Evaluative|Define

Tools and Services:

• Multi-user longitudinal study 

• Event based, goal oriented study

Defining research for a product with collaboration aS its core value

Adobe wanted to move more directly in the consumer space and created a collaborative photo album app to facilitate this move.  I was tasked with evaluating the value proposition, design, and usability.  

How: We met with potential users to gain insights into the general perceptions of the app and proposed value. Participants that were interested in the value and opportunity presented by the app were invited to be a part of the second research phase where we gave the application to the original participant as well as their friends and family to collaborate on an album for a given period of time. I conducted a follow-up interview and review of their albums. We also piloted the application at an event and evaluated on site sign-ups and collaboration.    

Aha Insight: The language used in the app made the app feel formal and not spontaneous which discouraged participation. The workflow also made it challenging to get users to collaborate in real time and in a new way. Joining an album wasn’t seamless enough and didn’t integrate into existing sharing patterns. Additionally, there were limited options for what to do with photos after collection.

What It Meant: There wasn’t enough value provided to overcome these awkward hurdles.

Outcome: In light of the research and evolving sharing habits, the project was discontinued.

Defining research for integrating and designing automaticity into interfaces

After the success of the “Healing Brush”, a Photoshop-based tool for removing blemishes and undesired objects from photographs with minimal human input, Adobe was increasingly looking to integrate cutting edge technologies that increased the “automatic” or “magical” offerings inside of Photoshop.

How: Within the context of a broader study, we interviewed designers and photographers. We presented them with a variety of automatic tools ranging from fully automatic, to automatic + input and explored how they felt about automatic fixes and improvements.

Aha Insights: Professionals didn’t find the tools magical. Instead, it felt like it was more work to use the “auto” options and fix them rather than working manually from start to finish.

What this Means: Automatic interfaces designed for professionals need clear system models to support learning and understanding in addition to automatic fixes

Outcome: We shared this information with the team in a presentation, but also using large posters in the common areas. We also featured different professional users over time to reinforce what they found most valuable in Photoshop. Many of the automatic or magical technologies were developed by a technology research group, so we shared and circulated our findings with researchers as well.

Tools and Services:

•  Interviews

• Workflow analysis

Tools and Services:

• 1-1 Interviews

• Concept Testing

Using storyboards to communicate early concepts 

Adobe was looking to develop a mobile solution that would meet the needs of Creatives at the “Gathering Inspiration” phase.  The product manager had several ideas and wanted to learn which concept would resonate most with the creatives, and why.  

How:  A series of 1:1 in-context interviews where participants were shown “Capture” concepts that were expressed in the form of storyboards.  

Storyboards (see figure below) are an effective tool for capturing the user goals and context, as well as the intended benefits of the concept, without revealing any or too much detail about the UI. As a result, participants are able to focus and provide feedback on key questions that matter: do people relate to the scenario, are we solving the right problems, and which problem matters most to them?

Outcome: A clear understanding of the concept that resonates most with designers, giving stakeholders confidence in moving forward with the idea.