'Hold my beer.' Those three words have preceded some of the greatest moments in history. But who would’ve thought they’d pave the way for an epic user testing session? In this talk, Austin will discuss a drunken usability experiment and the unexpected influence that it had on the way that user research is conducted. Learn about new and unconventional methods for overcoming the struggles and pitfalls of traditional user testing, obtaining true and honest user feedback, and verifying the usability and simplicity of a design. Discover the resulting impact on bottom-line metrics like conversion rate, retention, engagement, and revenue. Walk away with a list of tools that you can use to conduct similar research and experiments on your own projects. Finally, learn about what it means to have a Culture of UX and gain actionable advice on how you can create it within your own company.

1. UX INSIGHTS
FROM A DRUNK GUY
Austin Knight
UX Designer at HubSpot

2. Simplicity is the
ultimate sophistication

3. HOLD MY BEER

10. “IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE MEANT FOR
LARGE SCALE CLIENTS WHO ARE WILLING
TO SPEND MONEY ON BUZZWORDS”

11. Community
Impact

12. Business
Impact

17. What our home page said
What our salespeople used

18. What our home page said
What our salespeople used

19. What our home page had
What our users wanted

20. Don’t tell me…
Show me

25. Conversion Rate
(22% Actual Increase to Product Pages)
○
Exit Rate
(18% Actual Decrease in Exit Rate)
○
Pain Point Behaviors
(FAQ, Search Queries, Misguided Clicks)
○

28. harsh feedback

29. IMPACT
True Business

30. That’s pretty rare

31. So what caused the drunk
user test to be so great?

32. Does the user actually
need to be drunk?

33. NOPE

34. What are the different
approaches to user testing?

35. TYPES OF
USER TESTS
1

36. In-Person
Moderated
Remote
Unmoderated

37. In-Person Moderated Test

38. Remote Unmoderated Test

39. Types of User Tests
Remote Unmoderated

40. Types of User Tests
Remote Unmoderated

41. Types of User Tests
Remote Unmoderated

42. Types of User Tests
Remote Unmoderated

43. How can I use these tests to get
great feedback out of regular users?

44. RESPONSIBLE
USER TESTING
2

45. Testing Results
Segmentation

46. Segmentation
Know your demographic

47. Segmentation
Know your demographic

48. Segmentation
Ask multiple
qualifying questions?

49. Segmentation
Ask multiple qualifying questions?

50. Segmentation
Which of the following do you have the
most experience with?
• Sales
• Marketing
• Support
• Design
• None of the above
Ask multiple qualifying questions?

51. Segmentation
What does CPM stand for?
• Certified Professional Manager
• Community Program Monitor
• Cost Per Mille
• Community Property Manager
• None of the above
Ask multiple qualifying questions?

52. Testing
Run a pilot test

53. Testing
Run a pilot test

54. Testing
Run a pilot test

55. Testing
Run a pilot test

56. Testing
Run a pilot test

57. Testing
Run a pilot test

58. Testing
Run a pilot test

59. Testing
Run a pilot test

60. Testing
Run a pilot test

61. Testing
Run a pilot test

62. Testing
Run a full test
with 3-5 users
Learn more at uxd.to/drunk

63. Testing
Don’t inadvertently
lead the user☼

64. Job application form
Name
Desired position
Professional background
Submit
“I want to
submit a form”
“I want to apply
for a job”
Testing
Don’t inadvertently lead the user☼

65. Fill out and submit the job application form
Find a job that you like and apply for it
Testing
Don’t inadvertently lead the user☼

66. Results
Pair the data
|

67. Results
Rainbow Spreadsheet
Pair the data|

68. Results
Use tangential and
unsolicited feedback

69. Results
Use tangential and unsolicited feedback

70. Take a photo for safe keeping
Responsible User Testing
Segmentation
•Know your demographic
•Ask multiple qualifying
questions
Testing
•Run a pilot test
•Run a full test with 3-5
users
•Don’t inadvertently lead the
user
Results
•Pair the data
•Use tangential and
unsolicited feedback
Rainbow Spreadsheet

71. What are the ideal
tools for these tests?

72. TOOLSWORTH USING
3

73. Tools Worth Using
All-in-one platforms
• UserTesting.com
• UserZoom.com
• TryMyUI.com
Screen recorders
• Silverback
• Screencastify
• Loop11
• WebEx / Google Hangouts
Participant recruiting
• uTest.com
• Ethnio / Hotjar
• Amazon Mechanical Turk
• Knowbility
Blended data
• Usabilla
• Usability Hub
• Optimal Workshop
• Inspectlet
Take a photo for safe keeping

74. How can you set your
design up for success?

75. DESIGNING
FOR DRUNKS
4

76. Designing for Drunks
Don’t design in a vacuum

77. Designing for Drunks
Don’t let your CEO, CMO, or Junior
Designer dictate the design.
Let your users.
Don’t design in a vacuum

78. Designing for Drunks
Don’t design in a vacuum
Designing for Drunks
Don’t design in a vacuum
Learn more at uxd.to/drunk

79. Designing for Drunks
Good design is invisible

80. Designing for Drunks
The best interfaces are so well-
designed that users don’t even
notice them, because they’re too
busy using them
Good design is invisible

81. Designing for Drunks
Good design is invisible

82. Designing for Drunks
Don’t overcomplicate
or oversimplify

83. Designing for Drunks
Simplicity does not mean “less”; it
means “just enough”.
Don’t overcomplicate or oversimplify

84. “What happens when you let engineers design interfaces”
Designing for Drunks
Don’t overcomplicate or oversimplify

85. (It also lacks visual hierarchy)
Designing for Drunks
Don’t overcomplicate or oversimplify

86. Designing for Drunks
Utilize visual hierarchy

87. Designing for Drunks
Design so that the user can
immediately deduce what you want
them to do.
Utilize visual hierarchy

88. Utilize Visual HierarchyDesigning for Drunks
Utilize visual hierarchy
Designing for Drunks
Utilize visual hierarchy
Use the tool at uxd.to/drunk

89. Utilize Visual HierarchyDesigning for Drunks
Utilize visual hierarchy
Use the tool at uxd.to/drunk
Designing for Drunks
Utilize visual hierarchy

90. Designing for Drunks
Organize information
intuitively

91. Designing for Drunks
Organize information in a way that
makes sense to the user. Ensure
that users always know where they
are and where they’re going.
Organize information intuitively

92. Designing for Drunks
Organize information intuitively

93. Designing for Drunks
Confirm user actions

94. Designing for Drunks
Let users know that their actions
have been registered with
confirmation messages, subtle
animations, or microinteractions
Confirm user actions

95. Designing for Drunks
Confirm user actions

96. Designing for Drunks
Optimize site speed

97. Designing for Drunks
Run speed tests, compress images,
minify your code, etc.
Optimize site speed

98. 3 seconds
Time in which a site has to load
before the average user will leave.
Learn more at uxd.to/drunk
Designing for Drunks
Optimize site speed

99. $1.6 Billion
How much a one second load time
delay costs Amazon per sales year.
Learn more at uxd.to/drunk
Designing for Drunks
Optimize site speed

100. Designing for Drunks
• Don’t design in a vacuum
• Good design is invisible
• Don’t overcomplicate or oversimplify
• Utilize visual hierarchy
• Organize information intuitively
• Confirm user actions
• Optimize site speed
Take a photo for safe keeping

101. How do I implement
this at my company?

102. CREATING A
CULTURE OF UX
5

103. Creating a Culture of UX
Everyone is a
UX Designer

104. Creating a Culture of UX
Everyone is a UX Designer

105. Creating a Culture of UX
Involve your designers
and developers

106. Creating a Culture of UX
Involve your designers and developers

107. Creating a Culture of UX
Fall in love with
problems, not solutions

108. Creating a Culture of UX
Fall in love with problems, not solutions

109. Creating a Culture of UX
Get your hands dirty

110. Creating a Culture of UX
Get your hands dirty

111. Creating a Culture of UX
• Everyone is a UX Designer
• Involve your designers and developers
• Fall in love with problems, not
solutions
• Get your hands dirty
Take a photo for safe keeping

114. @ustinKnight
AustinKnight.com
uxd.to/drunk
@HubSpot
HubSpot.com