The document provides information about conducting usability testing. It discusses what usability testing involves, including setting tasks for test participants and noting any problems they encounter. It provides tips for testing, such as teaming up with a partner, selecting 3-5 test participants, having them complete 2-3 tasks in 30-50 minutes, and one person acting as note-taker and moderator. The document also discusses how to find participants, what to tell them, questions to ask as moderator, common testing errors to avoid, and metrics to capture like completion rates, time on task, errors and satisfaction.

1. Introducing usability
What makes a site or a service usable?

2. Today
Introduction of the usability concept
Usable websites
Usability testing
Usability assignment….

3. Introducing usability

12. What causes usability problems?

21. Usable websites

22. Usability guidelines….

32. Ohters…
Welie.com
Yahoo design patterns
…. (just Google)

33. Usability testing

34. Usability testing…
Usability testing generally involves setting a series of tasks for
people to complete and noting any problems they
encounter – It’s as simple as that!

39. Ways to test usability

52. What to do?
Team up with a parnter
Select 3-5 test participants
Minimum 2 tasks
30-50 min. each
One of you is notetaker, one of you is moderator

53. Where to find participants
Friends and family
Co-students (not in this class)
…

54. Tell the participant…
“We’re testing the WEBSITE, not you”
“Think out loud as much as possible”
“Be brutally honest - we need your help!”

55. You, the moderator
Don’t help them complete tasks
Ask “Why” and “What are you thinking”
Answer questions with questions

56. Moderating questions…
“What are you currently thinking?”
“Describe the steps you’re going through here”
“What do you think will happen next?”
“Is that what you expected to happen?”
“That was confusing?”
“And you were expecting ...?”
“Would you mind repeating that again?”

57. Testing errors
Not doing a proper run through of the test in advance
Incomplete or buggy prototypes
Not scheduling enough time between sessions
Bad task design
Accidental Revelation
Getting frustrated or losing detachment

58. Wrapping up…
Answer any questions they may have
Thank them for their help and show them out
Capture any important notes immediatly
Prepare for the next test

59. Think aloud protocol
As the name suggests, you set a series of tasks and ask the
subject to verbalise their thoughts and feelings by ‘thinking
aloud’. The object of this is to gain valuable insight into the
thought processes behind the users actions.

60. Performance metrics
Completion Rates – Are users able to complete the task?
Time on Task – How long does it take users to complete?
Page Views – How many pages does it take to
complete?
Errors – The number and severity of errors per task?
Satisfaction – How does the user rate the system?

61. Good and bad tasks
Bad: Search for a bookcase
Good: You have 200+ books in your fiction collection,
currently in boxes strewn around your living room. Find a
way to organize them.

62. Testing plan
Introduce the project
State the goals of the test
Profile your desired test subjects
Outline your testing methodology
Define your tasks
Write a testing script
Example:
www.ablongman.com/barnum/pdf/baitctestplan.PDF

63. Schedule
Week 5: Introduction assignment & draft test plan
Week 6: Feedback on test plan
Week 8: Deadline test report & presetation

64. Sites to test….
Do you know a (professional) site you would like to test?
Search e.g.
http://www.uia.be/civicrm/profile?force=1&gid=5