How do we do better product testing in Q2?

We’ve been trying to figure this out for Webmaker. Here’s a proposal:

  • 1) Start small. Figure out our product testing strategy *for Q2.* (Instead of “everything we need to do to get better at testing.” Which feels too overwhelming.) What are the most important things to test and learn this quarter?
    • Proposal: start with the key Engagement Ladder stuff. We’ve said those calls to action are the most important — let’s make sure they’re clear and feel good for users, and identify where they’re bailing or getting stuck. For example:
      • Sign up. Create an account.
      • Create an event.
      • Make a teaching kit.
      • Issue a mentor badge.
    • Why start here? Because we’ve said these pathways are the *most* important. In terms of reaching our 10k contributors goal. We should do usability testing to see where users are getting stuck here, and ship incremental improvements to address those.
  • 2) Focus on testing with lead users. People teaching the web. These users are signing up for Webmaker training, and will be using and offering feedback on Webmaker stuff over the next several weeks. This is a prime opportunity. What do we want to feed in there? https://wiki.mozilla.org/Webmaker/Testing
  • 3) Unstick usertesting.com. aka:

Let’s make it easy for people to test whatever the hell they want, all the time.

  • It doesn’t seem like we’re really making full use of usertesting.com as an asset.  Let’s figure out why. (e.g., not sure of process / don’t have log-in / don’t have time / need training / ?) How do we make it easy and permissionless for our devs and designers to play there?
    • For example: when Aali wants to test right-to-left in Popcorn, why can’t he just go ahead and do it? How do we make running a test on usertesting.com as easy and standard as writing a blog post?
  • 4) Optimize the process for sharing out the findings. Understanding what we’re learning from this testing. And then feeding it back into the product. That’s always the hard part. I think we win there by doing usability testing on the small number of things mentioned in (1), rather than “let’s test everything.”
  • 5) Update the Webmaker get involved page. This is where we’re sending folks now. Review and optimize.

What’s missing / wrong? Please comment here.

2 comments

    • Thanks Larissa! Would love to help. We’ve been making some progress on a contribution dashboard as well, as per our 10K contributor goal this year.

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