Improve Your Website with Usability Testing Michael Lambur eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader Virginia Tech National Extension Technology Conference April 28, 2008 Raleigh, NC

Usability testing A means for determining how well people use a website for its intended purpose Involves observing people using the website to discover what works well and where improvements need to be made Can be invaluable in improving website functionality and ultimately its purpose for your users

A means for determining how well people use a website for its intended purpose

Involves observing people using the website to discover what works well and where improvements need to be made

Can be invaluable in improving website functionality and ultimately its purpose for your users

Key usability testing elements How many users to involve What needs to be tested Tasks to be performed Questions to ask users Observation techniques Observer guidelines

How many users to involve

What needs to be tested

Tasks to be performed

Questions to ask users

Observation techniques

Observer guidelines

How many users to involve Quantity is not as important as quality “The best results come from testing no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford.” Jakob Nielsen, Sun Microsystems For a one time test, 12-15 users are probably sufficient, providing they are representative of your targeted user population

Quantity is not as important as quality

“The best results come from testing no more than 5 users and running as many small tests as you can afford.” Jakob Nielsen, Sun Microsystems

For a one time test, 12-15 users are probably sufficient, providing they are representative of your targeted user population

Screening users You can screen users to get the appropriate ones for your test Do you surf the web and how often? Familiarity with ??? Age Education Ethnicity Gender

You can screen users to get the appropriate ones for your test

Do you surf the web and how often?

Familiarity with ???

Age

Education

Ethnicity

Gender

What needs to be tested Should be driven by the intended purpose of the website Goes beyond asking users “do you understand this” to watching users try to use your website for its intended purpose Involves creating a scenario where the user performs a set of tasks using your website What needs to be tested is determined by what you want users to do on your website

Should be driven by the intended purpose of the website

Goes beyond asking users “do you understand this” to watching users try to use your website for its intended purpose

Involves creating a scenario where the user performs a set of tasks using your website

What needs to be tested is determined by what you want users to do on your website

What needs to be tested Time on task – How long does it take to complete a task? Accuracy – How many mistakes were made? Recall – How much does the user remember afterwards? Emotional response – How does the user feel about the tasks completed?

Time on task – How long does it take to complete a task?

Accuracy – How many mistakes were made?

Recall – How much does the user remember afterwards?

Emotional response – How does the user feel about the tasks completed?

Tasks to be performed Tasks should be focused on the intended purpose of the website Some example tasks: Locate something Create something Explore something Use something

Tasks should be focused on the intended purpose of the website

Some example tasks:

Locate something

Create something

Explore something

Use something

Questions to ask users Can ask users pre-questions Which websites do you most often visit? How do you usually find information on the web? Do you ever go to websites to find information on a particular topic? How familiar are you with ???

Can ask users pre-questions

Which websites do you most often visit?

How do you usually find information on the web?

Do you ever go to websites to find information on a particular topic?

How familiar are you with ???

Questions to ask users During the usability test, questions should be tied to the task and the purpose of the website For example: What are your first thoughts as you look at this page? What types of information would you expect to find on this page? Is this what you expected? Anything unexpected? Is there anything you especially like on this page? Is anything confusing or hard to understand? Any other specific questions related to tasks

During the usability test, questions should be tied to the task and the purpose of the website

For example:

What are your first thoughts as you look at this page?

What types of information would you expect to find on this page? Is this what you expected? Anything unexpected?

Is there anything you especially like on this page?

Is anything confusing or hard to understand?

Any other specific questions related to tasks

Observation techniques Can use unobtrusive or obtrusive observation Unobtrusive observation means no interaction with the user as they interact with the website This limits your ability understand how the user interacts with your website by asking questions

Can use unobtrusive or obtrusive observation

Unobtrusive observation means no interaction with the user as they interact with the website

This limits your ability understand how the user interacts with your website by asking questions

Observation techniques Unobtrusive observation can be misleading because behaviors that you observe can have many interpretations For example, if a user didn’t click a link, perhaps the user didn’t see the link or didn’t understand it You can’t know the reason without asking the user

Unobtrusive observation can be misleading because behaviors that you observe can have many interpretations

For example, if a user didn’t click a link, perhaps the user didn’t see the link or didn’t understand it

You can’t know the reason without asking the user

Observation techniques Obtrusive observation means interacting with the user as they interact with the website Observers must be: Nonjudgmental Genuine and transparent Adaptive to each user

Obtrusive observation means interacting with the user as they interact with the website

Observers must be:

Nonjudgmental

Genuine and transparent

Adaptive to each user

Observer guidelines Observers may be asked to record: Verbal comments (users are often asked to think aloud as they move through the test) Errors (number and type) Emotional responses (confusion, frustration, focus, etc.) If a user is unable to complete a task

Observers may be asked to record:

Verbal comments (users are often asked to think aloud as they move through the test)

Errors (number and type)

Emotional responses (confusion, frustration, focus, etc.)

If a user is unable to complete a task

Observer guidelines Remain distant from the task and do not assist the user Answer a question with a question: User question: What does this text mean? Response: What do you think it means? User question: Do I have to click here? Response: What do you think will happen if you click there?

Remain distant from the task and do not assist the user

Answer a question with a question:

User question: What does this text mean?

Response: What do you think it means?

User question: Do I have to click here?

Response: What do you think will happen if you click there?

Observer guidelines Get users to speak in terms of problems, not solutions User observation: This label isn’t right. Incorrect response: What would make it a better label? Correct response: Why isn’t it right? User observation: This page is dull. Incorrect response: How would you improve it? Correct response: Why don’t you like it?

Get users to speak in terms of problems, not solutions

User observation: This label isn’t right.

Incorrect response: What would make it a better label?

Correct response: Why isn’t it right?

User observation: This page is dull.

Incorrect response: How would you improve it?

Correct response: Why don’t you like it?

Key usability testing elements How many users to involve What needs to be tested Tasks to be performed Questions to ask users Observation techniques Observer guidelines

How many users to involve

What needs to be tested

Tasks to be performed

Questions to ask users

Observation techniques

Observer guidelines

References for usability testing http://grouplab.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/saul/hci_topics/assignments/usability/ass2_usabil.html http://www.testingstandards.co.uk/usability_guidelines.htm http://www.uxmatters.com/MT/archives/000183.php

http://grouplab.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/saul/hci_topics/assignments/usability/ass2_usabil.html

http://www.testingstandards.co.uk/usability_guidelines.htm

http://www.uxmatters.com/MT/archives/000183.php

References for usability testing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testing http://www.webcredible.co.uk/services/usability-testing.shtml http://www.usability.gov/refine/learnusa.html http://www.interactionarchitect.com/knowledge/article19991212shd.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testing

http://www.webcredible.co.uk/services/usability-testing.shtml

http://www.usability.gov/refine/learnusa.html

http://www.interactionarchitect.com/knowledge/article19991212shd.htm

References for usability testing http://about.extension.org/mediawiki/files/c/c3/eXtension_Public_Website_Usability_Test_Protocol.pdf

http://about.extension.org/mediawiki/files/c/c3/eXtension_Public_Website_Usability_Test_Protocol.pdf