Using Feedback Loops to develop your software user interface Presented at ELAG 2010 June 10th 2010

1. Building a User
Interface with Feedback
Loops
Charles Lowell
Serials Solutions
@cowboyd
github/cowboyd

2. I am
Developer

3. I think in JavaScript and
Ruby

4. I am not
Librarian

5. I am not
Search Guru

6. I am not
Business Man

7. I am not
Manager

8. I am not
Process Expert

9. I am
Stake Holder

10. I am
Stake Holder

11. Harmonious Process

12. Harmonious Process
Harmonious Code

13. Harmonious Process
Harmonious Code
Harmonious

14. Harmonious Process
Harmonious Code
Harmonious
Me

15. We get a review

16. Deficiencies
• No way to get to the next detailed record
• No way to save an item from detail screen
• Email form unforgiving of common errors
• Option to receive link, citation or both
• Citations should show call numbers

17. Summon Mobile
• “Nothing but fluff...”
• “Your Designers should have thought how
people might actually use this interface.”
• “It looks to me as if they just rushed it out
the door so they could brag.”
• “Serious deficiencies...”

18. Why is he so angry?

19. Why is he so angry?
Because that’s what software has taught users to feel

20. Software Development
Design Release
Develop
6 months

21. Software Development
Design Release
Develop
6 months

22. Software Development
Design Release
Develop
6 months wasted time

23. Software development
breeds hateful users

24. Software Development
Design Release
Develop
6 months wasted time

25. Our Process
Design Release Design Release Design Release
Develop Develop Develop
3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks

26. Our Process
Design Release Design Release Design Release
Develop Develop Develop
3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks
Still There

27. Our Process
Design Release Design Release Design Release
Develop Develop Develop
3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks
Still There

28. Our Process
Design Release Design Release Design Release
Develop Develop Develop
3 weeks 3 weeks 3 weeks
Still There

29. Lesson: Embrace the
angry face.
Failures are valuable.
They help you triangulate
on the right solution.
He’s a fantastic compass
of how you’re doing.

30. Deficiencies
• No way to get to the next detailed record
• No way to save an item from detail screen
• Email form unforgiving of common errors
• Option to receive link, citation or both
• Citations should show call numbers

31. Important Features
• No way to get to the next detailed record
• No way to save an item from detail screen
• Email form unforgiving of common errors
• Option to receive link, citation or both
• Citations should show call numbers

32. “It looks to me like
they just rushed it out
the door so they could
brag.”

33. Rushed Yes, Brag no.
• Get it into hands of power users fast
• Let them steer the product, not some
designer in an Ivory tower

34. Feedback Loops are the
central theme of our
process

35. Design Release
Develop
T = min(t)

36. Not Just from Users
• Developer feedback loops (unit testing)
• Devteam feedback loops (continuous
integration)
• Team-wide feedback loops(bi-weekly
demos)

37. Step #1

38. Step #1
Deploy to production

39. Gall’s Law
“A Complex system that works is invariably found to have
evolved from a simple system that worked....”

40. Unit Feedback
Write Tests Tests Pass
Design Develop Release

41. Unit Feedback
• Clearly defined spec for desired code
• No extra code than what is required by the
test
• Afterwards, the test can be used in an
automated regression suite.

42. Continuous Integration
Check in Deploy
Build

43. Continuous Integration
• Full regression test with every source code
change
• Regressions caught within seconds
• Changes are viewable and testable within
minutes

44. Team Feedback
Design Release
Develop

45. Release Cycle
Team Feedback
Design Develop Release
Continuous Integration
riddled with potential
points of failure... that’s
great!
Unit Tests
D DR D DR D DR D DR D DR D DR
3 Weeks

46. Adaptive Path

47. Adaptive Path
Failure -> Learning

48. Fail Fast = Win
• Competitors change
• Users change
• Rely on capability, not fixed targets

49. Questions?
Charles Lowell
Serials Solutions
@cowboyd
github/cowboyd
Thank You!