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Usability Testing 
Art Center Interactive Design 4 | Week 5 | Joy Liu
Usability 
Quality of a user's experience when interacting with products 
or systems
How to measure usability? 
Is your product user-friendly?
Effective 
Efficient 
Easy to Learn 
Error Tolerant 
Engaging
the completeness and accuracy with 
which Effective users achieve their goals 
Efficient 
Easy to Learn 
Error Tolerant 
Engaging 
RaeVynn Sands, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/cronewynd/4689772454
Is it effective? 
Does the product accomplish what I need? 
Can I accomplish all the major tasks? 
Is the product missing anything essential to my goal? 
Is the product unnecessarily complex? cumbersome to user? 
How complete is the result? 
What are the core elements of this product?
the speed (with accuracy) with which this 
work can be done 
Effective 
Efficient 
Easy to Learn 
Error Tolerant 
Engaging 
Insert ANY video of 
parallel parking fail here
Is it efficient? 
How deep is the system? 
How many clicks does it take to complete _____? 
Does the system give feedback? 
Is this loading? Or did the screen freeze? 
Where am I? Where am I going? 
How can I make this simpler by activating GPS? gesture? 
Is the system full of inconsistency?
how well the product supports both 
initial orientation and deeper learning 
Effective 
Efficient 
Easy to Learn 
Error Tolerant 
Engaging 
Martin Gillet, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgillet/6875700642 
Francesco Crippa, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/fcrippa/7967670670/
Is it easy to learn? 
How easy is it to complete the tasks? 
Can most people learn to use this product very quickly? 
Can I complete tasks without the help of a technical person? 
Do I need to learn a lot of things before I can get going? 
How much hand-holding is needed for return users? 
Do I remember where things are in the system? 
Do I remember what the icons mean in a system?
how well the product prevents errors 
and helps the user recover from any that 
do occur 
Effective 
Efficient 
Easy to Learn 
Error Tolerant 
Engaging 
iancvt55, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancvt55/13088416513/
Is it error tolerant? 
Are error messages clear? 
How often are mistakes being made? 
Is it my fault that the screen froze? 
Do users know how to recover from an error? 
How do I get out of this mess? 
Where can I go for help? HELP!!!
how pleasant, satisfying or interesting an 
interface is to use 
Effective 
Efficient 
Easy to Learn 
Error Tolerant 
Engaging 
Fernando Messino, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/krudo/5194217402
Is it engaging? 
How do I keep users coming back? 
Are people satisfied of the product? 
What is the impression of the product? 
What pleases as many users as possible? 
Do users enjoy/like using this product? 
Will existing users recommend this product to others?
Usability Testing (onsite/remote) 
Observing user performing tasks with your product.
Create a Test Plan - Step 1 
Define Scope & Objective 
Exactly what are you testing? 
How much of the product will the test cover? 
E.g. Can someone make a purchase on Site X’s 
v2 new prototype?
Create a Test Plan - Step 2 
Define Scenario 
What is the user mindset when going through this part 
of the product? 
E.g. You’ve been looking for a new computer chair. 
Your coworker recommended Site X to you.
Create a Test Plan - Step 3 
Define Test Metrics 
What data are you collecting and measuring? Task 
completion? Errors? Time on task? User feedback? 
E.g. Likelihood to user, likelihood to recommend, overall 
satisfaction, ease of use, confusions, likes or dislikes, etc.
Create a Test Plan - Step 4 
Recruit Participants 
What type of participants will be tested? 
How many participants are needed? 
Screener? 
E.g. Male/Female, 22–45, works 30+ hours a week, 
must have a job that requires sitting 6+ hours a day.
Create a Test Plan - Step 5 
Record Testing Results 
Video, audio, or other tools? 
Permission to record? 
Who’s the note-taker and who’s the facilitator? 
If you are doing the test yourself, make sure you have a 
recording device to help you capture details.
Create a Test Plan - Step 6 
Run the test 
When and where? 
How long? 
No more than 90 minutes. 
Must reset the environment for each participant.
How many test users does it take? 
The answer is 5, except when it's not. Most arguments 
for using more test participants are wrong, but some 
tests should be bigger and some smaller. 
— Nielsen Norman Group
Moderating techniques 
Name Pros Cons 
Concurrent 
Think Aloud 
• Understand participants’ pain 
points as they occur 
• Real-time feedback and 
emotional response 
Interfere with usability metrics, i.e. 
accuracy and time on task 
Retrospective 
Think Aloud 
Doesn’t interfere with usability 
metrics 
• Session length increase 
• Difficulty in remembering 
feedback and thoughts 
Concurrent 
Probing 
Understand participants’ thoughts 
as they attempt to work through a 
task 
Interfere with natural thought 
process and progress 
Retrospective 
Probing 
Doesn’t interfere with usability 
metrics 
Difficulty in remembering feedback 
and thoughts 
Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, Ph.D., UX Project Leader, Fors Marsh Group; President, UXPA DC. “Moderating Usability Tests"
Resources & Reading 
‣http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/resources/templates.html 
‣http://remoteresear.ch/tools/ 
‣http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/the-art-of-guerilla-usability-testing/ 
‣http://www.slideshare.net/andybudd/guerilla-usability-testing 
‣http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/08/improving-your-website- 
usability-tests/

More Related Content

Art Center Interactive Design 4 - #4 Usability Testing

  • 1. Usability Testing Art Center Interactive Design 4 | Week 5 | Joy Liu
  • 2. Usability Quality of a user's experience when interacting with products or systems
  • 3. How to measure usability? Is your product user-friendly?
  • 4. Effective Efficient Easy to Learn Error Tolerant Engaging
  • 5. the completeness and accuracy with which Effective users achieve their goals Efficient Easy to Learn Error Tolerant Engaging RaeVynn Sands, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/cronewynd/4689772454
  • 6. Is it effective? Does the product accomplish what I need? Can I accomplish all the major tasks? Is the product missing anything essential to my goal? Is the product unnecessarily complex? cumbersome to user? How complete is the result? What are the core elements of this product?
  • 7. the speed (with accuracy) with which this work can be done Effective Efficient Easy to Learn Error Tolerant Engaging Insert ANY video of parallel parking fail here
  • 8. Is it efficient? How deep is the system? How many clicks does it take to complete _____? Does the system give feedback? Is this loading? Or did the screen freeze? Where am I? Where am I going? How can I make this simpler by activating GPS? gesture? Is the system full of inconsistency?
  • 9. how well the product supports both initial orientation and deeper learning Effective Efficient Easy to Learn Error Tolerant Engaging Martin Gillet, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mgillet/6875700642 Francesco Crippa, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/fcrippa/7967670670/
  • 10. Is it easy to learn? How easy is it to complete the tasks? Can most people learn to use this product very quickly? Can I complete tasks without the help of a technical person? Do I need to learn a lot of things before I can get going? How much hand-holding is needed for return users? Do I remember where things are in the system? Do I remember what the icons mean in a system?
  • 11. how well the product prevents errors and helps the user recover from any that do occur Effective Efficient Easy to Learn Error Tolerant Engaging iancvt55, Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/iancvt55/13088416513/
  • 12. Is it error tolerant? Are error messages clear? How often are mistakes being made? Is it my fault that the screen froze? Do users know how to recover from an error? How do I get out of this mess? Where can I go for help? HELP!!!
  • 13. how pleasant, satisfying or interesting an interface is to use Effective Efficient Easy to Learn Error Tolerant Engaging Fernando Messino, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/krudo/5194217402
  • 14. Is it engaging? How do I keep users coming back? Are people satisfied of the product? What is the impression of the product? What pleases as many users as possible? Do users enjoy/like using this product? Will existing users recommend this product to others?
  • 15. Usability Testing (onsite/remote) Observing user performing tasks with your product.
  • 16. Create a Test Plan - Step 1 Define Scope & Objective Exactly what are you testing? How much of the product will the test cover? E.g. Can someone make a purchase on Site X’s v2 new prototype?
  • 17. Create a Test Plan - Step 2 Define Scenario What is the user mindset when going through this part of the product? E.g. You’ve been looking for a new computer chair. Your coworker recommended Site X to you.
  • 18. Create a Test Plan - Step 3 Define Test Metrics What data are you collecting and measuring? Task completion? Errors? Time on task? User feedback? E.g. Likelihood to user, likelihood to recommend, overall satisfaction, ease of use, confusions, likes or dislikes, etc.
  • 19. Create a Test Plan - Step 4 Recruit Participants What type of participants will be tested? How many participants are needed? Screener? E.g. Male/Female, 22–45, works 30+ hours a week, must have a job that requires sitting 6+ hours a day.
  • 20. Create a Test Plan - Step 5 Record Testing Results Video, audio, or other tools? Permission to record? Who’s the note-taker and who’s the facilitator? If you are doing the test yourself, make sure you have a recording device to help you capture details.
  • 21. Create a Test Plan - Step 6 Run the test When and where? How long? No more than 90 minutes. Must reset the environment for each participant.
  • 22. How many test users does it take? The answer is 5, except when it's not. Most arguments for using more test participants are wrong, but some tests should be bigger and some smaller. — Nielsen Norman Group
  • 23. Moderating techniques Name Pros Cons Concurrent Think Aloud • Understand participants’ pain points as they occur • Real-time feedback and emotional response Interfere with usability metrics, i.e. accuracy and time on task Retrospective Think Aloud Doesn’t interfere with usability metrics • Session length increase • Difficulty in remembering feedback and thoughts Concurrent Probing Understand participants’ thoughts as they attempt to work through a task Interfere with natural thought process and progress Retrospective Probing Doesn’t interfere with usability metrics Difficulty in remembering feedback and thoughts Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, Ph.D., UX Project Leader, Fors Marsh Group; President, UXPA DC. “Moderating Usability Tests"
  • 24. Resources & Reading ‣http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/resources/templates.html ‣http://remoteresear.ch/tools/ ‣http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/the-art-of-guerilla-usability-testing/ ‣http://www.slideshare.net/andybudd/guerilla-usability-testing ‣http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/08/improving-your-website- usability-tests/