Working remotely can pose many challenges for usability testing teams, especially when it comes to collaboration and communication. How can you ensure that your team members are on the same page, share feedback, and support each other effectively? Here are some tips to help you build a collaborative work environment remotely.
Before you start any usability testing project, make sure that you and your team have a clear and shared understanding of the goals, objectives, and scope of the project. Assign roles and responsibilities to each team member, such as test facilitator, observer, note-taker, or analyst. Communicate your expectations and deadlines clearly and regularly, and use a project management tool to track your progress and tasks.
One of the key factors for successful remote collaboration is choosing the right tools for your team. You will need tools that allow you to conduct usability tests online, such as video conferencing, screen sharing, recording, and survey platforms. You will also need tools that enable you to communicate, share, and review your findings, such as instant messaging, email, cloud storage, and collaboration software. Make sure that your team is familiar with the tools you use, and provide training and support if needed.
Communication is essential for remote collaboration, but it can also be challenging and overwhelming. To avoid confusion and frustration, establish a communication rhythm for your team. This means setting up regular meetings, check-ins, and updates, as well as defining the best channels and methods for different types of communication. For example, you might use video calls for brainstorming and feedback sessions, email for formal reports and documents, and chat for quick questions and updates.
It’s important to have a mix of structured and unstructured meetings. You should always have a one on one with your manager at a weekly or biweekly cadence. It’s also good to have team-specific and project-specific meetings at the cadence makes sense. Finally, there should be larger meetings with your org or company 2-4x per year. Outside of scheduled meetings, impromptu chats and asynchronous messaging should be used to develop working relationships as well. Plus, there’s always a good reason to have fun meetings - especially when you have new team members.
The daily stand-up meeting is a good way to keep everyone in the team in sync and also catch issues that needs to be addressed or escalated. Keep it short, and focused. We use these three talking points: -What did I do yesterday? -What will I do today to reach my sprint goal? -Do I have any impediments?
Feedback and participation are crucial for improving your usability testing processes and outcomes, as well as for building trust and rapport among your team members. Encourage your team to share their insights, opinions, and suggestions, and to provide constructive and respectful feedback to each other. Create a safe and supportive space for your team to express their thoughts and feelings, and to ask for help when they need it. Recognize and appreciate your team's contributions and achievements, and celebrate your successes together.
Remote collaboration can also be a great opportunity for learning and growth, both individually and collectively. Foster a learning culture in your team by encouraging curiosity, experimentation, and reflection. Share your best practices, tips, and resources with your team, and learn from each other's experiences and perspectives. Seek feedback from your users and stakeholders, and use it to improve your usability testing methods and results. Keep track of your lessons learned, and apply them to your future projects.
I like to have people share not only what they read or attended, but what they learned and what stood out to them the most. That way, we all learn together.
Finally, don't forget to have some fun with your team. Remote collaboration can be stressful and isolating, so it's important to inject some humor, creativity, and fun into your work. Organize some informal and social activities with your team, such as virtual coffee breaks, games, quizzes, or happy hours. Show your personality, interests, and hobbies, and get to know your team members better. Having fun can help you reduce stress, boost morale, and strengthen your team spirit.