This document provides a draft discussion guide for usability testing of the Tourism WA website. It outlines a general introduction, four scenarios to test participants' ability to navigate and find information on the site, and issues to consider throughout testing. The scenarios include finding climate/weather information, whale watching in Rottnest, travel information like airports, and getting personal advice. The guide aims to understand participants' expectations, navigation behaviors, and feedback on the site's design and content.

1. Tourism WA
Usability Testing:
Draft Discussion Guide
Notes on this discussion guide
This DRAFT document presents a guide to the questions and issues to be explored during the Tourism WA Usability Testing.
Please note the following:
 It provides an approximate guide to the procedure that will be followed and the questions that will be put to participants. The
procedure may vary from session to session according to the flow of discussion and the participants’ experience.
 Also note that some issues are presented here as research questions and are not necessarily indicative of how questions
will be put to participants.
 In addition, the facilitator will ask questions throughout the sessions to identify initial reactions and preferences. This will
include questions on participants’ perceptions of the new features and their relative importance.
Session structure
1. General introduction (5 mins approx). The participants will be introduced to the session and the room. Relevant background
details will be confirmed and consent for video recording will be obtained.
2. Scenarios (45 mins approx). The facilitator will invite the participants to navigate through the wireframes using a number of
scenarios. Participants’ ability to find information, reactions to the design and layout and general ability to use the wireframes
successfully will be discussed and assessed.
3. Wrap-up (5 mins approx). After seeing all of the new features participants will be asked for concluding comments. There will
also be an opportunity for additional questions to be asked on behalf of the observers.
Page 1 Usability Testing

2. Items to Consider Throughout Testing
- Are the options from the homepage useful to them?
- What would they be tempted to explore?
- Is there something else they would prefer?
- Would they explore activities or regions first?
- What would they do first?
- What are their likes and dislikes?
- Is there anything that is not clear?
- How does this compare to other websites that they have used in their travel planning?
- Are the items in the left-hand navigation suitable?
1. General introduction
After the rationale for the study has been explained to the participants and consent for recording has been obtained, the
relevant background details will be gathered.
Internet use questions
- How long have they been using the Internet?
- Where do they use it? At home?
- How often do they use it?
- What type of sites do they visit? What are they using it for?
Travel-related questions
- When did they last take a major holiday? Where did they go?
- How did they go about researching the trip? What sites?
- What was good or bad about any sites used?
- Did they use the internet to research or book it? Why travel agent, or Internet?
- Have they ever been to WA before?
Page 2 Usability Testing

3. 2. Scenarios
Participants’ ability to navigate through the wireframes to find information and opinions on the general layout and design of the
wireframes will be observed and explored while they act out the following scenarios.
Task 1 – Climate & Weather
Before showing them the website, ask the participant to imagine that they are thinking about visiting WA and want
to find out more about the climate and the weather.
- Do they know what WA is?
- What do they already know about the climate?
- What kind of information would they want to find? (e.g. what to wear, when to visit, when is warm, where is warm)
- How far in advance would they want weather information for? (e.g. current, yearly averages, one week in advance)
Take the user to the homepage, and encourage them to use the wireframes to find this information.
- What are their first impressions of the homepage?
- How would they describe the homepage?
- What would they say the purpose of this site was? Who is this site aimed at?
- Who do they think runs the website?
- How do they feel about that?
- What is this site about? What sort of things do they think they can do here?
- Where would they expect to find the weather information here?
- Do they use the ‘Weather’ banner from the homepage?
- Or the top navigation?
- Where would they expect it to link?
- Off site, or on site?
Guide the participant to the ‘About > Climate & Weather’ page.
- What do they think about the amount of information? Too much, too little?
- What would they want?
- Does this page match their original expectations?
- Does it answer all of their questions?
- Is there anything missing?
Prompt them to navigate to the external website, if not done already:
- Do they realise it’s external?
- How do they feel TWA relates to this site? I.e., do they feel that TWA endorses it?
- How do they feel about being taken to an external website?
- What are their expectations of external websites?
- Do they expect them to be indorsed by TWA?
- How much information would they expect to find on the TWA website?
Page 3 Usability Testing

4. Task 2 – Whale watching in Rottnest
Note: Observe the navigation method used when jumping from the previous scenario to this scenario without returning to the
homepage. Do not ask the user to return to the homepage. This tests the user’s ability to navigate at lower levels of the site,
and in particular, the top-level horizontal navigation.
Ask the participant to imagine that they would like to go whale watching in Rottnest.
Observe to see if the user moves through the SAE or Regions & Cities sections first.
- What kind of information would they want to find about whale watching?
- Would they have an idea of where would be good places to go whale watching in WA?
Encourage the participant to use the wireframes to find this information.
- Where would they expect to find this information?
- Do they use the ‘Whale Watching’ banner from the homepage?
- Or the top navigation? (‘SAE’ or ‘Region’)
If the user goes to Victoria first, observe to see if they go to the left hand navigation SAE or the top navigation SAE
section.
Probe for expectations of the difference between these two links.
If necessary, take them through the alternative route to show them the difference.
Observe the participant’s route to Whale Watching page for Rottnest.
- How did they find navigating to this page?
- Was it where they expected?
- Would they change it?
- What do they think about the amount of information? Too much, too little?
- Does this page match their original expectations?
- Does it answer all of their questions?
- Is there anything missing?
- Why do they think they took the route they did? (SAE v Regions & Cities)
As a final test, ask the user to find out about local transport in Perth, and see if they notice the difference between
the top nav and the left nav.
Task 3 – Travel Information
Note: Observe the navigation method used when jumping from the previous scenario to this scenario without returning to the
homepage.
Ask the participant to imagine that they are planning on flying into WA and would like to find out more about the airports they can
arrive at.
- What kind of information would they want to find?
Encourage the participant to use the wireframes to find this information.
- Where would they expect to find this information?
Page 4 Usability Testing

5. - Do they use the ‘Getting Here’ link?
Guide the participant to the ‘Getting Here > Air Travel’ page If necessary.
- How did they find navigating to this page?
- Was it where they expected?
- Would they change it?
- What do they think about the amount of information? Too much, too little?
- What do they think about the link to Air WA on this page?
- Does this page match their original expectations?
- Does it answer all of their questions?
- Is there anything missing?
Ask the participant to imagine that they are flying into Perth International Airport as part of their travels and they would like to find
out about how they would get from the airport to their hotel.
- What are their expectations of the ‘Transport from Airport’ link, if they don’t mention it spontaneously?
- What do they expect it contains?
- What do they think about the Airport Maps and Directions link?
- Do they realise they are external links?
- What do they feel about this?
- Would they like this to be indicated to them?
- Do they expect them to be endorsed by TWA?
- How much information would they expect to find on the TWA website?
Ask the participant to imagine that they would like to find information about driving from Perth to Broome.
- What kind of information would they want to find?
Encourage the participant to use the wireframes to find this information.
- Where would they expect to find this information?
- Do they use the Local Transport > Driving, or Getting Here > Travel Distances and Times link? Why?
Guide the participant to the ‘Local Transport>Driving’ page.
- How did they find navigating to this page?
- Was it where they expected?
- Would they change it?
- What do they think about the amount of information? Too much, too little?
- Does this page match their original expectations?
- Does it answer all of their questions?
- Is there anything missing?
Discover user thoughts on the differences in the content and structure of Getting Here and Local Transport.
- Do they notice the different categories in each of these sections?
- What would they expect to see under local travel? Air, bus, etc?
Page 5 Usability Testing

6. Task 4 – Personal Advice
Note: First ask the user to navigate back to the homepage. This allows us to see if the user has a grasp of global site
navigation and orientation. Also tests top horizontal navigation.
Ask the participant to imagine that they have some questions about their trip to WA and they would like some advice.
- What kind of details would they like to have?
- Would email suffice? Or would they require a telephone number?
- What sort of response time would they need when using email?
Encourage the participant to use the wireframes to find this information.
- Where would they expect to find this information?
- Do they use the ‘Contact Us’ link or the ‘Contact’ box? Why?
Guide the participant to the ‘Contact Us’ page.
- How did they find navigating to this page?
- Was it where they expected?
- Would they change it?
- What do they think about the amount of information? Too much, too little?
- Do they realise the restrictions involved in phoning the WA number?
- Is this reasonable to them?
- Does this page match their original expectations?
- Does it answer all of their questions?
- Is there anything missing?
- Which contact method would they choose?
Task 5 – Hot Springs Tours
Ask the user to imagine that they are interested in touring while in WA and that they’ve heard that there are some set
routes that show them key places, and then bring them back to their start location.
Observe the navigation method used when jumping from the previous scenario to this scenario without returning to
the homepage.
- What sort of expectations would they have of this sort of information on the site?
Encourage the participant to use the wireframes to find this information.
- Where would they expect to find this information?
- Can they see if they can find it?
SAE > Circular Routes
- How did they find navigating to this page?
- Do they think that each of the heading sections, like Trips and Tours, needs to be linked to an overview page?
- Was it where they expected?
- Would they change anything?
Page 6 Usability Testing

7. - Where would they go next in order to find out about the ‘hot springs’ route?
Observe the user’s route to the Hot Springs page.
- What do they think about the hot springs page?
- Do they mention the links in the text? (The driving times/distances are unrealistic – so they may notice this and
comment on it spontaneously) If not, draw their attention to them.
- Do they mention the mileage information & the map?
3. Wrap-up
Any questions that observers have will also be included here.
If the user has not mentioned some of the homepage elements during testing, draw their attention back to them here.
- Ask users to talk through the options on screen they have not used, or mentioned – what do they expect from each
of the options
- What do users think of the categories at the top of the page?
- Do they understand the difference between the horizontal, global ones, and the specific left hand
navigation?
- Is it clear what each section would contain?
- Is there anything missing?
General Wrap Up Questions
- How do they find navigating the site?
- Do the categories throughout make sense? For example:
- SAE sections overall:
- In particular, the ‘provincial parks’ link
- Do they notice the ‘contact’ box throughout?
- Have they seen any information about UK based tour operators? (In the ‘contact’ box throughout)
- Can they imagine using this resource again? If so, when and how?
- Do they have any particular likes or dislikes about this site?
- What do they think about the presentation and layout of the site?
- What do they think of the content on the homepage?
- Is it too busy? Is it all needed?
- What should be removed (or added)?
Page 7 Usability Testing