Deep in start-up race – entering last sprint before POC, and a friend sends me a link to Marty Cagan’s most recent post on SVPG.  It’s all about the MVP vs. Minimal product.  (Read it here).   The thing in the article that resonates for me, a UX person, is how a “usability test” can be SO MUCH MORE.

Early morning in Portland, walking through the results of User Testing with the Scrum Team

It is critical  to figure out — when one is making a new product, especially, not just IF someone can use it….. but WILL they.    Will they buy it, and use it, make it a part of their lives, and recommend it to their friends and colleagues?  How do you find this out?  Lots of market research, sure.  But we can also grab some of this information during UX sessions — where we have traditionally focused on “can the user figure out how to perform critical tasks”  and “is the experience pleasurable — or  just not heinous.” Read More →