3. 1996 BSc (Hons) Psychology | heavy MUDding | Worms Armageddon | C&C
2004 MSc Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics
2009 PhD Human Computer Interaction, Personalisation | Eve Online
2010 User Experience Executive, LV=
2011 Senior User Experience Consultant, Redweb
2013 Head of User Experience, SAS/MSLGROUP
2014 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Virgin Media
2016 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Camelot & VML London
2017 Lead User Researcher (contract), Home Office
2018 Lead User Researcher (contract), Eurostar & Greater London Authority
ACADEMIC
STUPIDITY
COMMERCIAL
UX
EXPERIENCE
2019- Lead User Researcher (contract), Shell
EARLY
COMPUTING
INTERNET
PIONEERING
1997 Senior Technical Consultant, Demon Internet
DOTCOM
BOOM
1998 Head of Technical Pre-Sales, Internet Network Services
1999-03 Chief Technical Officer, EO plc
1999-03 Technical Advisor, New Media Spark plc
1985 First modem. Hacked UK car manuf., bank and florist on BBC Model B | Elite
1991 Active member on SFnet, coffee table network in San Francisco
1979 First computer, Tandy TRS-80. First console, Atari 2600
PSYCHOLOGY!
1990 Introduced first computing, Mac 2SE & Filemaker Pro at Marvel Comics UK
4. 1996 BSc (Hons) Psychology | heavy MUDding | Worms Armageddon | C&C
2004 MSc Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics
2009 PhD Human Computer Interaction, Personalisation | Eve Online
2010 User Experience Executive, LV=
2011 Senior User Experience Consultant, Redweb
2013 Head of User Experience, SAS/MSLGROUP
2014 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Virgin Media
2016 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Camelot & VML London
2017 Lead User Researcher (contract), Home Office
2018 Lead User Researcher (contract), Eurostar & Greater London Authority
ACADEMIC
STUPIDITY
COMMERCIAL
UX
EXPERIENCE
2019- Lead User Researcher (contract), Shell
EARLY
COMPUTING
INTERNET
PIONEERING
1997 Senior Technical Consultant, Demon Internet
DOTCOM
BOOM
1998 Head of Technical Pre-Sales, Internet Network Services
1999-03 Chief Technical Officer, EO plc
1999-03 Technical Advisor, New Media Spark plc
1985 First modem. Hacked UK car manuf., bank and florist on BBC Model B | Elite
1991 Active member on SFnet, coffee table network in San Francisco
1979 First computer, Tandy TRS-80. First console, Atari 2600
PSYCHOLOGY!
1990 Introduced first computing, Mac 2SE & Foxbase at Marvel Comics UK
5. • Definitions: UX Design and Science
• Hypothesis testing
• Scientific principles and their application
• Structured creativity
• Hypothesis sprints
• Sharing
What we’ll be covering
20. WHY IS SCIENCE IMPORTANT?
• Knowing with confidence
• Real insight
• Products and services
that perform well
21. WHY IS SCIENCE IMPORTANT?
• Does it work as intended?
• Is it liked?
• How is it used?
• Is it meeting needs?
• Is it used as designed?
• Is there any appetite?
• How can it be improved?
62. REMEMBER:
YOU COULD BE WRONG
Even the best scientists have been wrong about some
things (Newton, Einstein…every other great scientist in
history - they all made mistakes. Of course they did.
They were human)
5
63. Science is a way to keep from
fooling ourselves, and each other
Carl Sagan
64. QUESTION AUTHORITY1 No idea is true just because someone says so, including me
• Challenge digital dinosaurs
• Challenge agile pod in retro
• Challenge methodologies
• Challenge existing documents
• Challenge user researchers
• Challenge agency work
• Challenge authors
• Challenge standards
• Challenge product owners
• Challenge other designers
70. Questioning authority,
challenging the status quo,
creates the room to test
ideas that might improve
the current situation
GENUINE TRANSFORMATION
BETTER WORKING LIVES FOR US
BETTER LIVES FOR OUR USERS
71. Questioning authority,
challenging the status quo,
creates the room to test
ideas that might improve
the current situation
GENUINE TRANSFORMATION
BETTER WORKING LIVES FOR US
BETTER LIVES FOR OUR USERS
72. Questioning authority,
challenging the status quo,
creates the room to test
ideas that might improve
the current situation
GENUINE TRANSFORMATION
BETTER WORKING LIVES FOR US
BETTER LIVES FOR OUR USERS
73. THINK FOR YOURSELF2 • Question yourself
• Don’t believe anything just because you want to
• Believing something doesn’t make it so
Challenge yourself
Challenge your own preconceptions
Work on opening your mind further
Insist on evidence
Challenge that evidence too
74.
75. TEST IDEAS BY THE EVIDENCE GAINED
FROM OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT3
If a favourite idea fails a well-designed test, it’s wrong -
get over it
1 2 3
76. TEST IDEAS BY THE EVIDENCE GAINED
FROM OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT3
If a favourite idea fails a well-designed test, it’s wrong -
get over it
1 2 3EVIDENCE EVIDENCE EVIDENCE
77. FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE WHEREVER IT
LEADS4
If you have no evidence, reserve judgement
1 ? ?REVISE AND ADAPT IDEA REVISE AND ADAPT IDEA
78. REMEMBER: YOU COULD BE WRONG5
Avoid talking in absolutes
Stay humble
Challenge and expect to be challenged
Learn to recognise good challenges
Champion v Challenger
79. AGILE IS A MODERN
DAY PROJECT
DELIVERY STRUCTURE
115. 1. DEFINE THE IDEA IN
SPRINT PLANNING
• involve entire team, not just design
• work with user research and
content to define research activity
to support design
116. 2. AGREE FEEDBACK
METHODOGY
• agree feedback and testing
methodologies with user research
and web analytics
• agree success criteria with
product owner and rest of team
117. 3. MORE RIGOR, MORE
CONFIDENCE
• don’t be afraid to repeat tests
• repeat sample
• bigger sample
• different geography
• different socio-economics
• different contexts
• different accessibility needs
• increased diversity
128. TAKEAWAYS• Practice applying scientific principles in your thinking
• Constantly think in ‘idea testing’ terms
• Print out Neil deGrasse Tyson’s 5 Principles and live by them
• Challenge everything
• Try design idea sprinting
• Make designing for user needs your new guiding light
• The science is in the structure, structure keeps you safe
• “Show don't tell” all idea testing activity and results