Ways to use Engage
Fable Engage makes it easy to collect feedback from assistive technology users when you need it, regardless of where you are in your product development cycle.
Not sure where to start? Check out some common use cases and recommended ways to start engaging Fable testers.
- Getting started
- Assistive technology types
- Education and socialization
- Establishing a baseline
- Development and QA
- Research
- Design
Have questions about any of these recommendations? Reach out to your Customer Success Manager or book time in Fable’s support hours.
Getting started
To set up your account and get familiar with Engage, we recommend following these steps:
- Company manager sets up projects and digital properties
- Set up environments, as needed
- Create an Education project and run three informational user interviews
- Pick one key task
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- Run a Compatibility Test and a Self-Guided Task or User Interview
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- Compare metrics and tester feedback
Assistive technology types
Familiarize yourself with the types of assistive technologies that Fable testers use.
Screen readers
Software that converts what’s on screen to speech output or Braille.
Magnification
A screen magnifier is software that enlarges the text and graphics on a computer or smartphone screen.
- iOS Zoom
- Android Zoom
- Browser Zoom
Alternative navigation
Some users may not be able to use a mouse or keyboard. Instead, they use software or alternative hardware devices to navigate.
- Headmouse
- On-screen keyboard
Establishing a baseline
Not sure how accessible your products currently are?
Get started with this recommended request combination:
- Compatibility Test for each key task
- 2-3 Self-Guided Tasks for each key task
- Track completion rates and AUS scores
- Repeat as needed for subsequent flows
A good place to start is to identify 3-5 key task flows and capture a baseline understanding of accessibility and usability for each. This is also a great way to start thinking about benchmarking your accessibility efforts over time.
Tips
- Streamline this process by exporting to Jira
- Use the Fable Insight Annotations for Figma and clip sharing features to document issues
- Use digital properties to track progress
Development and QA
Prioritize accessibility pre and post launch by uncovering any compatibility issues that may exist between assistive technologies, browsers and devices. Follow up on the feedback you receive by engaging one-on-one with an expert screen reader user. Discuss any issues in more detail and get technical suggestions on how to improve the experience.
Get started with this recommended request combination:
- Compatibility Test to test critical task flows with various configurations
- Create Jira tickets from the results
- Self-Guided Tasks to validate the usability of task flows pre-release
- QA Sessions to resolve critical issues with guidance from expert screen reader users
Research
Integrate inclusive design principles into your research practice.
Get started with this recommended request combination:
If you are working with a live product conduct user interviews with:
- Screen Reader,
- Screen Magnification, and
- Alternative Navigation users
Lean about assistive technology users and get feedback on both accessibility and usability. Whether you are going through a live product or want to discuss user preferences at a higher level – always spend some time learning more about the user, their needs, and challenges.
Tips
Consider identifying a task, and observe the tester go through the user journey sharing feedback on things like:
- Layout and structure
- Does the tester know what they need to do to complete the task?
- Is complex problem solving required?
- Can the task be easily completed with their preferred configuration?
Design
Integrate inclusive design principles into practice.
Get started with this recommended request combination:
If you are working with a prototype conduct prototype reviews with:
- Screen Magnification,
- Alternative Navigation users
Even if you are working with a prototype, you can still get valuable feedback by engaging assistive technology users. When working with a prototype, you can easily validate design decisions, and get feedback from assistive technology users on things like colours, layout, UI, typography and more.
Tips
Identify a task, and share your screen with the tester (unfortunately, the nature of many prototyping tools is not compatible with assistive technology). Have them direct you, or think out loud, gathering feedback on things like:
- Layout and structure
- How would a tester naturally explore your product using their preferred configuration?
- What they would need to do to complete a certain task?
- Would complex problem solving be required?
- Can the user share experiences with similar tasks or UI/UX?