Revolving Door Technique: a low-planning, multi-topic rapid data collection approach

Date and time:
April 22, 2008
7:00-9:00 p.m.
6:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner at La Madeleine for those who would like to join us. (Directions below)

Location:
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814
View Mapquest map

Description:
Near the end of 2006, the new, quite large website we were working on was nearing launch. Most site product areas needed rapid user feedback due to an aggressive development schedule. And, as we neared launch, more functionality was available so it was actually feasible to test user response to the working elements. However, with a 2-person research team and MANY disparate small research needs, we had to develop a way to effectively get customer input within days of the frequent requests.

We developed the Revolving Door technique in response to this need. It’s called Revolving Door because we scheduled participants to come in a steady stream over a period of 5 weeks and altered the usual research request process allow last-second requests to come in, thus shuffling and changing what topics were put in front of the revolving series of participants.

Working with lots of different topics with a high volume of participants and providing analysis within 2 to 3 days of starting testing helped us learn a lot about juggling disparate needs. We are eager to share what we learned in order to help other research teams provide agile, rapid research with confidence and without going bonkers.

Biographies:
Leah Rader With 10 years experience in understanding and crafting user experiences through qualitative research methods, Leah most enjoys the improvisational moments in participant interviews. She has delved into the behavior and thinking of customers as a head researcher for consulting firms, e-Lab, Sapient, and Matter. She started up the user experience research practice for Marriott International and most recently has worked with Revolution Health as a freelance researcher.

Beth Toland Beth has a broad range of experience having worked in most major functions of the web--from design and information architecture to content development and research. Her specialty is messaging and branding which is particularly useful in solutions development and opportunity mapping. Beth has led projects for consulting firms Andersen and Sapient, and helped build the research practice at Marriott International. Most recently, she developed the research offering at Revolution Health, where she pioneered several new data collection methods.

Registration
Registration is now closed.

Cost
$5 members
$15 nonmembers

Directions to the Program:
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814. The Center is in the two-story County office building on the plaza level of the Metropolitan complex, above a County parking garage.

By Car:
The entrance to the parking garage is marked with a large blue Bethesda Center parking sign. Parking is available in the garage - $.75 per hour short-term (3 hours or less), $.50 per hour for over 3 hours. If you are coming south on Old Georgetown Road (from the Beltway use exit 36), turn right on Woodmont Avenue and the parking entrance is almost immediately on your left (second driveway). If you are coming south on Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike, turn right onto Woodmont Avenue, go south for approximately one mile, cross Old Georgetown Road, and the parking garage entrance is the second driveway on your left. If you are coming north on Wisconsin or west on Rt. 410, take Old Georgetown Road north, turn left at the second traffic light (Woodmont Ave.) and the garage entrance will be on your left (it's the second driveway). Take the elevators from the parking garage to the plaza level (P). The building is located at the center of the plaza. County and American flags and a sign bearing the County seal mark the entrance to the building.

By Metro, Bus or on Foot:
The building is located across the street from the Bethesda Metro station. From the Bethesda Metro Station, take the escalator from the bus bay to the plaza level, turn left, walk past the clock tower and across to the Metropolitan plaza using the pedestrian bridge. If you are walking from any other location, the Center's street entrance is at 4605 Edgemoor Lane (corner of Old Georgetown and Edgemoor) and is marked with County and American flags. Take the elevator to level 2 for meeting rooms.

Directions to Dinner:
La Madeleine is located at:
7607 Old Georgetown Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814.
The restaurant is a short walk from the Bethesda Metro stop.
View the MapQuest Map

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