The second unit was set to challenge your expectations of designer roles, flipping the work on its head. Instead of building, the task was to evaluate something that was already built. This gives you the opportunity to practice feedback and giving recommendations without the focus on your own design skills. By understanding the concepts of usability and through the facilitation of tests, you were able to execute a series of evaluations that made obvious a number of issues, showing the importance of testing, and highlighting the ease of sourcing rich data. You're leaving this unit with methods to help you in assessing design needs, for your own designs, and by articulating ways that you can add value in products put in front of you.

For each launch, NASA has traditionally created a patch to commemorate the mission. This patch signifies the collective epic mission we took together in our first project.

Project Highlights

You facilitated a quick-turn series of product reviews, both individually and reviewing with the help of others, comprising of heuristics evaluations, reviewing accessibility, moderating tests and proctoring unmoderated tests to surface a multitude of findings and insights.

Draft a test plan using scenarios and tasks

Execute a usability heuristics evaluation

Review a product against WCAG standards

Facilitate a series of usability tests

Review crafting journey maps

Share and present findings in discussion setting

Stats and Quick Maths

• With 13 reporting in, there were 44 were moderated tests, 4 unmoderated*.*
• About 80% said they were successful, the rest were unsure or didn't answer.
• Key feelings in reflection are largely good, but also confident and stronger, ranging from "I feel like I'm in an avalanche but now I know how to roll more efficiently," to unsure, relieved and "mehhhhh my brain is mashed potatoes."
• Points of pride, ranging from "take my findings and find real solutions" to "my shyness didn't affect my ability to conduct the usability tests" and included the data visualization, synthesis and analysis, and conducting interviews.
• Difficulties ranged from “understanding the full process for this project” to “handling two projects at the same time” with a few reporting the video as most challenging.

Recognition of Accomplishment

Showing a dedication to lean principles and resourcefulness, ## utilized guerrilla testing to surface quick insights.

Demonstrating a dedication to testing new tools, ## and Sushma used unmoderated tests as an additional arm of research.

Showing an understanding for the paths of users past, ## applied neumorphism toward his thoughtful journey map.

Sure to battle for their rightful place on the testing throne, ##, ## and ## reported having conducted the most tests with five moderated tests each.

Pressing forward with momentum, ## showed great attitude from the start in the face of a speedy project and life changes, who finished feeling "On top of the world!!!"

Though by and large all recognized the strength of contributions throughout the cohort, ## was recognized as a thought leader, helping others throughout the project.