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Dr. Will Kurlinkus
[email protected]
Krug’s Rocket Surgery Made Easy Questions and Considerations for Tech Writing
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Why Write a Usability Proposal?
UX Readings: “The UX Research Plan that Stakeholders Love” and “Stop Writing Project Proposals” Goals: 1. Clients want to see what you’re going to do before you do it. (Good practice for job interviews—what can you contribute). 2. You need to prove to clients that they have problems and you know how to fix them. 3. Evaluation vs. Proposal: You don’t want to give too much away—you want to show you know there problems, clients, major goals, and how to solve them, but you don’t want to give away solutions.
Questions
Why create a usability proposal?
What’s the difference between and evaluation and a proposal?
What are you proposing?
In This Class
Evaluate: Identify (users, purposes, flaws, alternatives)
Propose: Why should we do a usability test? What is a usability test? What’s next?
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Preface & Chapter 1
Terms: Usability, Usefulness, User-Friendly
Basic Protocol:
Tasks: We’re testing two common tasks (as scenarios) on the site.
Participants: We’re testing two participants (your friends) at these tasks.
Recording
What’s best?
Think aloud
Questions What is usability testing? When and why might you use it? Examples: Nielsen Families; Ebola Form Is the test we are running quantitative vs. qualitative?
In This Class
2 participants+2 scenarios
We’re using 3 recording devices: Screen capture (QuickTime or CamStudio) and two external cameras I provide. You’ll also have notetakers present at the test.
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Chapter 3: Krug’s Sample Video
Steps in Krug’s Usability Video
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2.
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Introduce yourself, read a disclaimer, has the participant sign a waiver so that you can use the data Normally, you need an IRB/permission--which asks people to use their name and experience in publications/for monetary purposes.
Explain the process: What are they going to be doing generally? What do you want them to say? Gather bio info: Should be similar to a user persona. Helps to compare to that ideal user and/or user types.
Questions
Why is it important to introduce yourself?
What types of things do you want your users to say?
What is important and unimportant info?
What types of bio info should you gather?
In This Class
Should you have a disclaimer?
What should you prepare for this introduction?
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Chapter 3: Krug’s Sample Video 4. Basic concept check
Check and see if the basic concept of the website is clear: What do you think about the site? What is it for? What's the content? What's interesting or confusing? What types of things would you do on this site?
Scenarios
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Provide a printed copy. Create a scenario that is related to the task. Put the user in a story. Word problem almost. Make the scenario around what you predict preexisting problems might be and common tasks. While the participant is speaking allowed if you want more info or deeper descriptions your job is to ask. Check the bottom line: summarize at the end of the task and ask them if your summary is correct. Don't necessarily take their word for it but get the summary anyway.
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Chapter 3 & 4
Master Plan Multiple rounds of testing 1 round of testing=three users Do three tests and debrief with partners Recruit loosely
Prep Work What to test? Choose what you think is a bad site. Choose two common tasks the average user would want to perform on that site. Protocol task list/scenarios Choose a date and time and schedule yourselves and the people: Use doodle surveys
In This Class
Does everyone need to be there for the session?
What should different people be doing during the session?
Who are your subjects? How many?
Your writing a more formal lab report than Krug suggests because, well, this is technical writing.
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Chapter 3 & 4
When to start usability testing?
What are you testing? What are the benefits of each:
Your site,
Your competitor’s site,
A wireframe (sketch of a site).
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Chapter 5
Test Participants:. You don’t need to necessarily test ideal users because even your ideal users aren’t often ideal users; they also may be too experienced with the preexisting site (outsider’s perspective) Three is enough Avoid insiders who know too much about the company and website What do you need to tell people you are recruiting? How might you make a sign or flyer? What info? Have a substitute available Ideally we would do multiple rounds of testing—with multiple users. We’re not.
Questions
Who are the participants for your test? How many? What type? How do you find them? How do you compensate them?
For This Class
For this class we are simply using two of your friends. Ideally these friends would somehow be close to your average user persona, but they don’t have to be
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Chapters 6 & 7
Protocol
How to make tasks into scenarios?: One thing to avoid: using the same words as links, web headings, etc. on the site. Don’t give clues where to find things.
What’s the difference between tasks vs. scenarios?
Limitations: Don’t use the search function, stay on the site. Provide print sheets for the participants and the observers. The participant scenarios should be on separate sheets of paper. Why?
Checklists: What do you need to prepare now. Think of a place where you will be doing this testing, participants, and time slots where team members can be available.
