Good Kickoff Meetings

Overview

The 20 Second “Gut” Test is a technique you can use to help clarify the preferences, specifically aesthetic preferences in visual design.

Materials & Requirements

• A collection of web pages, no more than 20 or so.
• Pre-printed score sheets with a Likert scale for each web page

Time Required

Well, it’s the 20 second test, so you can assume it will take 20 seconds multiplied by the number of web pages you are showing. That being said, it will take roughly half an hour to do about 20 websites, and if you are going to tabulate scores in real time, allow 45 minutes to an hour.

Steps

1. In advance of the meeting, assemble 20 or so screen captures of web pages. Try to capture a range of approaches and styles.
2. Put them in a random (or strategic) sequence in a Keynote or PowerPoint presentation. Place a letter of the alphabet on each slide, so that each web page has a different letter.
3. Create a scoring sheet that has only the letters and a Likert scale for each letter. It is important that you don’t list the names of the actual web pages you are going to display; seeing what is coming in advance would be giving them more than 20 seconds to formulate an opinion.
4. At the meeting, distribute the scoring sheets, and explain the exercise. Show each slide for 20 seconds, and have everyone circle the number that represents their gut reaction for each, with 5 being highest and 1 being lowest.
5. If possible, have someone gather the score sheets and tabulate live results (average the scores for each letter), so that later in the meeting, you can present the top 5 and bottom 5 to discuss.

Credits

• Chris Cashdollar