A very important aspect of user testing is to ensure that every user is treated the same and that both test materials and procedures are the same. Creating a test plan to use during testing ensures that the users get the same tasks and the same prompts for help (if needed). Refer to the Supporting Materials section below for examples of ways to develop tasks and prompts to include in your test plan to effectively support users during testing.
Directions
After completing the assigned readings in Module Six and reading the articles in the Supporting Materials section, complete the following activities:
For each of the situations given below, develop two user testing prompts that would be appropriate:
The user is stuck after finishing one portion of a task and doesn’t know what to do next.
The user has clicked on the system-furnished help but doesn’t seem to understand the message it has conveyed.
The user is quiet and has not done anything with the software for several minutes.
User testing is best when users are given tasks that are more personal to them. Consider the example of a website selling shoes. Instead of “Buy a pair of shoes,” a good task would be “Buy a pair of Nike LeBron 7 Big Kids Shoes for your nephew.” Sometimes it is more appropriate to provide a task that is more general. For example, instead of saying, “Go to the heading on the initial page that says Sale, select the category ‘Shoes,’ then find a pair for under $40,” you might say, “You are looking for a new pair of shoes on this store website, but you don’t want to spend much money. How would you proceed?”
For each of the general tasks below, develop a more personalized task that could be used in a usability test. It is okay to use names of specific websites.
Go to Fandango and find a movie.
Order something from a clothing website.
Figure out how to return an item you purchased.
Make an appointment to see a doctor.
What to Submit
Submit your written responses in a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins.