Usability Testing Basics: What's it All About?

Web SIG ClevelandMay 21, 2011

Talking About Today

#WebSigCLE

@carologic@sos_jr

Agenda

• What is Usability?• Why we test usability• Planning studies• Facilitating sessions• Analyzing data

What is Usability?

Usability is an important characteristic

of what makes a good User Experience

Functional Aspects

• Effective• Efficient• Learnable

User’s Perspective

• Useful experience• Feel in control and supported• Supplements and enhances skills and

expertise• Satisfied Delighted

Usability Testing

• Measures users ability to achieve specific goals of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.

What is it?

• Real Users doing real tasks• Being observed• Using prototypes or live products

Can Test…

•Websites, Mobile, Blenders, Airport service

•Simulations or mockups•Early prototypes (paper, low-fi)•Production prototypes (html, hi-fi)•Help documentation•Processes (receipt of materials, purchase)

It is not…

• Quality testing• Full accessibility testing• System testing• Acceptance testing

Do I need a lab?

Rubin, Jeffrey. Handbook of Usability Testing. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 1994.

Computer / Concept

Facilitator

Participant

Observer

Timer Logger

Just Do It!

• Anywhere (conference room, remotely)• Any Stage (earlier in process the better)• Anytime (un-moderated)• Realistic test environment

Photo by Roebot at http://www.flickr.com/photos/roebot/2964156413/

Why we test Usability

"The biggest waste of all is building something no one wants"

- @ericries #LeanStartupMI via @MelBugai

You are not the user

• Designing for someone else– Need to step back - may miss details– May be perfect for you, but not the user

• Honest feedback from users– Validate understanding of tasks and context– Unforeseen requirements

Rationale

• Goals being met• Content & purpose clear• Match expectations• Verify product meets customer needs• Gather information for future product

development • Comparison testing

Save Time & Money

• Up front by testing prototypes• Reduce maintenance issues• Reduce Customer Service requests

Minimize Human Cost

• Tiredness• Discomfort• Embarrassment• Frustration• Effort

Find Design Problems

• System status available• Wording choices clear• Placement of content • Consistency• Recognition, Not Recall

Benefits of Good UX

• Increased Usefulness• Increased Efficiency ($$$) • Improved Productivity

Benefits (continued)

• Fewer Errors• Reduced Training Time• Improved Acceptance

Happy Users!

Planning studies

Define Goals

• Specific• Measurable– Qualitative– Quantitative

• What you need to learn about the product and its audience

Scope Effort

• Consider budget, resources• Time– Recruiting– Facilitating– Analyzing

• Adding participants increases budget & time

Design the Test

• Select Methodology• Based on goals• Identify participants • Tasks to be completed• Team roles

Types of Usability Tests

• Single participant• Co-discovery (two)• Group usability testing (3 or more)• Rapid iterative testing

Facilitation Styles

• Talk aloud/Think aloud• Task focused (limited/no discussion)• Cooperative usability testing• Video review with participant after study

(Retrospective)

Location

• Formal Lab• On-site– Workplace, conference room– In home– At a conference

• Remote – Moderated– Un-moderated

Test Roles

• Facilitator• Participant• “Computer” (paper prototypes)• Note taker / data logger / timer• Software, recording operator• Product / Technical Expert(s)• Observers

Use A Script/Guide

• Memory tool for facilitator• Promote consistency– Questions– Order of questions

•List out scenarios representative of typical tasks

Test Guide Includes

• Welcome to participants• Steps in study(forms, tasks, questions)• Notes to yourself • Reset/configuration prompts• Thank you to participants (incentives if any)

Participant Materials

• Provide with – Usernames– Passwords– Text for forms– Images to upload, etc.

• Tasks in writing if complex (3x5 cards)

Task BuildingTask Component DescriptionTask Load paper into copier

Machine State Copier with four labels attached and an empty cassette tray

Successful Completion Criteria

Test subject loads paper into cassette after first fanning the stack of paper

Benchmark Loads correctly within one minute

Rubin, Jeffrey. Handbook of Usability Testing. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 1994.

Questions

• Quality of questions correlates to quality of answers:– Don’t lead or make assumptions– Use participant’s words

Stretch & Exercise

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Question 1

• Do you regularly book your travel online to save money?

Alternates – Question 1

• How often do you travel? – <listen>

• What proportion of that do you book online? – <listen>

• Why do you book travel online? – <listen>

Rationale - Question 1

• Do you regularly book your travel online to save money?

• Address one issue at a time and avoid double-barreled questions.

Question 2

• What are your thoughts about a new feature that allows you to instant message a travel agent with any questions as you book your travel?

Alternates – Question 2

• Would you like to correspond with a travel agent while you are booking travel? – <listen>

• What are some ways that you would like to correspond with a travel agent while you are booking travel? – <listen>

Rationale – Question 2

• What are your thoughts about a new feature that allows you to instant message a travel agent with any questions as you book your travel?

• This question asked the participant to predict the future.

Schedule & Recruit

• Schedule location for pilot and study– Leave time between sessions– Sessions no longer than 2 hours

• Invite Observers (key stakeholders, project managers, etc.)

Pilot Study – Find Problems

• Verify – Tasks are typical– Concept is on-track– Time needed to complete

• Practice before going live with participants• New ideas for follow-on questions or things

to observe• Refine script and tasks

How Do I Find Participants?

Create a Screener

• List of questions to determines who will participate• Describe, then get details:– Computer activities– Use of product/service

• People who pass screener = user group

Which Student?Rick Connie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjkbh/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en http://www.flickr.com/photos/caharley72/ (Christopher Alison Photography) via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Representative Users

• Two weeks on average to recruit• Primary user population• People with disabilities– “We are all only temporarily able-bodied.

Accessibility is good for us all.” – Get to spirit of the law (Section 508, WCAG 2.0)

-@mollydotcom at #stirtrek 2011 via @carologic

Hire a Recruiter

• Allows you to focus on activity.• Can tell if person will be a good participant.• May already have a list they can start with.

• Good recruiters:– find right participants.– give regular updates.– take care of directions, confirmations, incentives,

etc.

If You Must Do it Yourself...

• Go where users go and intercept– Online user groups– Professional organizations– Craigslist

• Online tools thru your site:http://ethnio.com

Final Recruiting

• Final recruit by phone.– Ask questions that force them to talk.– Don’t recruit non-talkers.– Confirm participant eligibility

• Note unusual issues• Recruit for pilot test

Number of Participants

• As many as possible (rarely statistically significant)• Usability Testing Research (in 1990’s)– 5 from distinct sub-group of the user population will

yield 80% of the findings (Nielsen, Virzi, Lewis)– Assumes expert has reviewed concept for obvious issues

• Recommend: – Early tests with 8 – 12 users per user group– Iterative testing (3 per day, iterate, 3 new users)

Barnum, Carol M. (Jan. 2003). What’s in a Number? STC Usability SIG Newsletter, Usability Interface. http://www.stcsig.org/usability/newsletter/0301-number.html Retrieved: 20080323

Honorarium

• Pay them or give product credits• Amount varies by:– Amount of time needed– Their role (doctors need more to persuade them)– Their interest, devotion to product

Facilitating sessions

Welcome & Prepare

• Offer beverage• Express appreciation for help• Explain purpose of research• Sign paperwork– Consent Form– Non-Disclosure Agreement(s)

Participant Reassurance

• Make sure they are comfortable• Not testing them, rather testing…• Encourage feedback (positive and negative)• “I was not involved in the design of this so you can’t hurt

my feelings”

During Session

• Remain passive (body, face) • Don’t confirm or reject answers• Use participant’s words• Listen for vocalizations • Watch non-verbal gestures– Encourage participant to elaborate

• Ask your question and let them talk

Silence is

Golden

User’s Time to Think!

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Get Them Unstuck

• Progressively give assistance–What are you trying to do right now?–What do you think the next step is?–What would you do in this situation if you were at work?

• Hints–Do you see anything that might help you? (small hint)–Have you checked the Help? (medium hint)–What do you think the xxx button does? (large hint)

Debrief Participant

• Post-Study questionnaire• Thank for participation• Explain honorarium and delivery

Analyzing data

Look for Patterns

• Identify repetition

• Continuation of study – Adds cost – Delays reporting– Low probability of many new findings

Measurements

• Success• Time on task• % of tasks completed/not completed• Number of steps to accomplish task• Learning time• Number of errors• Number of times help consulted• Satisfaction

Transform Data

• Create Findings and Recommendations• High level or detailed report– Think about audience– How will it be used?

Reporting Includes

• Executive summary• Positive findings• Provide solutions for negative findings• Provide level of effort and prioritize• Examples, screen shots• Quotes• Appendix with questionnaires, test materials

Do UX Early & Often

• Put it on the Wall as information radiators– Test findings– Artifacts– Competitor info

Recommended Readings

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Contact

Carol J. Smith

@carologiccarol@mw-research.com

http://www.mw-research.com

References• Cato, John. User-Centered Web Design. Addison Wesley Longman; 2001. • Hackos, JoAnn T., PhD and Redish, Janice C. User and Task Analysis for Interface

Design. Wiley; 1998. • Henry, S.L. and Martinson, M. Evaluating for Accessibility, Usability Testing in

Diverse Situations. Tutorial, 2003 UPA Conference. (Activity)• Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.• Kuniavsky, Mike. Observing the User Experience: a Practitioner's Guide to User

Research. Morgan Kaufmann, 2003.• Nielsen, Jakob and Robert L. Mack. Usability Inspection Methods. John Wiley &

Sons, Inc. 1994.• Redish, Janice (Ginny). Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that

Works.• Rubin, Jeffrey and Dana Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan,

Design, and Conduct Effective Tests. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tool Considerations

• In person or remote? • Lab or on-site?• Prototype limitations (can it be online?, is it a document or

a clickable site?)• Number of observers, number of participants?• Number of facilitators?• Logging and video editing needs (time on task, highlight

video creation)?• Surveys before or after?• Eye tracking?

Usability Testing Software

• Morae • Ovo• SilverBack (Mac only)• UserWorks• Noldus• Tobii (Eye-tracker)• SMI (Eye-tracker)• SurveyMonkey

Screen Sharing Software

• GoToMeeting – http://www.gotomeeting.com • Lotus Sametime Unyte – http://www.unyte.com• YuuGuu -- http://www.yuuguu.com • WebEx – http://www.webex.com• Yugma -- https://www.yugma.com/

• Trouble Shooting: CoPilot - https://www.copilot.com/

Satisfaction Questionnaires

• Standard Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI) – office/desktop software, purchase– 50 questions

• Website Analysis and MeasureMent Inventory (WHAMMI)– Purchase– 20 questions

• System Usability Scale (SUS) – Free– 10 questions

Recommended Sites

• Usability.gov• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

– http://www.w3.org/WAI/

• Accessibility Standards in US (Section 508)– http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm

• Jakob Nielsen – http://www.useit.com

• UPA – professional usability organization– http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/