UX Lab: Research essentials to ensure user-friendly solutions

[Sara U-S]

Want to enhance the usability of your ServiceNow apps, workflows, and playbook creations, but don't know where to start?
In the UX Lab: Research Essentials to Ensure User-Friendly Solutions, we provide an overview of the entire process of usability research — from planning to analysis — and provide practical approaches and tools to simplify conducting your own user research. This lab includes real examples from ServiceNow research studies as well as hands-on activities to practice various research planning skills.

What is user research?

User research is the process of understanding users' needs, behaviors, and motivations through observation, discussions, usage data, and direct feedback. This enhances the chances of delivering an excellent user experience, distinguishing a good product from a great one.

What is usability research?

Usability research (also called usability studies or usability testing) is essential for integrating user feedback into the development process on ServiceNow. This approach assesses the user experience at various implementation stages to identify areas for improvement. By observing real users as they perform tasks, developers—both professional and citizen—can acquire solid insights into which elements of the solution are user-friendly and which require enhancements.

How to approach usability research

According to ISO 9241-11, usability is defined as:

The extent to which a system, product or service can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

Planning and conducting a usability study is all about filling in the details of the ISO definition of usability:

1. Define objectives & scope: Specify the system, product or service
   Before starting any usability research, it is important to identify the objectives and scope of the research. These will largely depend on the phase of development and the complexity and breadth of the solution. While some usability studies may look at the entirety of an application or solution, most will be more targeted
   
   • To learn more about defining objectives and scope and to see a ServiceNow research example, visit the Lab Guidebook.
     
     
2. Identify participants: Specify the users
   Conducting research with actual or representative users is essential to identify potential issues real users of the product face. Clearly define the target users for your solution and specify who should be included in the research study.
   
   • To learn more about identifying research participants and to see a ServiceNow research example, visit the Lab Guidebook.
     
     

3. Create scenarios & tasks: Specify the context of use & the goals
   Scenarios and tasks set the stage for the research session and provide participants with specific goals to achieve. Tasks focus on what the solution is designed to do and the core problems the solution is intended to address.

   • To learn more about creating scenarios and tasks and to see a ServiceNow research example, visit the Lab Guidebook.
     
     
4. Plan & conduct research: Assess effectiveness, efficiency & satisfaction
   Conducting usability research involves several key steps, including logistical planning, session facilitation, data collection, careful observation, and notetaking. Across all of these, it is imperative to adhere to relevant company policies legal requirements. 
   The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of a solution can be measured quantitatively or qualitatively by observing users interacting with the solution, paying attention to what they say and do during that interaction, and collecting data about their thoughts or feelings about their experiences. 
   
   • To learn more about selecting metrics and ratings scales, visit the Lab Guidebook.
   • To learn more about preparing for testing, visit the Lab Guidebook.
   • To learn more about facilitating sessions and creating discussion guides, visit the Lab Guidebook.
   • To learn more about observations and note taking, visit the Lab Guidebook.
     
     
5. Analyze the data: Identify insights and craft recommendations
   Analysis converts data on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction into valuable insights, leading to actionable recommendations.
   
   • To learn more about analyzing data and creating insights and recommendations, visit the Lab Guidebook.
     
     
6. Share & socialize insights: Inform and align on actions
   Documenting and socializing usability research findings and recommendations facilitates informed decision-making and aligns team members on effective actions for improving the user experience.
   • To learn more about sharing insights and common components of usability research reports, visit the Lab Guidebook.

Special Considerations for usability testing ServiceNow solutions

Usability tests can be conducted in various environments, including ServiceNow instances and prototypes. Each environment has its advantages and limitations, as well as things that may need to be considered prior to planning a usability study.

 

When conducting usability testing on any type of ServiceNow instance, keep the following considerations in mind:

• Customization & integrations: Take into account any customizations or integrations needed or ones that may be present in the test environment that could affect user interactions or impact task completion.
• Role creation and access permissions: Confirm that participants have the appropriate role and access permissions necessary to complete each task.
• Record creation: Ensure that records are created and populated in the solution ahead of time to realistically support each task. Ensure that there are enough records to make exploration and search experiences feel authentic.
• External files or documents: Provide any external files or documents needed to complete each task.
• Consistent experiences: Determine how to provide consistent experiences for every participant. This might include using a different instance for each participant or "resetting" instances between research sessions through scripts and update sets.

When testing on live production instances, it is also crucial to consider the following factors:

• Data privacy: Ensure that user data is handled with strict confidentiality and in compliance with data privacy regulations. Obtain user consent before collecting any personal or sensitive information.
• Limited access: Restrict access to the live instance to authorized personnel only. This measure minimizes the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access to user information.
• Masking data: Use anonymized or masked data during testing to protect users' identities and sensitive information. This approach ensures that no real user data is exposed during the testing process.
• Testing impact: Assess the potential impact of usability testing on the live environment. Ensure that testing does not disrupt regular user activities or negatively affect the product's performance and stability.
• Rollback plan: Have a rollback plan in place in case testing introduces any issues or disruptions. This plan allows quick reversion to the previous stable state and minimizes any negative impact on users.
• To learn more about special considerations when conducting usability studies on ServiceNow solutions, visit the Lab Guidebook.
  
  

Additional Resources:

• Lab presentation slides (attached)
• UX Research Essentials Lab Guidebook