User-Centered Design for Agile Ketki Dhanesha Computer Scientist – Usability Expert US Patent and Trademark Office June, 2018 Agenda
Topic Duration Introduction to User-Centered Design Process at USPTO 5 User-Centered Design Activities 15 User-Centered Design and Requirements in Agile Process 10
3 Introduction to User-Centered Design (UCD) at USPTO The User Experience Branch
The User Experience Branch, or UXB, is a human-centered design group focused on understanding the interactions between people, applications and environments. We see ourselves as end-user advocates at the USPTO, ensuring that websites and applications are usable, useful, desirable, and accessible. We strive to work towards a balance between conflicting user requirements, IT constraints, and project constraints. What We Do
Our primary roles…
Our other responsibilities… • Usability standards creation and compliance • Oversight of vendor deliverables
…and iterate System Architecture and Roles
Presentation Layer *
Service Layer UX lead
Business Project analyst Application Layer Manager Technical lead Service Layer
Data and Backend Layer
Infrastructure Layer
* Primary focus for UX Scaling the UCD Process
LOW HIGH Level of Effort Level of Effort
Reuse patterns and usability Hybrid: Full user-centered design for test the resulting UI with UCD for new features, thoughtful, holistic design of end users reuse and tweaking for new features existing features Follow on small projects UX architecture, Flagship project within the program Follow on mid sized projects User-Centered Design Activities UCD Activity - Research Stakeholder Interviews Product owners and Purpose Methods Subject- Vision Interviews matter experts Goals Brainstorming Priorities Business process How the process can be improved in the new system Policy decisions
11 User Research End users Purpose Methods
How end users approach their work Observation of work in the current system How they think and make decisions How specific tasks are done today Interviews What problems and workarounds exist today Brainstorming Ideas for improvements What makes sense and what doesn’t Participatory activities such as sketching, sorting
12 UCD Activity - Design Wireframes Wireframes are black and white drawings of screens, used to work out organization, navigation, page layout, labels, and interactions.
The first set of wireframes is sketchy and explores several possible alternatives.
We facilitate feedback sessions with users and stakeholders, and walkthroughs with developers, to refine, flesh out more details, and clarify the requirements. Design Ideation
Low Fidelity High Fidelity
Sketches Wireframes Graphic design and prototypes 15 Design Reuse & Consistency We adhere to USPTO design patterns library to ensure consistency across projects. The library also provides a go to place for new members to quickly come up to speed. Translate to savings and higher efficiency. Functionality reuse within Program
We reuse design patterns that have proven successful in one business unit, with some adjustments as needed to support work processes in other business units.
Example reuse opportunities (from business architecture)*
Case File Management Reporting Deficiency Identification Rights Grant/Denial Dockets Routing Notifications Time Processing Performance Monitoring
* Reused design patterns typically need some modifications UCD Activity - Evaluate Usability Testing
About twice per quarter, we conduct hands-on tests with: n Realistic tasks n The actual system in a test environment n A trained facilitator n A script n Survey questions for the participants to complete n Observation and note-taking
Provides an opportunity to identify problems and fix them.
19 What we need for Usability Testing
A Clickable Users’ time - Prototype OR - 3 or more users per role unless there are - Live system in alpha or beta state just less number of users performing the tasks - One hour each per quarter We also perform testing after system goes live in production to get the final evaluation for the existing features and to get initial feedback on new features
20 Usability Testing - findings
Re-locate case after interruptions
Writing an office action
21 User-Centered Design and Requirements in Agile Projects Wireframes, Epics and Prototypes
Planning ahead for Releases and Sprint Wireframes Epic on topic SMEs-Users-UCD PO-UCD-BA of topic A A
EPIC A Description: The petitions lead and supervisor ………… assigned to them
UI: Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
AC: Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Epics need to be SMEs Wireframes are broken down and provide/review user facing detailed out into the Epic User Stories for documents and development approve them User Stories User stories document specific functionality and behavior of the user interface.
User stories are written at the level of detail needed by technical teams to do their work. Technical teams review the user stories and estimate the level of effort to complete them as a point value. Stories are created by dividing Epics.
Wireframes provide visual representations and help everyone understand the requirements better. Wireframes, business rules, procedures and acceptance criteria make up user stories. Teamwork Agile Sprints and Releases
Release 1
Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4
Release 2
Sprint 5 Sprint 6 Sprint 7 Sprint 8 Planning Ahead
Epics need core UCD activities: Ideally 2-6 Sprints Ahead
Development Release 2 User Stories: Ideally 1-2 Sprints Ahead The topics for the next developmentSprint 5 release must beSprint 6 Sprint 7 Sprint 8 known ahead of time in order to be prepared with user research Epics are broken down into User and wireframes for the Epics Stories in accordance with Agile story size requirements Development Release 3
Sprint 9 Sprint 10 Sprint 11 Sprint 12 Meetings and Reviews – activities by Project Members
Once a week Gather information, ideas, feedback SME, UCD, BA SME interviews from SMEs
Weekly user interviews Observe users’ work practices, Gather Users, UCD User Research and shadow sessions feedback from users
Gather requirements and info for SME, BA, UCD Requirements Once a week Gathering process maps
Emails or use some of Review draft Epics SME, UCD, BA Review Session the above two meetings
Release Sprint Release planning – every Many activities to start once SCRUM MASTER, quarter; Sprint Planning – development team on boards PO, TEAM planning every 3 weeks Thank you!