Give the customers what they want? It’s an admirable goal, but it can all go wrong if you don’t provide a proper feedback loop. There are many ways to tackle usability testing, but a fresh approach comes from Julia Shalet, who heads up the Digital Youth Project.

By way of background, Julia helps companies in the youth sector by engaging teenagers in innovative research formats. The result is a critical reality-check for products and services as well as an exciting knowledge-sharing exercise (execs get information to help them develop their offering and young people learn more about how businesses are run and ideas are realized.). With over 15 years experience in the industry, Julia has worked with clients including T-Mobile, Weeworld.com, Hertfordshire Careers Services and a variety of Internet and mobile start-ups. In 2007 she was named in Harper’s Bazaar “Top 40 entrepreneurs under the age of 40.”

During Heroes of the Mobile Screen (HOTMS), a grassroots mobile conference that brings together the people and topics people – not just industry – wants to hear, Julia will bring in a panel of Teenage Dragons for a Dragon’s Den session. Together the teens will test mobile gadgets and services, and provide painfully honest feedback. Yes, truth can hurt.

I caught up with Julia to find out more about her business, her approach and what she and industry execs have learned from connecting with the Teenage Dragons. A surprise to both of us: some of the teens experienced problems while preparing for the conference. They were asked to upload images and information via DropBox so that HOTMS organizers can project them on the screen during the session. Hmmm – perhaps DropBox should contact Julia for a reality-check and schedule a testing session with her group of students.

It’s a lively podcast with an anecdote involving a mobile exec who tested his mobile phone multiplayer game (one that invites people to create and play a game in real-life). I won’t give it all away – but let’s just say that the teenagers found it underwhelming and quite “naff.”

The takeaway: ALWAYS check what you think is cool with real people. You might be surprised.

Listen to the podcast here. [11:00]

NOTE; Heroes of the Mobile Screen is shaping up to be a top-notch, sell-out event. Some tickets are still available – and some 60 passes to Mobile World Congress will be awarded to paying delegates in a prize draw. For more information, check out the event website here or follow the excitement on Twitter (@hotms).

Disclaimer: MSearchGroove is a media partner and has agreed to promote the event in a short series of exclusive of podcasts (created and produced by MSG host Peggy Anne Salz).

          

Tags: digital youth, dragon's den, Heroes of the Mobile Screen, Usability

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm and is filed under Events, Mobile Research, Podcasts, Usability, Web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.