Novell (Ximian)

Making free and open source software easier for everyone to use, one usability session at a time.

The role at a glance

Business: Ximian, an open source startup born at MIT and acquired by Novell, packaging Linux and open source software for business, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop.
Hired to: Run usability testing that helped make open source software accessible to people beyond its developers.
Key wins: Usability studies with feedback tracked openly in the open source community, video reports stakeholders could take in quickly, and a research lab upgraded for mobile testing and better accessibility.
Moved on: In 2007, to Harmonix, to found their player research practice.

The business

Open source, for everyone

Ximian began as an MIT-born startup known for making the Linux desktop friendlier, and was acquired by Novell before I joined. The team kept bringing Linux and free, open source software to business, and their contributions to the open source community are best known under the Ximian name. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop was its commercial distribution, built with and for an open community.

The brief

Make it usable beyond its developers

Open source software is built by people who know it inside out. My job was to find out how it worked for everyone else, and to share what we learned in a way the community could act on.

What I did

Test, show, and improve the lab

Ran usability studies in the open

I designed and proctored usability tests, and tracked the feedback within the open source community, so developers outside the company could see and use it.

Turned video into findings

I analysed the feedback and curated session video into short, digestible reports for stakeholders.

Upgraded the lab

I maintained the research lab's technology to suit our needs and budget, and upgraded it for mobile testing and better accessibility.

How it ended

From one person and a desktop, to four and a band

In 2007 I joined Harmonix's new user research team. I went from watching one person struggle with a desktop operating system to watching four people argue about a band.