• Where do you do the tests?
  • Usability tests can be done in a market research facility with 2 rooms and a one-way mirror.
  • Or usability tests can be done in a conference room.
  • It depends on your budget, your observers, and your company culture.
• Who is doing the recruiting?
• Where are the observers sitting?
• Schedule a dry run of the usability test before the first actual test.
  • This is not always done, but it is highly recommended.
  • Quite often there are problems with the development prototype and data the first time.
  • Better to shake out the problems during a dry run.
• Schedule the actual tests.
  • You should have 3 to 5 testers per each major group of users.
  • As a rule of thumb, allow 2 hours between each test.
  • Schedule no more than 3 tests in a day.
  • Plan on 20 - 30 minutes to review your notes in between each test.
• Do you record the test?
  • Many usability tests are recorded on videotape, with a view of the computer screen and audio of the user.
  • In reality, the tapes are rarely watched.

Roles in the usability test

• Facilitator
  • Handles the user just before and after the test, and during the test.
  • Top priority is to make users feel comfortable.
  • Second priority is to make sure that the test is going smoothly and producing good, objective usability data.
• Observers
  • Highly recommended to have a dedicated observer from each important stakeholder group.
  • Observing well is hard and exhausting.
  • Observers should forget about what they want to see, forget about what they want to change, and focus only on observing.
  • Observers should take brief notes about what is happening.
  • The notes focus on what occurs when users are having difficulties or hesitations.
  • Notes also should clearly state if the user was in fact successful in the task.
    

• The facilitator makes sure everything is ready to go.
• The user arrives and is greeted, often by someone other than the facilitator.
• The facilitator briefs the user about what to expect
  • Overview of the kind of technology or tasks she will be using - being careful not to say too much.
  • She will be working through scenarios.
  • She should talk aloud about what she is doing.
  • She should just be herself, and not worry about doing the task right or wrong.

who we are

what we do

success stories

the business value

how we make a difference

articles and links

Grant Consulting, Inc. located in metro St. Louis, MO, USA	1013 Bradington Court Columbia, IL 62236	info@grantconsulting.com (314) 581-0384

Copyright © 2003 by Grant Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.