A case study on how Jessica Ivins, Senior UX Designer, introduced UX practices to a company with no formal UX process in place.

1. Introducing UX Into
a Culture:
A Case Study
Jessica Ivins
jessicaivins@gmail.com
@jessicaivins
#uxcampdc

2. What is AWeber?

5. Subscribers
Customer (User)

6. Culture
@jessicaivins

7. “Don’t take ourselves too seriously;
have fun.”
@jessicaivins

8. http://aweber.jobs
@jessicaivins

9. http://aweber.jobs
@jessicaivins

10. http://aweber.jobs
@jessicaivins

11. UX Team of One
@jessicaivins

13. Advantages at AWeber
•
•
•
•
•
Flexible Budget
No Tight Deadlines
Supportive Boss
Dedicated Research Room (Conference Room)
Videographer for Making Highlight Reels/Clips

14. We’re
Customer-Centric

15. Customer Solutions (CS) Team

16. Who Are Our Customers?
@jessicaivins

17. Small Business Owners
@jessicaivins

18. CS Perspective

19. “Pizza Shop Owner”
Multi-Level Marketers (MLM)
Content Marketers
1-5 Person Small Businesses
“Techies”
Brick & Mortar Business Owners

20. “Pizza Shop Owner”

21. PR Survey:
3,000+ Responses
@jessicaivins

22. Which of the Following Best Describes Your
Company?
@jessicaivins

23. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Brick & Mortar Retailer
Online Retailer
Affiliate Marketer
Non-Profit
Information Marketing
Blogger
Professional Service Provider
Consultancy

24. Brick & Mortar Retailer 2%
Other Businesses 98%
2%
98%

25. Brick & Mortar Retailer 2%
Information Marketing 37%
Consultancy 11%
Online Retailer 10%
Professional Service Provider 22%
Nonprofit 1%
Blogger 17%
2%
17%
1%
22%
10% 11%
37%

26. How Could We Gain a Better
Understanding of Our Customers?
@jessicaivins

27. How to Start
Introducing UX Into
the Culture?

28. Minimize Resistance to Change

30. Identify Obvious Usability Issues
Without Testing?
@jessicaivins

31. CS Team Survey: Top 5 UI Issues

33. A Funny Coincidence
@jessicaivins

38. Do Customers Know About Our Blog?
@jessicaivins

39. User Research:
A New Frontier

40. User Interviews
@jessicaivins

41. Involve Colleagues in the Research
Process
@jessicaivins

42. @jessicaivins

43. CS
(Tech
Support)
Marketing
Reputation
Designers
Developers
Leadership

44. What Are Stakeholders’ Concerns?
@jessicaivins

46. Started with Current Customers
@jessicaivins

47. Recruiting
@jessicaivins

50. Live Recruiting
@jessicaivins

51. 23 Participants
@jessicaivins

52. Remotely Conducted Interviews
2
2
17
1
1

53. Open Invitation to Sit In
@jessicaivins

54. Observers

55. Leveraged Team Members

56. “It looks like a serial killer lives in here.”
-Mike, Sys Admin
@jessicaivins

57. Findings Presentation:
Open Meeting
@jessicaivins

58. User Research
Findings

59. Who Did We Talk To?
@jessicaivins

60. Business Owners (1 of 2)
•
•
•
•
4 Coaches
•
2 Multi-Level Marketers (MLM)
4 Content Marketers (Exclusively)
4 Brick & Mortars
4 Marketing Consultants (Who Recommend AWeber to
Clients)

61. Business Owners (2 of 2)
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 Attorney
1 “Premium” Home Repair Business
1 Poker Tournament Business
1 Graphic Designer
1 Stampin’ Up Rep
1 Crochet Patterns Blog (Hobbyist)

62. How Did You Hear About AWeber?
@jessicaivins

63. 6 From Business Mentors/Coaches
6 From Colleagues
4 From an Online Authority Figure
2 From Books
2 From Online Sources
1 From His Customer
22 Participants
1 Found Us Through Google

64. 22 of 23 Participants Found
AWeber Through Word of Mouth
@jessicaivins

65. Opportunity:
How Can We Use WOM Referral to
Our Advantage?
@jessicaivins

66. Burning Question:
What About Customers Who Don’t
Find Us Through WOM?
@jessicaivins

67. Coaches & Marketing Mentors
@jessicaivins

68. P17, “Womenpreneur” Coach
@jessicaivins

69. Why Do You Recommend AWeber to Your
Clients?
@jessicaivins

70. One Reason: Our (CS) Team
@jessicaivins

71. "I feel like I'm dealing with a small business that cares
about my business when I call in."
-P17
@jessicaivins

72. P17: Customer Solutions (CS) Team is Very Helpful
@jessicaivins

73. Web Forms Are Easy to Customize
@jessicaivins

74. @jessicaivins

75. P2 Has Had Problems Reaching Subscribers
Due to COI
@jessicaivins

76. Opportunity:
What Can We Learn From How
They Sell Our Product?
@jessicaivins

77. Opportunity:
Can We Partner with Them
Somehow?
@jessicaivins

78. Introducing
Collaborative
Exercises

79. Creating Personas
@jessicaivins

80. What’s a Persona?
@jessicaivins

89. Molly, Mark & Alex

90. We Got Buy-In!
@jessicaivins

91. UX Impact Thus Far

92. Excitement About UX

93. What Have My Colleagues
Learned?
@jessicaivins

94. “I was surprised that only one user found us
organically, i.e. via search.”
@jessicaivins

95. “I was surprised at the vast network of ‘evangelists’ for
AWeber... I'd really like to see AWeber team up with
these trainers.”
@jessicaivins

96. “When a user doesn't know how to do something, it is
not incompetence; it’s just not clear. The tool should
get out of the way and provide value as easily as
possible.”
@jessicaivins

97. What I’d Do
Differently

98. Operate in a “Leaner” Way
@jessicaivins

99. Share Tidbits of Findings More
Frequently
@jessicaivins

100. Invite Specific People to Research
Sessions
@jessicaivins

101. Learn Product Thoroughly Before
Conducting Research Sessions
@jessicaivins

102. What Else I Have
Planned

103. User Research with Prospect
Customers
@jessicaivins

104. Quantitative Surveys
@jessicaivins

105. Too Many Other Small Projects to
Count
@jessicaivins

106. Thank You!
Jessica Ivins
jessicaivins@gmail.com
@jessicaivins