Understanding how and why users utilize Snippets
What’s this issue all about?
Understanding how and why people use Snippets. Exploring the use cases, discoverability, and value of these features.
Who is the target user of the feature?
Any GitLab user who is using Snippets. Users who have an interest in these capabilities even if they don't currently use them.
What questions are you trying to answer?
Core questions
- What do users want to accomplish by using Snippets? (Goal)
- How do they currently do this? Are they able to use these features to reach those goals? (Current experience)
- What could be improved about this experience?
Additional questions
- How discoverable are Snippets?
- How did users learn about them?
- How do users typically access them (where do they navigate)?
- Does this match their expectations? If not, where would they expect to go?
What hypotheses and/or assumptions do you have?
The research team does not have much data about Snippets from people who are using them regularly. In most research studies (#35 (closed), #89 (closed), #112 (closed)) participants have not used them very often. We need to understand how representative this is.
What decisions will you make based on the research findings?
Outlining a vision for improvements to Snippets.
Methodology
Review prior research/community feedback and do affinity mapping. Determine where we have gaps in information and where we can already move forward.
In particular, dig into the concerns shared in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/22337. This issue has 220 upvotes!
Links
- Prior Research:
- Open issues related to Snippets: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/issues?label_name%5B%5D=snippets&scope=all&state=opened
Progress
User Interviews
-
Draft interview guide [Deadline: Tues Sept 24th]
- Finalize script [Deadline: Mon Sept 30th]
- Advertise screener survey to commenters in popular Snippets issues
-
Schedule users for interviews. [Deadline: Fri Sept 27th]
- Close screener survey [Deadline: Sept 30th]
-
Conduct interviews. [Deadline: Weds Oct 2nd]
- User 1, September 30th at 8am PT
- User 2, October 1st at 10am PT
- User 3, October 1st at 12:30pm PT
- User 4, October 3rd at 10:00am PT
- User 5, October 3rd at 12:45pm PT
- Purchase Amazon gift cards. [Deadline: Fri Oct 4th]
- Analyze videos. [Deadline: Fri Oct 11th]
- Document findings within the UXR_Insights repository [Deadline: Fri Oct 11th]
- Update the Research proposal issue. Link to the report. Unmark as confidential if applicable. Change status to done and close issue. [Deadline: Fri Oct 11th]
Who we spoke with
User Number | Characteristics | Video URL |
---|---|---|
1 | Development Team Lead, GitLab.com Free, Snippets usage: once a week | https://drive.google.com/open?id=14nm7iXevahy0HTL4_bSDHqrXcu7dZURh |
2 | CTO, GitLab.com Free, Snippets usage: 1-3 times a month | https://drive.google.com/open?id=1A-E7CYiss4L7KUKg-eq5dNUHYtIes3rs |
3 | Product Manager, GitLab.com Bronze, Snippets usage: 1-3 times a month | https://drive.google.com/open?id=1w9nlu15m_tAtC13ESlKwamdh6Wuwmelw |
4 | Development Team Lead, GitLab.com Bronze, Snippets usage: Less than once a month | https://drive.google.com/open?id=13dVa6jPNeeE5ylExeasKMw5JhSmajHct |
5 | Infrastructure Engineer, GitLab.com Free, Core, Snippets usage: 1-3 times a month | https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-kvu9jsNLJ0sxHzQB_3fHJ87j2mr4iKb |
Videos / Results
- Insights Epic: &2030 (closed)
- Video Folder: https://drive.google.com/open?id=14lIpjjUIHibUnGpxdxBjAMtewuguS4tT
- Notes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m2RIkJUfgVORdtD2bI3pZwxMfEHB-kofVsTpSY5QYrg/edit?usp=sharing
- Snippets affinity map: https://app.mural.co/invitation/mural/gitlab2474/1568158046482?sender=kokpara9075&key=c9fb36f0-7444-4d1f-be34-f0af47573fdd
Bonus feedback from other research sessions:
- User 6: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BlxaGwuUKcU15FFZRBOAuyTlICY1QdsO
- "Having two different files is almost always critical [in web development]." They're almost always dealing with HTML, CSS, and PHP. He'd like to share both the HTML and CSS in different files.
- User 7: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1X2SgpM6wboRsRw9mXBvBvXl_As_lQK9f
- User 8: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1r9UVxCjOBG58H40X7Ft130G3WmmnZSWo