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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

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

Bonus feedback from other research sessions:

Edited by 🤖 GitLab Bot 🤖