Usability Testing

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Chapter 5

• Usability Testing

Slide extracts from text book GUI design
essentials,Authors Susan Weinschenk, Pamela
Jamar, Sarah C. Yeo PublisherWiley
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Usability testing

• How new is the design?
• How accessible are your users?
• How critical is the interface?

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Usability testing

• Here are some myths
• Myth 1 You need an expensive usability lab to
  to usability testing
• Myth 2 You should test at the end of the
  development cycle
• Myth 3 You should test everything you can
• Myth 4 You need to test 100 people
• Myth 5 A good test means no changes are
  necessary
• Myth 6 Usability testing is the same as system
  testing
• Myth 7 Usability testing is the same as a
  design review

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Usability testing

• Ensure you data is meaningful by
• Identify the scope of the test
• Plan and prepare for the test
• Conduct the test
• Analyze and report the results

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Identify the Scope of the Test

• Decide on the medium
• Decide on Interaction
• Low-Interaction Techniques
• High-Interaction Techniques

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Identify the Scope of the Test

• Select Type of Test
• Computer Media with Low Interaction
• Computer Media with High Interaction
• Lo-Fi Paper Prototype and High Interaction
• Lo-Fi Paper Prototype and Low Interaction

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Identify the Scope of the Test

• Decide on the test Environment
• Will you be testing in a lab?
• Will you be video-taping the test?
• Advantages
• It gives you clear, incontrovertible evidence to
  back up your results
• You are free from taking profuse notes and
  missing critical information
• After the test you can go back and study
  particular tasks to deduce what actually occurred
• You have the makings of an excerpt tape

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Identify the Scope of the Test

• Will you be video-taping the test?
• Disadvantages
• Videotaping often inhibits the participants
• You have one more thing to worry about
• There will be a lot of data to analyze
• Review and Confirm Usability Specifications
• Choose Participants

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Plan and Prepare for the Test

• Create Test Scenarios

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Plan and Prepare for the Test

• Develop a Usability Test Plan
• The goals of your test
• Testing schedule
• Testing method
• Participant demographics
• Test procedures

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Plan and Prepare for the Test

• Prepare Test Materials
• The prototype
• Test scenarios
• Thinking aloud instructions
• Observer forms
• Observer instructions
• Logging software
• Video/audiotaping equipment

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Plan and Prepare for the Test

• Prepare Test Materials
• Survey forms
• Briefing instruction
• Stress that you are testing the product not them
• Tell them you are looking for problems in the
  product
• Let them know if online help is available
• Tell the participant it is okay to quit at any
  time
• Talk about the equipment in the room

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Plan and Prepare for the Test

• Prepare Test Materials (cont.)
• Explain how to think aloud
• Demonstrate thinking aloud and have them practice
• Explain how much help you will provide
• Briefly describe the tasks and introduce the
  product
• Ask if there are any questions
• Confidentiality and permission forms

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Plan and Prepare for the Test

• Prepare Test Materials (cont.)
• Posttest interview list
• Ask questions about some of their actions
• Ask direct questions or for opinions
• Clarify some of the comments they made
• Ask a set of prepared questions you have created
• Ask them to fill out a survey form
• thank them for their participation
• Run a pilot Test

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Conduct the Test

• Greet the participant
• Introduce yourself
• Cover the items on your briefing form
• Have the participant fill out any necessary
  posttest forms
• Hold your posttest interview
• Thank the participant

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Analyze and Report Test Results

• If you were the one to actually run the tests,
  give yourself a day or two after the test to not
  analyze results
• Work on each task one at a time
• Focus first on problems, last on solutions
• keep in mind the goal -you are trying to improve
  the interface

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Analyze and Report Test Results

• Develop a Preliminary Report

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Analyze and Report Test Results

• Develop a Final Report

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Analyze and Report Test Results

• Develop a Final Report (cont.)

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Analyze and Report Test Results

• Develop a Final Report (cont.)

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Analyze and Report Test Results

• Creating a Video Excerpt Tape
• Preparing a Presentation

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Summary