UX Design – Hello Steve Fisher

Yesterday I heard a great phrase in a team building session I was attending. “You need to fail faster” (I can’t remember the source so if you know post it in the comments and I’ll update the blog). The concept being failure brings new data that can help you make a better decision on your next attempt.

Doesn’t failure lead to all things bad? Nope.

I’m not talking about something that it an ethical or moral failure that will bring about catastrophic consequences (driving after drinking) but rather the failure that comes from attempting a new way of solving a problem. Taking a new step in an unknown direction. The longer we wait to take that step the longer we are in the dark about where it will lead us. It really got me thinking about how I view user testing. If I’m working with a group of eight people to test something like a new online application or website design I would typically let all eight accomplish all the tasks on the user testing script. Makes sense right? Maybe, but maybe not.

If the first four individuals all identify the same issue I think it is safe to say it is an issue that needs to be dealt with. I could get the next four people to test it again or I could modify the script to allow for testing in other areas stretching the budget just a little bit further. Sure I could miss out on a few more comments and some insights, but I KNOW it is an issue so why not move on to dealing with it right away? Why not accept the failure faster and use the resources I have left to accomplish more?

Think about the famous quote from Thomas Edison.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

If he failed on a reasonable schedule of lets say one failure a day it would have taken him over 27 years to come to his discovery. I don’t have any projects I want to remain in the same testing phase for 27 years. ;)