Media News Group - User Testing

Complete with a test room and an observation room separated by a two-way mirror.

Digital First Media owns over 800 websites and apps throughout the United States. As the UX Art Director, I was part of a small team given the task to coordinate usability testing on a couple of their small sites. By increasing outside interest in the tests, we was able to build a company-wide User Testing Program. The program has influenced a shift in company culture as many teams are now integrating user-centric design principles into their workflow.

We set-up a versatile user test lab in order to conduct a wide variety of test types, including desktop and mobile usability testing, focus groups, card sorting and more.

Our observation room allows team members to watch the test while also seeing the user's screen and webcam to observe mouse movements and facial expressions.

Moderating a test requires the ability to make a participant feel comfortable and speak openly. Once that happens, the moderator should focus on listening and observing.

To conduct weekly testing, we wanted to establish a dedicated space to use as a lab. We began researching locations within the building and discovered a meeting space that was initially built for focus groups, only to be converted into a training room a year after construction. The space consists of both a test room and observation room, separated by a two-way mirror. By re-purposing equipment and furniture from elsewhere in the building, we were able to create a versatile testing space for almost nothing. With lightweight, movable furniture, we are able to reconfigure the room to accommodate usability testing, focus groups, card sorting, and a variety of other test set-ups.