1. Usability Tests: Developing Scenarios
Dr. Will Kurlinkus

2. Assignment 4.2 Sheet

3. 4.2 Creating Your Usability Test
Scripted Intro: Replicability
Gather Demographic Info: Anything that would skew the test; to prove to client that these our typical users (or atypical); trace trends
Homepage Tour: Warm-up, basic aesthetics, purpose of site, site layout
2 design Scenarios
Homemade Method
Concluding Remarks: Anything else you saw about the site that you would change.
Debrief Amongst Your Team: Get key info down quickly you want to remember.

4. 4.2 Creating Your Usability Test
What will each team member do? Facilitator/script reader, note taker, extra questions person.
Think Aloud Protocol: encouragement without leading
Facilitators should answer participant questions about the test not about the website
Get subjects to verbalize their thoughts—think aloud. Ask open ended follow up questions: What confused you about that? What do you mean by that
Acknowledgment tokens (mmhmm, yes, ok); paraphrasing (repeating back what they said); clarifying for observers (I love this–>so you love the home link, ok)
What types of data are you looking for?
Specific times of activities and full test
Struggles
Redesigns your subjects suggest
Redesigns your subjects imply
Quotes
Images of struggle

5. 4.2 Creating Your Usability Test
Structuring Your Test: Generally, your test should go from less to more specific and from objective to more subjective.
Avoid starting with questions like: What do you find wrong with this question.
Avoid having scenarios that teach your user how to solve another one of your scenarios

6. 4.2 Usability Test Technology
Quicktime Screen Recording: (Test this out BEFORE your usability test) Open Quicktimeplayer on a Mac>File>New Screen Recording>Click the upside down triangle on the right side of the red circle>select built in microphone and show mouse clicks in recording>Hit the red > click the mouse to begin recording> click the circle with a black square in it icon in the upper right hand of your screen> save the movie to an external hard drive for reference
Making your mouse bigger: On a Mac (select the apple icon in the upper- left-hand corner>system preferences>accessibility>scroll the curser size to the right).
Test to see if voices are being picked up
For PC’s: Flashback Recorder Express
You will also be required to use an audio recorder, which you can check out from me.

7. Scenarios
Scenarios: Creating realistic activities/tasks for your users to perform during the usability test that engage the possible errors of the site.
Start with the goals of the website
Put those goals in a realistic context: add constraints
User goal: Browse product offerings and purchase an item.
Poor task: Purchase a pair of orange Nike running shoes.
Better task: Buy a pair of shoes for under $40.
Place some kind of realistic emotional/psychological pressure on your usability subjects. Tell a story.
Avoid clues in your scenarios. Don’t mention the names of section of the website or links.

8. Example Scenario
“The spring semester is coming to a close, and you are planning on moving to a new house across town with your 4 roommates. Only one of you has your own car, and you all decide that it would be too much of a hassle and too much gas money to try and drive back and forth in that one car. One of you suggests that it would be easier to just rent a truck for the day to move across town. You remember your neighbors from back home used to hire Penske Trucks to move across town to their new home, and you suggest to the group that they are a reliable company to rent from. The trouble is, you don’t know where the nearest truck rental site is near where you live. Without using the search bar, try and locate what location you would rent your truck from in your area.”

9. Create a Scenario

10. Homework: Custom Design Methods
Homework: Read the IDEO design methods cards in our readings. Choose two of your favorites. Write about how you might adapt them to your own usability test and why you think they are important.