I’m willing to bet that you’ve experienced “writer’s block” before. I’d be lying to say that I have not, because I just did. As I sat down to write about Centercode’s new Project Kickoff Dashboard, I was struggling to come up with where to begin. Then it hit me—kicking off a project can often be very similar to writer’s block. Where do you start?

The new Centercode Kickoff Dashboard is like turning a complicated paper into a mad-lib. Fill in the blanks with as much complexity as you’d like and see how the story evolves. The dashboard provides an easy-to-follow outline that will get your test started quickly so that you can focus on delivering a great result. But don’t mistake “easy” for “basic.” The dashboard provides the flexibility to make significant project modifications to align with your specific user test. It’ll then show you results along the way so you know things are working correctly.

The Project Kickoff Dashboard is designed to spin up a delta project, but can be used for beta or field tests as well. In case you’ve not heard the term, delta testing is a user testing practice used by agile and continuous delivery development teams for launch readiness testing. When you use the Project Kickoff Dashboard for the first time you’ll get a couple of immediate benefits: speed and consistency.

Speed

Using the Project Kickoff Dashboard means tests can be started up much quicker than they used to be. Instead of searching for that checklist you created for your last test, or trying to remember exactly what things need to be set up, it’s all in one simple flow. Starting at the top, answer some questions and fill in the blanks for a quick and seamless kickoff, every time. Each section has a specific purpose that’s tailored to the project type you’re running. This will get you started with less hassle and a lot quicker.

Test Consistency

The Project Kickoff Dashboard makes your process repeatable! No more trying to remember what you did last time or exactly how you set it up. The Project Kickoff Dashboard IS your checklist. Why does this matter? Because being able to compare results between tests is important in an agile environment. Just as you compare sprints to each other and look for improvements in a retrospective, comparing your tests lets you identify improvements in your user testing process. Test consistency will also give insight to product improvements. You’ll be able to visibly see the builds getting better (or worse) and have quick data on how to improve the product.

With faster tests and more consistent results, this dashboard brings real, tangible value to your user tests.

If you would like to read more about the new Project Kickoff Dashboard and other user testing best practices, check out the video below and check out the release notes for more in depth information and a walkthrough of the process.