Usability Testing on a Shoestring

Presented at Agile on the Beach 2016 on 1 September 2016

1. Hello Usability Testing On a Shoestring
2. A live user test [gulp]
3. A live usability test What is the facilitator doing? Why? What is the participant doing? Why?
4. MVUT (Minimum Viable Usability Test) Sit with a user, ask them to complete some tasks on your [website], get them to think out loud.
5. 2 key ideas to get the most out of usability testing We get the most useful feedback on our designs by observing people using them. We get the most useful observations by making users as comfortable as possible in what is a potentially stressful situation.
6. • If we don’t, we can only base our designs on assumptions. • We get a much better view of how users will use our designs in the real world. • Usability testing as a cheap gateway to user research. Why test with users?
7. • Anytime, all the time, simple and often • Ideas: with sketches, prototypes • Throughout development • Launched site • An existing site • Other sites When can we test with users?
8. 2 key ideas to get the most out of usability testing We get the most useful feedback on our designs by observing people using them. We get the most useful observations by making users as comfortable as possible in what is a potentially stressful situation.
9. Creating tasks
10. • Driven by the motivations, goals, and tasks of our users. • Tasks which are important to drive product / organisation / business goals. • Tasks where we expect users to have difficulty. • Tasks which test the designs we’re working on. What tasks?
11. • Make tasks independent. • Make tasks easy to understand and relate to. • Make tasks achievable. Task creation guidelines
12. Activity: devise some tasks • Pick a website / app. Use one of yours, one of my suggestions or something else. • Pick a group of users and think about their key goals. • Create 5 - 10 tasks.
13. BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/ Royal Cornwall Hospitals http://www.rcht.nhs.uk/ Travelodge https://www.travelodge.co.uk/ V&A museum http://www.vam.ac.uk/ Theatre Royal Newcastle https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/ Argos http://www.argos.co.uk/ Trainline https://www.thetrainline.com/ (or app) Activity: devise some tasks
14. Activity: devise some tasks BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/ Royal Cornwall Hospitals http://www.rcht.nhs.uk/ Travelodge https://www.travelodge.co.uk/ V&A museum http://www.vam.ac.uk/ Theatre Royal Newcastle https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/ Argos http://www.argos.co.uk/ Trainline https://www.thetrainline.com/ (or app) • Driven by the motivations, goals, and tasks of our users. • Tasks which are important to drive product / organisation / business goals. • Tasks where we expect users to have difficulty. • Tasks which test the designs we’re working on. What tasks? • Make tasks independent. • Make tasks easy to understand and relate to. • Make tasks achievable. Task creation guidelines
15. Conducting the test
16. 2 key ideas to get the most out of usability testing We get the most useful feedback on our designs by observing people using them. We get the most useful observations by making users as comfortable as possible in what is a potentially stressful situation.
17. Conducting the test • Location: think about where users are comfortable. Think about noise, seating, clear space. • Computers: Mac / Windows, have a mouse. • Phones / tablets: charged, ready to use • Be organised and professional
18. Conducting the test: tasks • Have plenty of tasks prepared. Possibly more than you’d expect to cover in the time. • Print tasks out. • Before running a test, re-check all tasks with whatever it is you’re putting into the test. • Present tasks to users one at a time. Ask them to read each task aloud.
20. Conducting the test: rules of engagement • Ask them to think aloud. Explain what they’re thinking as they do things. • Don’t answer their questions (they will ask them). • Don’t help them. • Keep quiet! And still! Don’t react! • Steer the participant away from giving opinions and speculating.
21. Conducting the test: rules of engagement • If something goes wrong, do something about it. Be open and fix it or move on. • But if the participant gets stuck, lost, confused, or struggles, keep quiet! This is hard! • But if they’re in a rage, move on from task or, in worst case scenario, consider abandoning.
22. Conducting the test: observing • Possibly have a second person observing so you can focus on facilitating. • Consider recording the sessions. • Keep note taking simple: focus on the problems. • What steps did the follow for the task? • Don’t start to think about solutions.
23. Conducting the test: finishing up • When tasks are complete or you reach the end of the agreed time. • Typical times 10 - 30 minutes, no more than 45.
24. The welcome spiel
25. 2 key ideas to get the most out of usability testing We get the most useful feedback on our designs by observing people using them. We get the most useful observations by making users as comfortable as possible in what is a potentially stressful situation.
26. •Put users at ease •What are we trying to do, why is the participant here? •Explain exactly what is going to happen: what we do and what they do, tasks, thinking aloud, we won’t help / answer questions The welcome spiel
27. •What happens with what we’re capturing: notes, video, audio. •Disclaimer. •Explain (or probably reiterate) incentive process. The welcome spiel
28. Activity: run your test • Spend a couple of minutes preparing and practicing your welcome spiel. • Then conduct your user test with a partner, swapping round half way.
29. Going further, next steps, what we haven’t covered
30. Next steps: go run some usability tests!
31. Going further: recruitment • Use your existing networks, your users, your customers. • Offer incentives. • Pay a recruitment company, e.g. https:// www.peopleforresearch.co.uk/ • Screeners.
32. Going further: remote testing, moderated, unmoderated • User tests can be conducted remotely. • Moderated: using Skype, Hangouts, etc. • Unmoderated using a platform such as UserZoom. • Consider clarity of tasks, prototype your unmoderated tests with face-face participants first.
33. Going further: video recording • Silverback (Mac only). • Lookback (iOS, tvOS, Mac, Android). • Camtasia (PC, Mac). • Great for sharing with stakeholders and project team. • Makes facilitating user tests easier as you can review tests and take notes afterwards.
34. Going further: screen sharing • Lookback. • AirPlay. • ChromeCast / Google Cast. • Reflector.
35. Going further: testing with devices • Lookback
36. Going further: testing with devices • Mr Tappy Image: Mr Tappy website https://www.mrtappy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/mr-tappy-held-960.jpg
37. Going further: testing with devices • The DIY option Image: How to test your mobile site without spending a fortune, @quiffboy http://www.slideshare.net/QuiffBoy/how-to-test-your-mobile-site-without-spending-a-fortune
38. Going further: labs • Observation facilities. • High quality recording. • Support staff, experts. • Eye tracking. • Expensive. • Intimidating
39. •Why we test with users. •Why we have the simple set of basic user testing guidelines: to get the most useful stuff, to help user feel at ease. •When we test. •Preparing and running tasks. •Rules of engagement. What we’ve covered
40. 2 key ideas to get the most out of usability testing We get the most useful feedback on our designs by observing people using them. We get the most useful observations by making users as comfortable as possible in what is a potentially stressful situation.
41. Something to read?
42. “If you can afford to hire a usability professional to do your testing for you, do it.” Steve Krug, Rocket Surgery Made Easy
43. Thank you @bouncingdan @fffunction http://fffunction.co