FY21-Q1 Manage UX OKR: Tables - GitLab design/developer usability testing

What’s this issue all about?

Solution validation - This issue documents our research plan for Manage UX's OKR experiment:

Create/update designs & documentation for 1x user-validated Pajamas components, and reflect on this experience to provide feedback/recommendations on PJ's process, structure and content.

There are 3 main streams of inquiry around solution validation for the table component :

1. End-user usability testing:
   • Testing existing patterns around functionality, styles, states & accessibility
   • Testing new patterns around functionality, styles, states & accessibility
2. GitLab design/developer usability testing:
   • Testing how effective PJs design system is when using the table component in feature work
   • Understanding workflows, workarounds & pains when using table component
3. Secondary/desktop research:
   • Summary of accessibility considerations for tables
   • Audit of existing instances/variations of the table component within GitLab
   • Analysis/inspiration of table components/documentation in other design systems

Who is the target user of the feature?

• GitLab team
  • Product Designers - new / experienced
  • FE engineers - new / experienced
  • Broader org?

What questions are you trying to answer?

See our Mural for our ideation and prioritisation on which table component topics to explore...

Core questions

2. GitLab design/developer usability testing:
   • PJs specification images - Would supporting images be a viable and useful stopgap for enhancing the utility of PJs documentation? If so, how might this be done?
   • PJs usability - How effective is the current design and structure of PJs design system for designers/developers when trying to use the table component in feature work? How does this differ for new and existing team members?
   • Workflows - What are the workflows, workarounds & pains for designers/developers when using table component (or any component)?

What hypotheses and/or assumptions do you have?

2. GitLab design/developer usability testing:
   • Designers and developers both struggle from information overload in PJs specs
   • New designers and developers struggle with PJs workflow being spread across multiple platforms
   • New Figma pilot will help to alleviate some PJs workflow issues

Methods

2. GitLab design/developer usability testing:
   • Survey
   • Discussion & task-based research with new designers/developers around PJs workflow - 5x internal users

What decisions will you make based on the research findings?

1. Add designs for updated functionality, styles, states & accessibility of table component
2. Update documentation and specs for table component
3. Provide recommendations for improving PJs structure, process & content

When do you need this research to be completed? (Milestone or date)

Deadline: End of FY21-Q1

See &2486 for full plan

Progress

• Usability Testing -

• Daniel: Finalize design artifacts for testing [Deadline: TBD]
• Katherine: Create a recruitment request [Deadline: TBD]
  • Emily: Schedule internal research sessions [Deadline: TBD]
• Daniel: Draft script for usability testing based on prototype (training) [Deadline: TBD]
  • Katherine: Finalize testing script [Deadline: TBD]
• Daniel: Conduct usability testing sessions [Deadline: TBD]
• Katherine: Open an Incentive request issue using the template in the UX Research project [Deadline: TBD]
• Daniel, Katherine: Analyze notes and synthesize findings [Deadline: TBD]
• Daniel: Document insights as issues in the Insights Repository [Deadline: TBD]

• Survey -

• Daniel: Draft survey questions [Deadline: TBD]
  • Katherine: Finalize survey and advertise in UX and Development slack channels. [Deadline: TBD]

Research training resources: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/ux-research-training/