Usability Testing Guidelines
In preparation for my own usability test I have decided to summarize some guidelines for doing usability testing.
- Know what to test.
- Know who to test.
- Make the user feel welcome and at ease.
- Don’t interfere.
- Choose tasks carefully.
As simple as this might sound, what is it you are going to be testing? Do you need to find out whether to login procedure is working or do you need to find out why the 50% of the visitors leave within 30 seconds.
Once again, this might sound simple but using your 12 year old sister to test out a billing application might not be the best idea.
Testers are (usually) human beings. Human beings are afraid to fail. Make sure to clarify to the user that you are testing the system and not the users. Mistakes can’t be made by the user, only be the system. If you are doing a test inside a company, assure the user that his or her manager won’t be notified of his lack of knowledge of the system. Invite the user to asks questions before starting the test.
This is especially important when you are testing your own application. Letting the user solve problems on their own leads to better results and avoids giving them the feeling that they are stupid and need help. However, one should not let the user struggle endlessly with a task. This has a negative effect on the user. When you see that a user is struggling, rather offer a hint to the user. During the test you should be very neutral. Don’t express personal opinions.
Make sure your the tasks you want the user to complete are representative of the system you are testing. Define tasks by looking at what the application/system is trying to achieve. If it is a invoicing application. What might also be a good idea is to find out exactly how users use a system. Very often users end up using a system in a much different way than you as designer intended. Studying users in a real environment (in the office) might give clues about how they are using the application.
These guidelines are by no means complete but it will provide a good start.
technorati tags:usability, testing
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I am currently working for the University of Applied Sciences in Rotterdam, at the Institute for Research and Innovation. I used to live in Berlin, where I studied Interface Design at the Fachhochschule Potsdam. - Find out more here
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James Boekbinder Says:
Very good start! A couple comments:
- Don’t interfere – No, I would not give them any hints. Only put a limit on the time they’re allowed to struggle with it. If you have to give hints, the application has failed. Just stop the test and note the result.
- Thinking out loud – this might be a good one to add. Remember that this is QUALITATIVE user testing, so asking the person to say what’s going through their mind can reveal much more than their behavior otherwise would. For example, they might be succeeding in a task, but for entirely different reasons than the design thinks.
James Boekbinder Says:
In the above, I meant: just stop that test assignment, not ‘stop the test’ (the whole thing).