Trends In Usability Testing - IA Summit 2010 & Maine IxDA

TRENDS

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Kyle Soucy, Founding Principal follow me: UsableInterface

MaineUXJuly 22, 2009

in

Usability

Testing>

Think Aloud Techniques

Think Aloud Techniques

Concurrent (CTA) Retrospective (RTA)

Vs.

Variation of RTA...

Show the participant their video after they’re done testing.

Usability “Labs”

Image source: facit digital

Source: Kent State University

Vs.

Ideal “Lab-Less” Set Up

Vs.

Remote vs. In-person Testing

Remote Testing Pros & Cons

Participants stay in their native environment.

Accessible to a larger & more diverse pool of participants.

Recruiting is easier. Less no shows & easier last minute replacements.

Opportunity to gather ethnographic data.

Cost & time savings. No travel & lab rental fees.

Easier for observers to “attend” a session.

Risk of compromising data because the participant is using a foreign PC is removed.

Pros:Can’t see the user’s facial expressions.

Can’t see if the user is using peripheral devices.

Dependent on an Internet connection.

Can only recruit participants with a high-speed Internet connection.

Cons:

Remote Testing Paper Prototypes

(Yes, it is possible!)

Remote Testing Tools

• UserVue

• GoToMeeting

• LiveLook

• Adobe Connect

• Silverback

• Many more...

Remote Testing Tips

• Disable IM programs, Outlook meeting reminders, or anything else that may be distracting

• Use a phone recording controller.

• Use as few tools as possible

• Back up, back up, back up!

Automated Testing (Unmoderated Remote Testing)

What You Can Learn

• Analytic data

• Task completion rates

• Number of clicks/clickstream

• Time on task

• Satisfaction ratings

• In-context feedback

When to Conduct Automated Testing?

Best used to compliment your qualitative research.

Not a replacement for moderated testing or research.

Automated Testing Tools

• Keynote WebEffective $$$

• UserZoom $$

• Treejack & Chalkmark $

• Loop11 (private beta)

• UserTesting.com $

Treejack

Chalkmark

Chalkmark Results

Loop11 Results

Web Analytic Video Tools

• BlueFly

• ClickTale

• TeaLeaf

Pre-defined Tasks vs.

Interview-based Tasks

Improv Testing Process

1. Interview participant about how they use the product.

2. Use the answers given in the interview to create tasks on the fly.

When in doubt just ask, “what was the last thing you did when you used this product? Can you show me?”

Questions?

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