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24-hour Days, 4 Languages:
Challenges of International
Usability Testing
•Founded 1967: Ann Arbor, Rochester NY, Palo Alto
•Early practitioners of user research
Contributed to the development of early usability testing methodologies that are standard today
•More than 150 clients; close to 2,000 projects
•Apps, websites, devices, other products for B2C/B2B
What makes a good localized
app?
•When do salespeople want materials in English,
and when in their local language?
•When do they search using English, and when in their local language?
6 1 1
6
1
4
2 1 0 2 4 6 8
10 12 14 16 18 20 22
English Local language
Other response N
um
be
r o
f P
art
icip
an
ts
Favored Language
Favored Search Language Do you prefer to search using English or
[language]?
French Speakers
Mandarin Speakers
Spanish Speakers
•Engaged bilingual partner researchers in France,
Chile, and China
•Coordinated with our client’s participant recruiters
•Created translation-ready research protocol in English
•Had the protocol translated into French, Spanish,
and Chinese
•Created data-logging template
•Had our partner researchers conduct pilot-test sessions in
the local language
Here’s What We Did
•Reviewed pilot session results with our client,
then adjusted the protocol
•Had our partner researchers conduct 7 or 8 sessions in the
local language
•Collected data logs in English from our partner researchers
•Arranged for translation of the session recordings into
English
•Wrote results report for presentation to our client, with
partner researcher input
More Details
Engaging Research Partners
• User research skills and experience
• Bilingual communication facility
• Availability for desired schedule
Coordinating Participant
Recruiting
Salespeople: sensitive recruiting
Indirect access and communication
Unexpected outcomes
Content similar to U.S. research projects
Needed to be foolproof
No U.S. slang, no ambiguities
Data-Logging Templates
Consistent reporting from
researchers using 3 different
languages
Sessions in native language, but
English data logs
Structured logs facilitated data
analysis
Pilot-Test Sessions
One in each language
Observed by client stakeholders
over WebEx
Each followed by debrief in English
with the partner researcher
At Last, the Sessions
7 – 8 sessions in each language
Over 15 time zones
Just-in-time recruiting
Arranged to translate all session recordings into English
5 cycles of report deliverables
15 graphs of participant preferences
Hundreds of participant quotations
Project management for a multiple-language usability test is hugely complex
Maintaining consistency of methodology in multiple countries is another challenge
International holidays differ and can impact schedules
A project in 5 time zones spanning 15 hours means you are never off-duty