The document discusses usability testing for information architecture (IA). It defines usability testing as observing users performing tasks to evaluate a design against success criteria. Conducting usability tests throughout development can provide important insights. For IA testing, common goals are verifying terminology, groupings, navigation flows, and user satisfaction with the foundational structure. Example methods covered are card sorting, tree testing, and prototype navigation testing. The document stresses the importance of focusing test reports on significant findings and actionable recommendations while acknowledging constraints.

1. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Building a Solid Foundation:
Usability & Information
Architecture
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2. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
TODAY’S DISCUSSION
•
What is usability testing?
•
Benefits of usability testing
•
Planning a usability test
• Goals for an IA usability test
• Common test approaches for IA
• Reporting test results
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3. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
“Usability testing isn’t about checking whether the
people can use your website. It is about checking that
your website lets them do what they need to do.
It’s a subtle but important difference, and one to keep
in mind when you’re testing. You are testing your
work, not people’s abilities.”
Donna Spencer, A Practical Guide to Information
Architecture, 2nd Edition
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4. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Usability testing
• Usability testing is a process where actual users are observed performing real
tasks using the product being evaluated by the testing (Barnum; Dumas and
Redish).
• Evaluates the usability of a design against defined success criteria
• Conducted throughout the life cycle: “test early, test often”
• Tests the following questions:
• Does the product meet user needs?
• Does the product meet user expectations?
?
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Image credit: Cached from ranign.com

5. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Benefits of usability testing your IA
• Learn early whether your design matches user success criteria
• Where gaps and miscues occur
• Where the design is successful
• What alternative paths and relationships are expected
• What other terminology is needed
• Probe deeper into the mental models of those who have to use your IA
• Engage users in the design process
• Gain team support for user-centered design
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6. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Planning a usability test
• WHY: What you want to learn – study goals
• WHO: Groups of users you need to talk to
• WHAT: Specific information to discuss and scenarios to cover
• HOW: Methods to use, success criteria, and reporting structure
• WHEN: Session schedule
• WHERE: Location of session
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7. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Goals for an IA usability test
• Verify terminology matches that of your users
• Make sure groupings and relationships make sense to users
• Identify alternative terminology
• Verify navigation flows match real work flows
• Understand user satisfaction and perception of success with the foundation of
your work
• What would you test for?
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8. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Example test summary
Navigation [1]
User: Current insurance customer Location: Marketing Research Facility
Method: Remote, Treejack Study Date: March 2015
Materials: Site outline Status: In progress
Goals: • Discover whether the site organization matches how users look for quotes.
• Discover whether the terminology makes sense to a general audience.
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Common test
approaches

10. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Card Sort Tree Navigation
Generative: open
Evaluative: closed or hybrid
Categorization not structure
Users establish relationships
and sometimes terminology
Evaluation of findability
Outline of site structure
without content
Users navigate through
a simplified structure
Image credit:
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2011/06/comparing-
user-research-methods-for-information-architecture.php
Image credit: http://www.optimalworkshop.com/treejack-demo
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11. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Navigation Prototype
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Evaluation of findability
Full site structure,
still without content
Users navigate through
a simplified context

12. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Navigation Prototype
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13. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Navigation Prototype
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Sharing results

15. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Reporting test results
• Keep study goals in mind and answer those questions first if you can
• Tailor how you report to your audience
• Focus on significant conclusions and provide actionable recommendations
• Recognize the limits of your data
• Avoid forcing more conclusions than the data support
• Acknowledge the other constraints (business drivers, schedule, budget, and
so on) on development when making recommendations
• Recognize that the details that may grab your attention may not be that
significant
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16. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Optimal Sort Example TreeJack Example
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17. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Resources
• C. Barnum. Usability Testing Essentials: Ready, Set...Test!
• J. Dumas, D. Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and
Conduct Effective Tests, 2nd Ed.
• S. Krug. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.
• S. Krug. Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and
Fixing Usability Problems.
• D. Spencer. “How to Test an Information Architecture.” UX Mastery:
http://uxmastery.com/testing-information-architecture/ (Excerpt from Card
Sorting)
• J. Ross. “Comparing User Research Methods for Information Architecture.” UX
Matters Archives: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2011/06/comparing-
user-research-methods-for-information-architecture.php#sthash.ZDFVVYvo.dpuf
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18. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
THANK YOU.
QUESTIONS?
Contact:
Karen Bachmann
Research Practice Lead, Perficient
karen.bachmann@gmail.com | @karenbachmann
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19. WORLD IA DAY 2015 Building a Solid Foundation: Usability & Information Architecture
Karen Bachmann, the Research Practice Lead with
Perficient, helps clients deliver usable products that
support how users need and expect to interaction with
information and perform their tasks. Karen is a
member of STC, UXPA, and ACM SIGCHI.
She lives with 7 ferrets who view her
and the other human in the house as
necessary, although hard-to-train, staff.
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Got treats?