Nicole Burton - First Fridays at GSA

It’s Not Rocket Surgery:First Fridays in the U.S. Government

Improving the Customer Experience

Nicole Burton

04/10/2023 1Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

One Morning a Month

• Choose a site• 3 customer participants perform tasks with a facilitator• Observers watch and take notes• Lunch debrief and identify three serious problems + fixes• Follow–up call on quick improvements• One-page report and copy of test recordings


Two One Mornings a Month

• Choose a site• 3 customer participants perform tasks with a facilitator• Observers watch and take notes• Lunch debrief and identify three serious problems + fixes• Follow–up call on quick improvements• One-page report and copy of test recording


First Fridays Final Report


First Fridays Final Report


Do-It-Yourself Testing

• Better customer service for taxpayers & citizens

• More testing because “Anyone can do it”

• Expanded professional UX opportunities & facilities


• More inexperienced practitioners

• UX “magic” revealed• More time spent

coaching• Fewer comprehensive

tests & studies?

Government Sites Tested

USA.govNSF.gov DOL.gov m.gobiernoUSA.govDOI.gov Advisory Council on Historic Preservationm.usa.gov

Travel.state.govFCC.govDOT.netWeather.govData.govApps.gov/NOWPueblo.gsa.govOnGuardOnline.govHowTo.gov

Upcoming Product Tests


Building Capacity Across GSA - and Government

1. Fix problems

2. Train and mentor

3. Raise awareness

9Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

It’s Not Rocket Surgery


forum.sensible.com

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Steve Krug’s MethodCommit to monthly product testing, same time each month:

more observers, more testing, more buy-in

What Kinds of Improvements?

From post-test interviews with Passports and FCC.gov stakeholders, May 2011


Passports Application

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Before After

Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

NSF.gov SESTAT data tool page

04/10/2023

Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies 13

Before After

04/10/2023


04/10/2023


FF’s Top Problems & Solutions


Top Tasks Hard to FindMake top task “starting points” stand out Place top tasks at center or left and above the fold

Too Many WordsCut content by 50% Remove outdated content

Confusing JargonUse common terms and customer language; avoid acronymsPut technical terms in parentheses

Irrelevant Search ResultsMake top task content appear at top of search returns Move search filters to left or top of screen

Navigation IneffectiveList nav tabs or links from left to right, top to bottom, in order of useRe-write links

Actual Improvements• Made Top Tasks list driven by analytics• Added step-by-step instructions• Reduced jargon• Made Home Page news area smaller• Updated top task content • Added Home Page area for Browse Documents • Added Doing Business links for industry users• Move Search filter to top of search results• Changed top nav tabs to drop down on mouse hover rather than on

mouse click

From post-test interviews with Passports and FCC.gov stakeholders, May 2011


Actual Benefits

• Focusing on a limited number of practical problems and solutions. “Our website has a lot of problems and it can be overwhelming”

• “Getting the whole team at the test watching together for the first time, seeing through the eyes of the customer”

• “At least four of the people who weren’t there watched the video and read the report”

• “We started testing with employees who use screen readers, making accessibility improvements”


Challenges*

• Resistance: Internal and external “pushback” to small changes• Governance: Five teams work on website• Legal: Policy-related web content must be cleared• “Project Overlord”: Postponements due to redesign and CMS• Reorganization: New staff lack web writing skills• Priorities: Public Affairs responsible for news, video, Congress• IT: Team lacks admin rights over Home Page and templates• Staff: Good people leave - “I’d just start pulling the thread…”

* Steve: Private industry also faces these challenges


Carrots & Sticks

• Free Product Test• Chocolate croissants & lunch• Attention• Monthly schedule

• Letter of Intent• Follow up call• Post report + B&A screenshots


http://www.howto.gov/sites/default/files/first-fridays-letter-of-intent-template.doc

First Friday’s Mobile Usability Set Up

• Based on the ingenious rig by Cory Lebson of Lebsontech.com

First Fridays Mobile Testing

Equipment

Presenti

ng…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT2RtNpHhSw

1. Stand

Cost: $0 (office lamp - $30)

Banana stand Desk lamp

2. Webcam

Cost: $60

Logitech 1080p Webcam Pro C910 with Skype HD

3. Binder clips / Duct tape

Cost: $0 - $5

Find them in your office supply closet

1. Binder clip / duct tape

2. Web cam

3. Desk lamp

4. Smartphone

Recruitment

04/10/2023


Three participants Recruit loosely Word of mouth Use Twitter, email, Craigslist, office, listservs Three back-ups, one for each time slot Site stakeholders help – they know their audiences $5 gift card

Facilitator-in-Training Program

04/10/2023


Learn to conduct First Friday tests at your agency!

Participate in 4 tests over 3 months Get experience in facilitating Facilitator mentor for guidance Support for your own agency test team $100 through Web Manager University Email [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

What Works

• Teaching non-UX professionals• Mentoring process • Alternating GSA and agency sites• Low-tech method• No “honkin’ great findings report”• Making small changes


Join Us!

• Teach non UX staff to facilitate simple tests

• Volunteer as a FF participant or observer

• Start First Fridays @ your agency (or company)

• Offer your high-impact government website or app for First Fridays testing


Contact Us

Nicole BurtonFirst Fridays Program Manager/ GSA User Experience Evangelist

[email protected]

To participate in GSA First Fridays: [email protected] Fridays Product Testing Program info: HowTo.gov/FirstFridays




http://www.webcontent.gov/usability/first-fridays.shtml

http://www.webcontent.gov/usability/first-fridays.shtml

Nicole Burton - First Fridays at GSA

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