[Sigia-l] secret question & answer

[Samantha Bailey]

Hi,

Has anyone dealt with "secret question & answer" approaches to verifying
authentication data (login & pwd(? We are working on an interface design
that requires the user to select 3 questions and their corresponding answers
(from a total list of approximately 20 questions). Additionally we need to
support the option of allowing the user to create their own questions for
1-3 of the 3 required questions (i.e., the user can choose two of our
questions and make one up or any other combination they like).

We're on our second iteration based on usability tests and unfortunately our
"improved" design actually tested *worse* the second time around. Our tests
have shown a few things:
-users are confused by the "create your own" question option; for the most
part they seem to find it a distraction and "overkill"
-a number of users (the majority) are typing their own question into the
answer box and not realizing that they haven't provided an answer (well,
really that they've provided an answer in response to a question they won't
associate as "theirs")
-some users feel that having to answer 3 questions is overkill
-users think that they will have to remember the question *and* the answer
and are worried about how they'll do that; something about the number of
questions and the fact that they're choosing the question they want to ask
seems to be leading to this conclusion

Based on all of this, our feeling has been that it would be simpler to drop
the "create your own question" option, but our team doesn't have the
last-say on that one, and it's going to stay one of the requirements.
So...we have to get the interface working.

Anyone aware of examples of secrete Q&A with create your own in an interface
you've liked? Any advice?

We've kicked around a number of options and are now leaning toward
presenting three question & answer interface boxes on the page with "create
your own question" as the last option in the drop down. If the user selects
this option, a dynamically generated insert box for the question and answer
will populate the screen.

Am interested to hear how others have handled this. Will happily compile
responses offline or on and send to the group. Thanks!

Samantha Bailey
samantha at baileysorts.com | http://baileysorts.com