Usability Testing Framework

15 April 2013

1. Choosing subject
   • Do not choose people in the company or people involved in the project.
   • Choose people that will use the product eventually
2. Before the testing
   • Prepare all the tools to be used
     1. Computers (Advisable is Mac, since it has built in webcam and audio recorder)
     2. Softwares:
        • Silverback – Records the screen, voice and face reactions of the user http://silverbackapp.com/
        • Microsoft Office
   • Observers – they are the people involved in the project. Set 2 observers per tester. One designer and one developer.
     1. Rules for the observers
        • Don’t help the participants; let them use the site naturally. Just incase they’re stuck and can’t continue, that’s the time you will talk and help them out.
        • Note all the reactions of the user
   • Prepare the program and scripts
     1. Program
        • Example Program
          2pm – 2:30pm Introduction
          2:30pm – 3:30pm Usability Testing
          3:30pm – 4pm Closing Discussions (Comments/Suggestions)
     2. Script
        • Introduce yourself
        • Reassure to establish rapport ‘You cannot make mistakes, we are testing the site and not you’
        • Clarify purpose of test, confidentiality issues
        • Explain the flow of the test
3. Starting the test
   • Sit the testers down and run through the first part of your script
   • Turn on the computer, show them only the first activity and let them read it.
   • Notice the user’s behavior (hestitates, worries, gives up, etc..)
   • After they finished an activity, the observers can ask questions to the tester, make sure not to distract the other testers.
   • The testers will work independently; they will not wait for each other. Once a tester is done with the activity, he/she can proceed to the next activity.
4. After the test
   • Make the tester answer the usability questionnaires.
   • Gather as much as possible; ask overall impressions of the site.
   • Ask for suggestions to provide insights from the real user to improve the site.
   • Say thank you, give a gift or a token of appreciation if appropriate.