors: Explain expected formats
Non-Negotiable Usability
67

67. Non-Negotiable Usability
May include:
1. There is an issue
2. Its cause
3. Its severity
4. Its consequences
5. What the user can do to recover
6. Shortcuts on buttons
… in words the persona can understand
• A process/IMPLEMENT
– Recover from errors: Write helpful error msg
68

68. Non-Negotiable Usability
• A process/IMPLEMENT
– Recover from errors: Use refactoring wizards
69

69. Non-Negotiable Usability
TEST
Test at my
Desk
Panel
Summarize
known risks
• A process and a toolbox
• 3 to 5 users are enough
• Record the test sessions: this is data to share
Assisted
testing
sessions
Customers and
partnersSummarize
know risks
Feature level
Β version level
70

70. Non-Negotiable Usability
FINALIZE
Write the
documentation
Known
limitations
• A process
71

71. To take away
72

72. So that all goes smooth
“OK, we can all be part of UX.
It’s a needed integrated layer.
It’s a team purpose even more when
time is short.
We just need to work with data and
thresholds. ”
73

73. So that all goes smooth
• Work as a multi-skilled team including users
• Aim at providing success / value to the users
• Never put UX work last
• Base decisions on data and thresholds to
avoid discussions
74

74. • Heroes are good learners
Conclusion
75

75. I hope you’re taking up
the challenge
For the users
For the product
For the company
76

76. What’s negotiable
77

77. Negotiable
• Efficiency, to be dealt with later on
• More advanced use-cases, write tutorials until then
• Graphical wows, yet another, fundamental job
78

79. Visit us online
bonitasoft.com
Join our community
Bonitasoft.org
Download
Bonitasoft.com/downloads
Follow us on twitter
@bonitasoft
Good UX – No tension
@NathErgo38
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80. Usability principles - Details
• Sources:
– Bastien, J. M. C., & Scapin, D. L. (1993). Ergonomic criteria for the
evaluation of human-computer interfaces (Report No. 156). Rocquencourt,
France: Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique.
=> http://www.ergoweb.ca/criteres.html
– Nielsen, J., and Molich, R. (1990). Heuristic evaluation of user
interfaces, Proc. ACM CHI'90 Conf. (Seattle, WA, 1-5 April), 249-256.
=> http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/
– ISO 9241-110
=> http://www.userfocus.co.uk/resources/iso9241/part110.html
81

81. “- Is my new cool feature usable enough to be shipped?
- Easy, check your non negotiable usability items
- Well, how do I know?
- Easy, there’s a talk about that
Nathalie Cotté
Usability specialist