Re: [libreoffice-design] User Research

Shawn.

On Fri, 2011-06-17 at 16:08 +0200, Shawn Beasley wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> This thread is awesome and almost too much for one thread :D I would like to jump into the deep 
> end of the pool now and hopefully not sink to the bottom like a rock. I am relatively new here 
> and look forward to helping out where I can. IMHO, the biggest problem I have with researching 
> user's needs is - already being discussed in this topic - the analysis of the data received. 
> Forgive my ignorance, if I have over-read this somehow, but:
>
> What data mining is being done now?
> Where is this stored?
> Where are, and who is doing, the analysis of this data?
>
> IDEAS/ENHANCEMENTS
> The otrs.org are using ideascale.com for collecting user ideas. Unfortunately, my experience - as 
> Community Manager from this project - with this service is less then satisfying. An alternative 
> is IdeaTorrent [ http://www.ideatorrent.org/  ]. Again an unfortunate situation here is that the 
> developer is currently (AFAIK) not continuing development on this project.
>
> Pro:
> Users can give feedback about a product and vote on these ideas.
> Lot's of promotion of such system will lead to a good idea of the "real" need of the "active" 
> user trying to give LibO feedback.
> Users can offer multiple solutions.
> Users can comment, discuss, bookmark ideas.
>
> Con:
> It can get messy; users do not always describe things pretty
> Can lead to high maintenance depending on the amount of feedback.
>
>
> On Jun 17, 2011, at 12:53 , Sveinn í Felli wrote:
>
> > Has already been mentioned:
> > - direct feedback from inside LO
> > - online user surveys
> > - user polling system (on new/changed features)
> > - existing usage data [1]
> > - (future?) installation/download data [2]
> >
> > I can imagine additionally a couple of ways to get user/usage data:
> >
> > - Usage tests/surveys for institutions/enterprises/other group deployments. That is, something 
> > sysadmin/IT-staff can ask their users to participe in, maybe focusing also on their own 
> > deployment (being useful for them directly).
>
> This is something that must either be VERY comprehensive (due to differing usage models) - almost 
> impossible - or done/promoted at live events.
>
> > - Self tests; e.g "My word processing skills - basic level" or "Test your spreadsheet magic - 
> > advanced". People seem to like such tests, maybe it appeals more to the games/sudoku/crossword 
> > population.
>
> I like this idea, because we can do statistical research based upon estimated time to preform 
> (see below) certain tasks. ..../me dreaming about a google docs like test environment where tools 
> Click Monitor Tools can be used to trace users movements ...... At the end of the test, we can 
> then survey the users subjective experience and post these on said website for commenting.
>
> > - Timing some defined actions/workflows in differently setup alpha/beta versions could give 
> > good indications on whether a feature change is a progression or not. Could be resource 
> > demanding (building/comiling several additional branches) but could become relatively easy with 
> > a 'skin-enabled' interface.
>
>
> Go Firefox! :)
>
> Ok, I am done. I hope there was something in my rambling of value. Keep up the good work on the 
> thread, and if I can help here I will.
>
> ////shawn

Some user feedback exists in the Users email list and user supplied bug
reports. These usually consist of help requests, problems, and possible
features. I believe no one is tracking this information is a searchable
format.

-- 
Jay Lozier
jslozier@gmail.com

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