Week 23 @ KSU's UXD Program - Performing Remote Testing

Although this week was titled "Moderated Remote Testing" we actually designed and performed unmoderated remote testing with the tool, Validately. The tool isn't perfect, but it's still incredibly useful. Luckily for me I started my new job this week as a UX Strategist having to work remotely until I move from San Francisco to Atlanta and got to design a Validately test my first day. It really impressed my boss and made a great first impression. Literally the only problem we came across was the inability to use Validately tests on computers that do not have a microphone. That being said, I was able to begin user testing on my first day of work, working 3,000 miles away and having never met my team in person. The testing worked out amazingly added so much value to our group immediately.

One thing I learned from this experience, and confirmed from the reading, was that recruiting live is filled with red tape within a corporation. My company hired me to help run the new website's design which kicks off in two weeks with a summit of all of our brands. With no prior UX research or any UX professionals in the company, not many people knew what to think of me or what I was trying to do; so getting IT to set up a survey on the websites by the end of the week was quickly shot down. Not only was IT against it, Marketing was afraid of (1) the pop ups that may drive customers away and (2) every question in the survey that could possibly instill doubt in customers about our digital experience. Marketing wanted me to change several of my survey and remote task questions. 

This was my first chance to defend the need for UX research at a real corporation. Even though we didn't get everything we wanted, I was still able to explain the need for the research and what we will doing moving forward. It was so much fun.