Little UX Participants in the Office

This week our UX Lab hosted over a dozen kids for one-on-one usability testing. Recruiting and testing 3-5 year olds can be a challenge to the most seasoned researcher, but here are a couple tips that we have found reduce the risky aspects of testing kids.

1. Don't recruit children that don't know how to use a computer, unless you want to see the right mouse dialog repeatedly throughout the session.
2. Ask what the child uses at home for an input device, as laptops dominate sales, many kids have used trackpads, not mice. If you are testing using a desktop, you can purchase USB trackpads.
3. Be prepared for bored siblings, young and old. Have distractions for other children that might be coming along, if you don't have something for them to do, they will certainly try to "help" their siblings.
   
4. Recommend to Mommy or Daddy that it might be a good idea to potty break right before going in.
5. If you need to test over lunch hours, remind parents that they might want to schedule lunch early, or a late morning snack to help avoid meltdowns.
6. Keep the sessions short. 30 minutes max for under 6.
7. Balloons for good listeners.
   

Sure, even with these guidelines we had tantrums, potty emergencies, a couple tumbles, but we had a blast. (and so did our client!)

Testing children requires patience, sure. But to be good at it, it requires a sense of humor and more importantly a sense of adventure.

A silver lining on the current job market?

I recently came across an article on The Work Buzz that provided some interesting figures on current trends happening in today's job market. It shows that half of the workers who were laid off in the last three months have already found new jobs! And, more than half were able to either maintain or even make gains with their new salaries! This seems to be in line with what we're currently seeing here as well, which only reinforces their statistics. This should definitely be great news to the many still out their looking to find their next great thing! Hang in there folks, it looks like we're slowly turning things around!

Here are some of the other interesting facts at a glance:

Changes in Pay
Looking at workers who were laid off in the last 12 months and found new jobs, more than half (56 percent) reported they were able to negotiate comparable or higher pay for their new positions. Forty-four percent of workers took a pay cut, down from 49 percent in March.

Transferring Skills to Other Industries and Fields
Workers reported they are applying their skills to new areas. Similar to the last survey, 38 percent of workers who were laid off in the last 12 months and landed new jobs said they found work in a different field than where they were previously employed. Of those workers, the majority said they really enjoy their new positions.

Relocation
Workers are no longer just looking for positions in their own backyards. One-in-five workers (20 percent) who were laid off in the last 12 months and found jobs relocated to a new city or state; up from 13 percent in March. Of those who are still looking for employment, 44 percent reported they would consider relocating for a job opportunity; up from 39 percent in March.

Starting a Business
An increased number of job seekers have adopted an “if you can’t find a job, create one” way of thinking. Nearly three-in-ten workers (29 percent) who have not found jobs are considering starting their own business; up from 25 percent in March.

Altering Appearance
The competition for a smaller number of jobs is driving some workers to alter their everyday appearances in hopes of making a stronger impression. More than a quarter (28 percent) of workers who were laid off in the last 12 months said they have changed their appearance to make themselves more attractive to potential employers. Fourteen percent said they have lost weight, 8 percent have changed their hair color or hairstyle and 5 percent are dressing to appear younger. Teeth whitening, enhanced makeup and cosmetic procedures were also cited.