Week 7

From this week’s tutorial I learned about usability testing by seeing how cost-effective usability is by being a test facilitator for the following:

Observe and make notes about everything

• General comments users make about the site.

• What they say they like and what they don’t.

• When they make errors and when they don’t.

• Body language – are they getting frustrated? Laughing? Sighing?

Try not to prompt the user with an answer

• Count to 10 before helping.

• If they ask where something is say ‘where would you expect it to be?’

• Don’t interrupt or start chatting to them.

If they stop talking aloud

• Try asking them what they are looking for

Homepage tour

• • Good first task

  • Helps to relax participant

  • Useful to use a couple of questions to get participant talking

As they begin

• • What is the first thing you notice?

After they have had time to look

• • What so you think this site is for?

  • Who do you think it is for?

  • What services or products does it offer?