Building a UX Research Program & Usability Lab
Overview
One of my greatest pleasures was founding the UX research program at CVS. As their third UX hire, UX at the company was still in its infancy. In fact, most stakeholders were unaware of what UX or usability testing were. During this time, I created a top-notch UX research lab and program. Before long, we had up to 20 stakeholders watching live sessions behind a 2-way mirror and closely observing participants use their products using the monitors in the viewing area.
The process of evangelizing, educating, and conducting studies truly began shaping how products were thought about and developed. UX research and testing began to become engrained into product planning and development. Not only did this improve and mature how the digital team worked and the quality of its products, it also improved how our business partners worked and planned with the digital team.
Key Problems & Goals
Problem #1:
Most of our partners were unfamiliar with both UX research and UX design.
Problem #2:
Marketing research, a different department altogether, was responsible for the budget and the overall physical space. My partners in that department were very new to UX research.
Goal #1:
Educate and evangelize to partners about the value, proper use of, and timing of UX research.
Goal #2:
Identify the hardware and software needed to support the UX research and provide a rich experience for observers.
Goal #4:
Secure the necessary sponsorship and funding to establish a top-notch testing lab and research program.
Goal #5:
Establish relationships and working models with recruitment agencies, as well as external research partners to augment research bandwidth.
Methodologies Used
Research and test plans
Recruitment screeners
Surveys
Ethnography
User interviews
Stakeholder interviews
Usability testing
Focus groups
Click testing
Card sorting
Tree testing
Test reports, including highlight videos
Research Lab Setup
