Presentation
MDD15 - From Plinko to Precision: A Methodical Process to Capture Actionable Root Cause
SessionPoster Session 2
DescriptionImagine you are in the middle of root cause during a human factors study. In the moment, you ask questions to craft a productive debrief conversation and think you have collected sufficient information. After the study wraps up, you begin drafting the report and it turns out that debrief conversation was not as productive as you thought. You have one or more use errors without a clear root cause.
We have all been there.
What if there was a methodology to help ensure you have gathered sufficient detail to author root cause summaries every time? What if that methodology was inspired by Plinko, the Price Is Right game?
In the Price Is Right game, Plinko, contestants are given “Plinko chips” which can be used on the “Plinko board”. The contestant holds one chip at a time at the top of the vertical Plinko pegboard, releasing it to let it fall through the slots in between the pegs. Chips land in a pocket at the bottom of the board corresponding to a prize amount. However, every so often, a Plinko chip may become stuck or take an unexpected path to the bottom of the board, not unlike the path of a root cause conversation with a study participant.
This poster will teach readers the methodology of Human Factors Plinko. In HFE Plinko (root cause phase of a usability study), we imagine the pockets at the bottom of the board represent root cause categories that can help the moderator author a usability study report. This methodology guides study practitioners to follow their HFE Plinko chip (use error) to a successful landing in a pocket (root cause category) at the bottom of the Plinko board. Do not let your chip get stuck along the way or assume you know where it will end up!
Sounds like an interesting way to make root cause more fun during your study, right?
This poster will provide a framework moderators can use during the debrief phase of a human factors study to ensure they find the true root cause when use errors occur. The poster will cover:
• How to recognize when you’ve identified a root cause and how to continue exploring when you haven’t. Just like a Plinko chip doesn’t always land where you expect, root cause discussions can lead to surprising insights
• How using the HFE Plinko framework can help guide moderators through the debrief phase of human factors studies to identify the “pocket” where the true root cause of use errors lie
• The importance of asking open ended questions that allow the user to lead the discussion, like how a chip follows its natural path down the HFE Plinko board, rather than forcing it into a predetermined root cause pocket
This framework is useful during both formative and summative studies. During a formative study, detailed root cause can inform the project team of what design changes would be most valuable moving forward. During a summative study, this framework can help guide the moderator to gather additional information after RCA to bolster residual risk rationale.
By using this methodology and framework to gather root cause, you will be a winner every time you play Human Factors Plinko. And remember, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
We have all been there.
What if there was a methodology to help ensure you have gathered sufficient detail to author root cause summaries every time? What if that methodology was inspired by Plinko, the Price Is Right game?
In the Price Is Right game, Plinko, contestants are given “Plinko chips” which can be used on the “Plinko board”. The contestant holds one chip at a time at the top of the vertical Plinko pegboard, releasing it to let it fall through the slots in between the pegs. Chips land in a pocket at the bottom of the board corresponding to a prize amount. However, every so often, a Plinko chip may become stuck or take an unexpected path to the bottom of the board, not unlike the path of a root cause conversation with a study participant.
This poster will teach readers the methodology of Human Factors Plinko. In HFE Plinko (root cause phase of a usability study), we imagine the pockets at the bottom of the board represent root cause categories that can help the moderator author a usability study report. This methodology guides study practitioners to follow their HFE Plinko chip (use error) to a successful landing in a pocket (root cause category) at the bottom of the Plinko board. Do not let your chip get stuck along the way or assume you know where it will end up!
Sounds like an interesting way to make root cause more fun during your study, right?
This poster will provide a framework moderators can use during the debrief phase of a human factors study to ensure they find the true root cause when use errors occur. The poster will cover:
• How to recognize when you’ve identified a root cause and how to continue exploring when you haven’t. Just like a Plinko chip doesn’t always land where you expect, root cause discussions can lead to surprising insights
• How using the HFE Plinko framework can help guide moderators through the debrief phase of human factors studies to identify the “pocket” where the true root cause of use errors lie
• The importance of asking open ended questions that allow the user to lead the discussion, like how a chip follows its natural path down the HFE Plinko board, rather than forcing it into a predetermined root cause pocket
This framework is useful during both formative and summative studies. During a formative study, detailed root cause can inform the project team of what design changes would be most valuable moving forward. During a summative study, this framework can help guide the moderator to gather additional information after RCA to bolster residual risk rationale.
By using this methodology and framework to gather root cause, you will be a winner every time you play Human Factors Plinko. And remember, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
Event Type
Poster Presentation
TimeTuesday, April 14:45pm - 6:15pm EDT
LocationFrontenac Foyer