Articles: Conductiong Tests
Articles: Conductiong
Tests
Conducting and Using Usability
Tests
Overview
What to Call It: Testing? Evaluation?
Try Out?
What Are the Steps in Usability Testing
and in Using the Results?
Links to Related Articles About Usability
Testing
Links to Related Articles About Using
Test Results
Overview
• What Is Usability
Testing?
Usability testing encompasses
a range of methods for identifying how
users actually interact with a prototype
or a complete site. In a typical approach,
users — one at a time or two working
together — use the Web site to perform
tasks, while one or more people watch,
listen, and take notes.
• Testing Goals
The goal of usability testing
is to find out what is and is not working
well on the site (or other product or
service). In a usability test, you usually
want to answer questions like these:
Do users complete a task
successfully?
If so, how fast do they do each task?
Is that fast enough to satisfy them?
What paths do they take in trying?
Do those paths seem efficient enough to
them?
Where do they stumble?— What problems
do they have?— Where do they get
confused?
What words or paths are they looking for
that are not now on the site?
• Types of Questions to Ask
You might also have more
specific questions that are related to
your site. For example:
Do users realize, without
being told, whose site they are working
with — just from looking at the home
page?
Do users click through pages or do they
use Search?
What words do they try in Search?
What do they choose from the Search results?
How do they react to the download time
for specific pages?
If they abandon a shopping cart before
buying, when do they stop and why?
• Iterative Testing Works Best
Usability testing is an
iterative process that involves testing
the site and then using the test results
to change the site to better meet users'
needs. The best process is to try out
a prototype with a few users, fix it,
and test it again.
Read more about:
Is Usability Testing Always
Conducted the Same Way?
Deciding Which Type of Test to Conduct
How Many People Should Conduct a Usability
Test?
Who Should Conduct a Usability Test?
Who Else Should Observe a Usability Test?
Also see the sections on usability testing
in Usability Basics.
What to Call It: Testing?
Evaluation? Try Out?
In the usability community,
this technique is called "usability
testing." For users, however, "testing"
often has negative connotations. We don't
want users to think that we are testing
them. They are helping us test the site.
If something goes wrong, we fix the site
— we don't (and can't) fix the users.
It helps if you make sure
you always think of the testing that way.
Think "how well is the site allowing
the users to meet their goals" rather
than "how well do the users do on
the site."
But it may help even more
if you change the word "testing"
even in your own mind. Some usability
specialists like "usability evaluation"
— even though it is a longer word
than "testing" — because
it is softer.
An even better choice might
be "try out." We are asking
users to come "try out" or "test
drive" a draft version of the site.
What Are the Steps in Usability Testing
and in Using the Results?
Under each step, we list
some questions or guidelines to consider
in carrying out that step.
1. Plan scope, issues, participants,
location, budget
What are you going to test?
What concerns do you have about the site
that you want to test?
Which users should participate in the
test?
Where will you conduct the test? In a
fixed laboratory? In a conference room
or other space with a portable lab? In
a conference room or other space but without
any recording equipment? Remotely?
What is your budget for testing?
For information on fixed labs, portable
labs, and recording equipment, see Usability
Labs.
For information on remote
usability testing, see http://research.cs.vt.edu/usability/projects/remote%20evaln/remote%20evaln.htm
2. Develop scenarios
Select relevant tasks for
users to try.
Prepare, try out, and refine scenarios
for those tasks.
Note: Make sure the scenarios are clearly
written and not too much of a challenge
for the allotted test time.
3. Recruit test participants
Recruit users who accurately
represent your current or potential users.
Consider using a firm that specializes
in recruiting for usability tests.
If you do it yourself, build a database
of users for future tests. See:
NCI's Test Participant Profile Form
NCI's Test Participant Release Form
4. Conduct usability testing
Have a trained facilitator
interact with the user.
Have trained observers watch, listen,
and take notes.
Make sure participants know that they
are helping by trying out the Web site;
the site is being tested, not them.
Get participants to think aloud as they
work.
Let participants express their reactions.
Listen! Do not lead. Be sure to stay neutral
in your words and body language. Be careful
not to ask leading questions that may
skew the participants' responses.
Take detailed, useful notes concentrating
on observations of behavior rather than
inferences.
5. Make good use of the test results
Compile the data from all
participants.
List the problems that participants had.
Sort the problems by priority and frequency
of the problem.
Develop solutions. Get expert advice if
the solutions are not obvious.
Fix the problems.
Test the revised version to ensure you
made the right design decisions.
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