Morgan Kaufmann: Barnum, C: Usability Testing Essentials Table of Contents

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	Foreword	xv

	Acknowledgments	xvii

	About the author	xix

	Image credits and permissions	xxi

	Introduction: Getting started guide	1
	Usability is invisible	1
	U R usability	3
	How to use this book	3
	Special features you can use or skip	5
	A few words about words	6
	But wait, there's more on the companion website	7

1	Establishing the essentials	9
	Focus on the user, not the product	10
	Start with some essential definitions	10
	Defining usability	11
	Defining usability testing	13
	Know when to conduct small studies	17
	Know how to conduct small studies	18
	Define the user profile	18
	Create task-based scenarios	19
	Use a think-aloud process	19
	Make changes and test again	19
	Know when to conduct large studies	20
	Think of usability testing as hill climbing	21

2	Testing here, there, everywhere	25
	Testing in a lab offers some benefits	26
	The bare essentials for testing in a lab	27
	Other equipment that's nice to have	27
	Specialized equipment you might need in certain situations	28
	Formal labs can cost a lot, or not	34
	Informal labs can be set up anywhere at very little cost	37
	Field testing gets you into the world of your users	38
	Advantages of field testing	39
	Disadvantages of field testing	40
	Remote testing extends your reach to your users	41
	Moderated remote testing is synchronous	42
	Unmoderated remote testing is asynchronous	44
	New methods push the envelope on remote testing	46
	Choosing the right method is a balancing act	48

3	Big U and little u usability	53
	Introducing big U and little u usability	53
	Using a user-centered design process	54
	Opening your toolkit and seeing what's there	56
	Analysis tools	56
	Development tools	57
	Post-release tools	58
	Choosing heuristic evaluation from the toolkit	59
	Conducting a heuristic evaluation	61
	Conducting a formal evaluation	63
	Conducting an expert review	64
	Conducting an informal evaluation	65
	Comparing the results from heuristic evaluation and usability testing	66
	Putting both methods together: The 1–2 punch	68
	Cost-justifying usability	69
	Case Study: Heuristic evaluation of Holiday Inn China website	72

4	Understanding users and their goals	83
	People are goal-oriented	84
	When people use the web, they bring their experience and expectations	85
	People expect web objects to be in specific places	86
	People don't want to read — they want to act	87
	Make a good first impression — you might not get a second chance	87
	Generational differences matter when it comes to the web	89
	Personas help you get to know your users	94
	Personas are based on real information about real users	94
	Personas are a creative activity, but don't get carried away	97
	Personas should be a manageable number	98
	Personas need to be visible	98
	Scenarios tell the story of your users' goals	99
	Start by knowing the difference between a task and a goal	99
	Tell stories about your personas in a compelling way	100

5	Planning for usability testing	105
	Scheduling the planning meeting	106
	Establish test goals	107
	Determine how to test the product	111
	Agree on user subgroups	116
	Determine participant incentive	122
	Draft the screener for recruiting participants	124
	Create scenarios based on tasks that match test goals	128
	Determine quantitative and qualitative feedback methods	136
	Set dates for testing and deliverables	138
	Writing the test plan	142
	Writing an informal test plan	143
	Writing a formal test plan	145
	Case Study: Test plan for Holiday Inn China website usability study	148

6	Preparing for usability testing	157
	Recruiting participants	158
	How to do the recruiting yourself	158
	How to recruit through an agency	160
	How to plan for no-shows	161
	Assigning team roles and responsibilities	162
	Developing team checklists	163
	Writing the moderator's script	167
	Preparing or using other forms	170
	Preparing a video consent form	170
	Preparing a special consent form for testing with minors	171
	Using a non-disclosure agreement	172
	Preparing an observer form	172
	Creating questionnaires	173
	Creating a pre-test questionnaire	173
	Creating post-task questionnaires	176
	Creating a post-test questionnaire	176
	Using standard post-test questionnaires	181
	Using the SUS	182
	Using the CSUQ	183
	Creating or using qualitative feedback methods	185
	Using product reaction cards	185
	Ending with an interview	187
	Testing the test	188
	Conducting the walkthrough	188
	Conducting the pilot	189
	Case Study: Sample test materials for Holiday Inn China website usability study	193

7	Conducting a usability test	199
	Setting up for testing	200
	Meeting, greeting, briefing	200
	Meeting and greeting the participant	201
	Conducting the pre-test briefing	201
	Preparing the participant to think out loud	205
	Being an effective and unbiased moderator	207
	Monitor your body language	207
	Balance your praise	208
	Ask "good" questions	209
	Know how and when to intervene	214
	Administer post-test feedback mechanisms	216
	Managing variations on the theme of testing	218
	Testing with two or more participants	218
	Testing with two or more moderators	219
	Testing remotely with a moderator	220
	Providing help or customer support during testing	223
	Logging observations	225
	Handling observers and visitors	226
	Observers with you and the participant	226
	Visitors in the executive viewing room	228
	Remote observers	230
	Working solo	230
	Case Study: Session log from Holiday Inn China website usability study	234

8	Analyzing the findings	239
	What did we see?	240
	Gather input from everyone	241
	Collect the top findings and surprises	241
	Choose your organizational method	242
	What does it mean?	249
	Determining who should do the analysis	249
	Collating the findings	250
	Presenting quantitative data	251
	Working with statistics	252
	Analyzing questionnaires	256
	Using qualitative feedback from the think- aloud process	258
	Collating responses from the product reaction cards	259
	What should we do about it?	259
	Triangulating the data from findings	260
	Characterizing findings by scope and severity	261
	Making recommendations	265
	Case Study: Findings analysis from Holiday Inn China website usability study	270

9	Reporting the findings	277
	Following Aristotle's advice	279
	Preparing the message for the medium	279
	Writing an informal memo report	280
	Writing a formal report	283
	Preparing the parts of a formal report	283
	Writing the executive summary	285
	Organizing the rest of the report to match youraudience needs	285
	Presenting the findings	289
	Using tables to summarize the findings	291
	Illustrating the findings	293
	Ordering the findings	299
	Presenting post-task and post-test results	300
	Presenting survey responses	301
	Presenting SUS results	302
	Presenting qualitative responses	303
	Making recommendations	304
	Presenting an oral report	307
	Plan your presentation	308
	Prepare video clips	309
	Practice, practice, practice	310
	Deliver your presentation	311
	Know how and when to ask for questions	311
	Advocating for more UCD	312
	Case Study: Report of Holiday Inn China website usability study	315

10	International usability testing	319
	Learning about your international users	320
	Some international users are here	320
	Other international users are "there"	320
	Understanding cultural differences	324
	Books to learn more	324
	Articles to learn more	324
	Applying the work of Hall and Hofstede to understand international users	331
	Hall's concept of high-context and low- context cultures	331
	Hofstede's concept of five cultural dimensions	332
	Planning for international testing	334
	Where to test	335
	How to test	340
	Structuring the test protocol	342
	Localizing the scenarios	342
	Localizing the questionnaires	343
	Scheduling single sessions or co- discovery sessions	346
	Choosing think-aloud or retrospective recall	346
	Selecting the moderator	346
	Anticipating other aspects of international testing	348
	What if the participant arrives with someone else?	348
	Should more time be set aside for meeting and greeting?	349
	Should breaks be longer between sessions?	349
	Can you interpret nonverbal communication cues?	350
	Case Study: Analysis of the UPS Costa Rican website	353

	References	355

	Index	367