hyper island teaching notes: usability testing

HI, LET’S TALK ABOUT USABILITY TESTING@quiffboy @hyperisland 15 July 2015

Leisa is Head of User Research @ GDS, GOV.UK

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“…testing with customers…” Customers have a monetary value

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Or

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Hola!

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https://twitter.com/ladyxtel/status/483439786967838720

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Northern User Experience Manchester ~ Leeds ~ Newcastle ~ Liverpool

nuxuk.org ~ @nuxuk

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1. Moderated lab testing 2. Remote testing 3. Eye tracking 4. Guerrilla testing

4 common types of usability testing

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“Observe people using the product to discover…how well test subjects respond in four areas: efficiency, accuracy, recall, and emotional response.” - Wikipedia

1. Moderated lab testing

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2. Remote usability testing

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“Eye tracking is the process of measuring either the point of gaze (where one is looking) or the motion of an eye relative to the head.” - Wikipedia

3. Eye tracking

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Not so scary anymore…

Complex & intrusive hardware, right?

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Generate lots of complex graphs and diagrams Needs experience to interpret results Can be time consuming & expensive

Eye tracking: findings are still scary though

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You should test your stuff with real people

But it’s a no brainer, right?

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http://econsultancy.com/uk/reports/user-experience-survey-report

http://nuxuk.org/2013/09/05/ux-challenge-choose-right-approach-guest-blog-ian-franklin-freelance-ux-consultant/

User Experience Survey 2013

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Why test?

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Why test?

Improve decision making

Remove guesswork

Remove experience

bias

So why don’t we always test?

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So why don’t we always test?

Too expensive

Time or resource

consuming

Not a primary concern

“But recruiting people is tricky…”

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http://www.petbucket.com/blog/61984/scaredy-cat-how-to-handle-a-frightened-feline.html

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5 users ≈ 85% problems

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tinyurl.com/mhr8emm

Caveats, caveats, caveatsSummary: 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.

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.com

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£15 for15 minutes!!

HOW IT WORKS:We ask you to carry out a couple of simple tasks using a new website, and we learn if we've designed it correctly. It will take no more than 15 minutes of your time and as a thank you we'll give you £15 cash.

WHEN:Monday 17th November // Time slots available 12-1.30pm and 2.30-4pm

WHERE:Amaze, 1st Floor, Royal Liver Building

We're looking for a few people to help us test a new website.

INTERESTED?Participants must be female and use a smartphone to browse the internet.Email b.briggs@amaze.com with your current make of smartphone, and preferred testing slot.

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http://businessupperhand.com/how-to-open-a-coffee-shop/

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Ask nicely

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Consent forms

Loads of templates available on the web

Download one and tweak accordingly

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I will do this for you

You will film me, and I'm ok with that

I won’t tell anyone what I've seen

You won’t put this on youtube or (publicly) laugh about it later

You’ll give me some stuff* to say thanks

All consent forms cover the same basic areas:

@quiffboy* Exact nature of stuff may vary

Participant signs & dates it, you put it in a drawer… forever.

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Tell them if anyone’s watching or listening

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“But writing the report takes ages…”

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1) Make it a one-pager

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2) Bullet-point list, not reams of copy

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3) Structure the report by task/user journey

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4) Make your findings actionable

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5) Do highlight when a test passes…

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6) …but focus on the things you can fix

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Keep it brief Make your report a one-pager

Bullet-point list not reams of copy

Structured by task/user journey

Make findings actionable

Highlight when a test passes

Focus on the things you can fix

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A few tips…

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1) Avoid recruiting experts

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2) Test small, test early,test often

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3) If you can, test in real environments

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4) Focus on what needs fixing (or refining)

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5) Set tasks, don’t give instructions

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6) Rotate order of tasks

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7) Your prototype’s fidelity matters, but it’s not critical

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8) Five people’s opinions are not conclusive proof

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9) People say the darndest things

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10) “Testing with 1 person is 100% better than testing with none”

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Steve Krug: Rocket Surgery Made Easy

Anyone Can Usability Test, Part 1: On a ShoestringChris Atherton

How Many Test Users in a Usability Study?Jakob Nielson

The Art of Guerrilla Usability TestingUX Booth

New to Usability Testing? You’re not alone!Jennifer Aldrich

User Experience Survey 2013Econsultancy & WhatUsersDo

UX Challenge: how to choose the right approach to user researchWhatUsersDo & Ian Franklin

“Don’t make me think” & “Rocket Surgery Made Easy” and more…Steve Krug

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“But you should probably read more” Tony Wilson

HI, ANY QUESTIONS?

@quiffboy @hyperisland 15 July 2015