Download - UXPA DC UX 101 Workshop - Usability Testing

USABILITY TESTINGUXPA DC UX 101 Intensive Workshop – May 1, 2015

Stephanie M. Pratt, UXPA DC Secretary

@stephaniempratt @uxpadc #usability #dcux

@stephaniempratt @uxpadc #usability #uxdc

Who is Stephanie?


WHAT IS USABILITY?


What is usability?• Usability is how easy a product, website, object, etc. is to

use.

• 5 E’s of Usability:• Effective• Efficient• Engaging• Error Tolerant• Easy to Learn

(Whitney Quesenbery [2004] “Balancing the 5Es: Usability)


WHY IS USABILITY IMPORTANT?


Why is usability important?• If your website/product/item is not usable, your

users/audience won’t be able to complete their tasks.

• Your users/audience will then be searching for ways to get help or searching for alternative product/resource that is more usable


What is usability testing?• A research method to evaluate how usable a product,

object, website, etc. is.


What’s involved?• Your participant perform meaningful tasks to reach a goal• Participants are ideally your target users• Moderator (you or other team member)• Observers (you, design team, stakeholders, clients)• Recording data for analysis

• Minimum – recording screen / audio • Quantitative– clicks, error rate, task success rate, etc.


What can I test?


When should I test?• As early as possible

• Even with sketches or physical prototypes

• As often as possible

• Return on Investment of Usability Testing:• Save on development time• Less time to train new users• Less support calls / emails• More people complete their intended tasks


How do I Setup a Usability Test?• Identify key tasks that you are most interested in learning

about for that task

• What makes a good task?


Example Tasks• Purchase/order a product• Shop for auto insurance• Book an appointment


Exercise: Develop Tasks (5-10 min)• Imagine you want to test the usability of your smartphone.

• Breakup into teams of two and come up with 2-3 tasks you would want to test on your smartphone(s)

• Write them down to use as part of a test script


What’s next?• We need to develop the test script with those tasks.


What’s in a test script?• An introduction, to explain what is going to happen to the

participant/tester• Explain that they are not being tested and can’t make any mistakes

• Initial questions to understand their experience with web or product• E.g., How many hours a week do you use the internet for work and

personal use?• E.g., What is your favorite website?• E.g., How often do you do [something related to product]


What’s in a test script?• Explain think aloud protocol to the participant

• Have the participant/tester think out loud as they go through the tasks

• Cue yourself to record the computer screen or session

• Tasks • You may potentially need to give a scenario to put the tester in the mindset of

completing the tasks.

• Follow up questions• E.g., Single Ease Question (for each task) 1-7 scale• E.g., Confidence of completing task(s), 1-7 scale• E.g., Open ended (balanced) questions

• Thanking participant/tester


Exercise: Develop Short Test Script (5-10 min)

• Take your tasks and create a short test script• Add an introduction & a couple intro questions

• We will be using your test script to run a quick test.


OK, I have a test script. What now?• We need to recruit participants


How do I get participants?• Fast Recruitment

• Use Colleagues• Coffee Shops (offer to buy a coffee for a short test)• Co-testing Meetups• Metro stations, Bus stops

• Longer more specialized recruitment• Customers / Users – recruit through email/web• Craigslist/flyers/newspaper ads for representative users• Hire recruiters to help you get representative users• Recruit representative users from your network


How many participants do I need?


Nielsen Norman Group

How do I compensate participants?• Swag – T-shirts, reusable bags, pens, etc.• Cash• Gift Cards• Promotions (discounts)• Sometimes, if helping to improve the product is enough

for the tester, you don’t need to give anything


Scheduled the Participants. What now?

• Prepare to run the test• Practice moderation skills


How to moderate• The tester/participant does the majority of the talking

• Think therapist / guide

• Keep a poker face • Don’t let them know if they are right or wrong• Keep all questions unbiased

• Think “40 Year Old Virgin” • Respond to a question with a question

• Typical questions:• “What are you thinking?”• “Was that what you expected or not what you expected?”


How to moderateIf they… Say..

Are not talking “What are you thinking?”

Ask you a question (e.g., “Is that what I should do here?”)

Rephrase the question (e.g., “What do you think you should do?”)

Get a task right or wrong “Thank you, that is very helpful” “Thanks for the feedback”

Mess up “Remember, you can’t make any mistakes” “You’re doing a great job”

Are unsure if they have completed a task and ask you.

“Is this what you would do if you were doing X at home?”

Criticize the design “Thanks for the feedback”


Exercise: Run a Quick Usability Test• Find another team and run a quick usability test on your

phone with other folks in the room

• Follow your test script & have them complete 1 of your tasks

• Switch – so everyone is a participant or moderator at least once.


Additional Resources


THANK YOU!@stephaniempratt

[email protected]


Download - UXPA DC UX 101 Workshop - Usability Testing

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